Turning Point USA hosted its America Fest, and one of its speakers, Senator Josh Hawley (R, MO), spoke openly about his opposition to pornography use. He admonished young men to “turn off the computer and log off the porn and go ask a real woman on a date.” He also encouraged men to make the first move and to be respectful. “Don’t wait for her; you go ask. Show her a little respect. And then you take her out, and you treat her right. How about that? Don’t make her cater to your whims. Treat her right; treat her like what she is, a woman, a person of incredible significance created in the image of God.” 

Masculinity has been a favorite topic of Hawley’s, with his book, “Manhood: The Masculine Virtues America Needs,” scheduled to be released in May 2023. He previously spoke out about the prevalence of pornography use amongst American men with Axios on HBO. “As conservatives, we’ve got to call men back to responsibility. We’ve got to say that spending your time not working … spending your time on video games, spending your time watching porn online … is not good for you, your family or this country,” he said. He also described the ideal man as “… a father. A man is a husband. A man is somebody who takes responsibility.” He also accused the left of treating men like they are the problem. 

Relevant Magazine reported on the ill effects of pornography on the brain, sharing statistics on increased erectile dysfunction in men as young as their 20’s being linked to pornography use. Prior to the widespread availability of pornography, only 5 percent of men under 40 suffered from erectile dysfunction. That number is now up to 33 percent. Men are also choosing to be less sexually active in their prime years of 18 to 30. Sociologist Dr. Mark Regnerus stated that the wide availability of sexual material online had killed young men’s desire to seek out real women. The Covid-19 pandemic only exacerbated the problem, Relevant reported, as more people were at home with less to do. The issue has also infiltrated churches, with a Barna survey finding very little difference between the porn habits of self-identified Christians and non-Christians. 

Despite the known negative side effects of pornography, most Americans, particularly young Americans, have a very casual attitude towards pornography. The latest statistics from Covenant Eyes show that 90 percent of teens and 96 percent of young adults “are either encouraging, accepting, or neutral when they talk about porn with their friends.” Only 55 percent of those over the age of 25 believe that pornography is wrong, while 13-24 year-olds believe not recycling is worse than viewing pornography. In Christian circles, according to the Barna Group, 68 percent of church-going men reported viewing porn on a regular basis in 2020. Also, despite 57 percent of pastors saying that porn addiction is the most damaging issue of their congregation, only 7 percent of churches reported having ministries to help those addicted to porn. Pastor Josh McDowell, one of the leaders backing the Barna study, stated churches need to be more proactive about addressing pornography use in their churches. “I would rather put a fence at the top of the cliff than an ambulance at the bottom,” he said.