From Christianity Today online.
Young people are growing to expect sex on demand and without consequences, a Wheaton professor has warned
William Struthers, Associate Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College, believes that pornography is reinforcing unrealistic and unhealthy views of sex among young people.
“Pornography is a violation of the childhood mind, creating expectations that anybody and everybody is willing to engage in sex on demand and that consent will always be freely given,” he said.
“Pornography is setting a moral standard for young people. They watch other people doing things and put themselves in their place.
This is very troubling on multiple levels. First the addictive nature of pornography has been thoroughly established, along with its destructive effects on relationships. Second, if young people grow up thinking sex is just something couples do or that there are no consequences from engaging in it outside of marriage, they are just simply wrong about the God-given purposes of sex.
I’m not trying to be a prude here. I am worried that if pornography is indeed setting a moral standard for our young people, then it spells real trouble for them if/when they decide to get married. If couples believe that sex is just another commodity and downplay the critical importance of intimacy that must always accompany sex, they will discover that their marriage is greatly impoverished and that doesn’t bode well for the long-term success of their marital relationship.
Been there, done that. Not good.