Pornography is a global corporate giant. The adult entertainment industry entered the mainstream of capitalism when Playboy magazine hit newsstands in 1953. Today, tens of billions of dollars are generated from the adult industry, and according to the Free Speech Coalition, the fastest growing segment of the adult market in the U.S. is on the Internet. Internet porn is a $3 billion dollar a year business.
There is a rapidly growing segment of the population that is coming to realize the devastating effects that pornography consumption can have on individuals, families and society. This segment isn’t merely made up of the Moral Majority or the Religious Right, but psychologists, marriage therapists, neurobiologists, feminists, politicians, and big business owners.
Is Filtering All There Is?
Various organizations are doing their part to combat the harms that flow from the adult industry’s products: Covenant Eyes is just one of those organizations. Covenant Eyes recognizes that there is an expanding segment of the population that desires self-censorship. Internet filters have their place, especially in protecting families and children, but they often aren’t the best technology for adults. (Even the best filters tend to over-block or not block enough, and at any rate, most adults hold the passwords and overrides to their household filters.) This segment of the population not only understands some of the potentially harmful effects of pornography on an individual, but they also understand the allure of porn. These people desire new tools that can help them stay away from Internet pornography.
Accountability Software
Psychologist Al Cooper believes that the three main factors that draw people into online sexual activity are
(1) Accessibility,
(2) Affordability, and
(3) Anonymity.
He dubbed this the “Triple-A Engine” of Internet porn.
These three factors work like three legs on a stool: remove just one of the legs and the stool will fall (or at least make it awkward to sit on).
Covenant Eyes equips people to take way the ‘A’ of ‘Anonymity’ and replace it with ‘Accountability.’ In other words, Covenant Eyes takes away the secrecy of Internet use by providing a platform by which people give a full and honest account to others about where they go online.
In March of 2000 Covenant Eyes pioneered the concept of “accountability software.” The concept is simple. Download the software to your personal computer. This software will monitor everywhere you go online. It won’t block anything: you can go where you choose to go. The program then assigns a rating to every part of every Web site based on objectionable material. This information is then compiled into easy-to-read reports that are sent to people of the user’s choosing. These people can then become effective accountability partners.
How does this help people?
First, as we’ve already noted, this takes away the anonymity of Internet use. For many the lure of pornography is its secrecy. When you choose to give an account of where you go online—to a trusted friend, counselor, pastor, or spouse—you remove the secrecy, thus, you remove much of the temptation.
Secondly, because the software only monitors without blocking, it preserves your freedom to surf the Web, which helps you build self-control in how you use the Internet.
Thirdly, this is excellent software for porn addiction, giving a great first step for those who need to surround themselves with healthy relationships and others that can help get root of their addiction. Covenant Eyes is a tool used by many pastors and counselors in helping people find freedom from their habitual and compulsive pornography use.
How to Use Covenant Eyes Effectively
In a recent interview, Christian counselor Paul Mavrogeorge talked about how to use the Covenant Eyes program:
“Let’s say Dad has two or three men that he is in accountability with. They get reports on where he goes and what he does on the Internet. In addition he’d get their [reports]. So now when they’re meeting or when they’re in conversation, they can have some conversations about, ‘Where did you go?’ and ‘Why did this happen?’ and ‘What went on?’ It isn’t ‘Oh wow, I gotcha!’ It’s, ‘Hey, let’s talk about this. Did you drift? And if you drifted, let’s talk about it.’”
Covenant Eyes accountability software has very little usefulness outside a community context. The software is a tool to help people who want to bring their Internet use “into the light” and cultivate a healthy, safe, transparent community where others can confess their downfalls and talk openly about the temptations they face.
As one reviewer wrote, Covenant Eyes is about
“creating what will ultimately be a network of like-minded people that include parents, family, trusted friends, mentors, coaches, husbands, wives, pastors, clergy, counselors, and other trusted and concerned individuals who are equally committed to helping each other with the same goal of filtering pornography and other undesirable material.”
For More Information
You can download the Covenant Eyes software at covenanteyes.com
CE repeadteldy casues my Acer iconia tablet to shut down every time it goes to sleep. So when I go to turn it back on, I have to wait for a complete reboot. It is running android ics, but it was doing this on honeycomb as well. Have any others faced this as well? This is a huge issue because it makes my tablet pretty much uses less, but my wife insists that I have it installed.
Hey Oscar,
We are so sorry to hear about your issues with your android tablet and our application. Our customer support team would be more than happy to assist you in resolving your issue. You can contact us at 877.479.1119.
unlike you all who are adults i am just a teen.Also i try my hardest to try i might not do it but ever week or every couple of weeks.How i cant….i wont let this take control so i am taking a stand now….making this my life not porn. No matter how hard never give up there is hope that is within……
You can try using a filter, but in the end. The only thing that can save you is prayer to the Lord Almighty. To suggest that you can come up with some human way to overcome the evil of pornography is itself an insult to the power of the Lord.
Prayer, that is all it takes.
@Tom – I respect the idea that prayer is a powerful medium given by the Lord to give us strength to overcome sin. What I don’t understand is the idea that it is the only medium given by God. There are many means of grace God gives to us, and the community of the church is one major one.
I find the whole idea that internet porn of consentimg adults is bad, to just be plain stuped. If you install this on your computer you are a weak human being who will blindly believe anything you are told by the religious right. Porn is not bad, and matsturbation has health benifits, these are facts. So to al of those who think they have a porn addiction I say keep on touching yourself without fear of being judged!
Since you think porn is not bad and masturbation is healthy, please be prepared to give some kind of information that supports these ideas. And since you are convinced people aren’t judged for their involvement in these things, perhaps you could also lend some support to that as well.