An estimated 40 million Americans surf porn online. It's certainly not hard to find and much of it is accessible for free. But how many people can't stop looking? When does their occasional indulgence cross over into addiction? Some estimates put that number at 10 percent, but it's a difficult figure to pin down since porn is largely consumed in private and online without anyone else around. Gone are the days when it meant venturing to the corner store and risking embarrassment.
You can argue that some porn isn't bad, or that everyone has the responsibility to make their own choice in the matter. Some couples say it's a healthy part of their relationship. But one "virtual ministry" called XXXChurch.com thinks online porn is a slippery slope and can quickly spiral out of control and lead to dissolved marriages, debt or worse. Its founder, youth pastor Craig Gross, started the movement as a way to reach out to Christians and others to say it's OK to open up about being addicted to porn. And it's a necessary first step before finding counseling or other recovery methods.
One of their most popular events is called "Porn and Pancakes." It's part of Gross's XXXChurch.com traveling roadshow, which goes to various churches around the country. He uses his skills as a pastor combined with slick video presentations to hammer home what he sees are the ills of porn. He also has a former porn producer in attendance who discusses why he left the smut industry to join the XXXChurch.com movement. At some college events Gross even debates porn star Ron Jeremy.
I recently attended one of these "Porn and Pancakes" gatherings in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I interviewed Gross and some others – including two fathers and sons looking to prevent any problems – plus a man who calls himself a "recovering internet porn addict." He says for nearly a year he'd spend several hours a day surfing porn, hiding it from his wife and friends.
Tune in Tuesday night to the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric to see what happened when his wife discovered his online habits. It's all part of our internet addiction series: "Caught in the Web," which concludes on Wednesday with a story about clinics in China dealing with the seriousness of this issue.
Addicted To Porn
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