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Americans aren’t getting married, and researchers think porn is part of the problem
Washington Post ^ | 12/21/2014 | By Roberto A. Ferdman

Posted on 12/22/2014 8:22:56 AM PST by Responsibility2nd

There could be an unlikely contributor to the decline of marriage in this country. And it's free pornography on the Internet.

A team of researchers, who published their findings in The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Germany, determined that the rise of free Internet pornography is not only correlated with a pronounced decline in percentage of young adult males who are married, but might actually be contributing to the trend.

"The results in this paper suggest that such an association exists, and that it is potentially quite large," the study notes.

The researchers used data from the General Social Survey (GSS), a comprehensive, nationally representative survey, to analyze how 18-to-35 year-old men used the Internet between 2000 and 2004. They focused on how many hours each participant spent on the Internet per week, and how many reported having used the Internet to view pornography in the past 30 days, but also observed other activities, including the use of religious websites.

"We asked ourselves, what is helping determine whether people are married or not?" said Dr. Michael Malcolm, a professor at the University of West Chester, Pennsylvania, and one of the study's authors. "One of those things, we thought, could be the use of pornography."

~snip~

The reason, Malcolm explains, is likely tied to the relationship between marriage and sexual gratification. If pornography is viewed as a means of alternative sexual gratification, then it could be undercutting the need for marriages to serve this function, at the very least during a younger age. Think of it as a milder form of premarital sex.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: 68revolution; culturewar; feminism; hedonism; marriage; moralabsolutes; nuclearfamily; pornography; singles; smashmonogamy; smashthepatriarchy; trends; waronmarriage
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To: struggle

Why buy the cow when the milk is free...


101 posted on 12/22/2014 9:44:28 AM PST by miliantnutcase
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To: Responsibility2nd
It is the rejection of God in Jesus Christ that is destroying all things.
Basic “western civilization” stems from Christian values and beliefs combined with the resulting life goals thereof.
The rejection culture indoctrinated into the self serving God rejecting narcissistic individual, is not only the death of the individual, but also generations of their offspring.
It is sin, and the wages of sin are death.
Its called sin, not porn, and Jesus promised all this and that this time definitely would come.
102 posted on 12/22/2014 9:46:26 AM PST by right way right (America will reject the suck of Socialist Freedumb, one way or another.)
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To: Responsibility2nd
A lot of posters here have identified symptoms of the disease, but not the actual malady

The disease is the Marxist Class Struggle, being pushed by Gramscian Socialists into every corner of American life.

Black activists push it in criminal/police relations; feminists push it in male/female relations; academics push it in programs of study having nothing to do with politics; politicians push it in disguise, as "Giving Something Back" or "Save Our Schools."

All of them work as a team, rushing to the defense of their colleagues in unrelated fields whenever they meet resistance, and looking the other way when the team's long-term goals might be impeded by one of their own stated short-term objectives (i.e., feminist silence about ISIS.)

They are organized. They are disciplined. They are relentless. Ronald Reagan smacked them hard when they weren't expecting it and set them back a generation, but now they are prepared for any kind of political resistance. They quickly dispatched Tom Delay and Sarah Palin. Ted Cruz is proving a lot tougher, but they intend to eventually hound him out of political life, too.

And they have successfully redefined marriage into a tool to accomplish Socialist goals. It's no wonder young men aren't interested in it, today.

103 posted on 12/22/2014 9:50:13 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves (Heteropatriarchal Capitalist)
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To: Kenny Bunk

104 posted on 12/22/2014 9:50:41 AM PST by Old Sarge (Its the Sixties all over again, but with crappy music...)
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To: Responsibility2nd

It’s the economy, stupid!


105 posted on 12/22/2014 9:51:00 AM PST by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: relictele
Militant feminism and its constant companions the entitlement mentality and The Tyranny Of Cliches (after Jonah Goldberg) has put men off because men, quite reasonably, do not respond well to being called predators, evil, rapists, etc. by complete strangers.

Oh I will take that further. Our laws are now set up that way where men are assumed to be guilty and predatory. Why would men enter into a contract where their wife can get a no fault divorce, take half his stuff, half his future and potential earnings, and take his children away? In this day and age of equality...

106 posted on 12/22/2014 9:51:34 AM PST by KC_Conspirator
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To: Georgia Girl 2
Because it corrupts their idea of what sex is and how it should be conducted. Then they can go down to the local dive bar and for the price of a beer, reenact the acts they see in porn. I have never viewed porn, but I'm sure many of the acts counter-natural, violent, or just plain weird.

Cheaper, easier, and totally lacking the responsibility and commitment required in a marriage. The shame and emptiness they feel regularly, they simply don't connect to their life choices.

107 posted on 12/22/2014 9:51:40 AM PST by Wyrd bið ful aræd (Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo et mundabor, Lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.)
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To: 4rcane
"People aren’t getting married these days because of financial reasons"

Reasons people aren't getting married:

  1. financial reasons

108 posted on 12/22/2014 9:52:46 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Sanity is the adequate response of the mind to the real thing: adaequatio mentis ad rem.)
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To: papertyger

Oh, but I disagree in the case of the guys I know. My friend with the 4 kids has very clearly stated that he has no interest in marriage at all. Solely dates divorced women with kids and many have had several divorces. His theory is that they don’t want any more kids and with multiple marriages, they won’t want to get tied down again. He calls his women his “stable of fillies”. I pray for his soul LOL

Good to know that men do believe in true love :) Again, gives me hope of finding that uniquely special man.


109 posted on 12/22/2014 9:52:50 AM PST by DallasGal (First generation AMERICAN and proud of it)
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To: edpc
"At best, I would consider porn’s role a fringe contributor. The main problem is the destruction of family and marriage as they have been traditionally defined."

Reasons people aren't getting married:

  1. destruction of family as defined

110 posted on 12/22/2014 9:54:26 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Sanity is the adequate response of the mind to the real thing: adaequatio mentis ad rem.)
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To: HarleyLady27
"Did ya ever think the reason people aren’t getting married is because of the way they have been brought up?"

Reasons people aren't getting married:

  1. the way they have been brought up

111 posted on 12/22/2014 9:58:11 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Sanity is the adequate response of the mind to the real thing: adaequatio mentis ad rem.)
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To: Old Sarge
(sigh) I have a perfect pic for that, but it’ll have to wait just a bit.

Please ping me to it when you post it.

112 posted on 12/22/2014 9:58:52 AM PST by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: Wyrd bið ful aræd

Well in my youth I saw some porn a couple of times and it was so stupid and boring I was done with it in about 5 minutes. That’s why I can’t imagine millions of people not getting married because of porn. It has to be something else.


113 posted on 12/22/2014 9:59:54 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: Mr. Jeeves
A lot of posters here have identified symptoms of the disease, but not the actual malady The disease is the Marxist Class Struggle, being pushed by Gramscian Socialists into every corner of American life.

Is that also the cause of cultural decay in general? What I mean by that is that while Marxism has infected the media, it is Americans themselves who sit in front of the boob tube and lap it up. Who is really responsible for the decay?

114 posted on 12/22/2014 10:00:55 AM PST by palmer (Free is when you don't have to pay for nothing. Or do nothing. We want Obamanet.)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

Let me guess, you are not a guy.


115 posted on 12/22/2014 10:03:12 AM PST by palmer (Free is when you don't have to pay for nothing. Or do nothing. We want Obamanet.)
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To: GeronL; Responsibility2nd

I agree with both of you. Personally, married (to 1 woman) for 38+ years. I know the strength of being married, and the strength it takes to make a marriage work (for both parties). Most of the devastation seems to be occurring with anchorless younger men (relatively speaking). They are disillusioned by all the foundational institutions who have ever been who now have proven that they are not the answer. A wife, once a prize to be pursued, is now something to fear and shun due to the unrealistic expectations that today’s feminazi teachings put forth. I have so many stories of younger men who are pummeled by the new system. Those stories being played out are examples to even younger men to fear marriage, rather than pursue it. I fear for all my grandkids who now have to face these minefields. I only hope they have the wisdom to look for gold in the purest sense, and not that of a gold digger...


116 posted on 12/22/2014 10:04:09 AM PST by Dubh_Ghlase
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To: OneWingedShark

Here ya go!


117 posted on 12/22/2014 10:05:41 AM PST by Old Sarge (Its the Sixties all over again, but with crappy music...)
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To: wgmalabama
1). Marriage is hard and takes work to be successful. No one is willing to work hard.
2). Marriage has risks ( financial, social, emotional)
3). Marriage fail. We have all seen the impact of failed marriage and its brutal to everyone involved especially kids and men. It’s hard on women also but they are the least hurt in the process. Female and male children of divorce both see nothing but the pain.
4). Marriage is now more legal than moral. Legal ramifications dwarf the moral ones.
5). No one is championing marriage.

Astute post. How true...all of it. Been married a long time to only one. Very difficult. Unless this is fixed soon, the nation WILL fall.

118 posted on 12/22/2014 10:10:44 AM PST by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin ( Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you,)
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To: Responsibility2nd

I think it is a lot of things, and porn is definitely in the mix. Yes, technically porn has been around forever. But the amount, accessibility and explicitness (quality) of it are unprecedented in history. Like drugs, it initially has an arousing effect but, before too long, has a desensitizing effect.

Eventually, some a-hole will develop the technology to inject pornographic experiences right into the brain, so the client can’t tell the real from the virtual. When that happens, marriage (and perhaps human procreation) is effectively over.


119 posted on 12/22/2014 10:11:31 AM PST by rbg81
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To: DallasGal
Good to know that men do believe in true love :) Again, gives me hope of finding that uniquely special man.

Of course they do, but bear in mind "true love" is very different for men than women.

Try this experiment: pick any genre other than romance, then read novels written by both men and women, paying particular attention to how the protagonist and his/her love interest conduct themselves.

By comparison and contrast, you'll soon develop a feel for how creative, articulate, thinking people (i.e. Writers) view the idealized love relationship. And I predict you will find them very different, indeed.

120 posted on 12/22/2014 10:11:45 AM PST by papertyger ("News" is what journalists want to say.)
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