By Tess Farrand, Staff Writer Many Hollywood movies like 21 JUMP STREET and NEIGHBORS (both not family-friendly) showcase the American college experience from a largely sexualized standpoint and further muddy the waters of how God intended sex. Yet, there are young people doing positive work to combat this detrimental trend. One group of college students are going against the grain and taking a stand against pornography. The counter-cultural move to combat porn on campus started at Notre Dame University in Indiana this past October. As The Daily Beast reports, “80 male students penned an open letter requesting a porn filter on the campus WiFi.” The letter calls for people to “stand up for the dignity” of men and women alike, with an emphasis on how women are negatively treated and viewed because of the effects of porn. As a result, “lead letter-writer Jim Martinson said, he’s received emails from more than 40 students at other universities who want to install a filter on their own campuses.” Notre Dame already has a policy that prohibits explicit content, but the WiFi filter would further restrict people from consuming porn. After Martinson’s letter, he was shocked by the amount of student-support he gained with over a tenth of the student population signing the petition. His efforts are spreading to other universities, like Princeton, where anti-porn activist Jack Wheeler stated his thoughts on the negatives of porn, “I think that it’s much easier to objectify women and to not see them as people when you’re simply viewing them as objects of sexual pleasure.” The fight against pornography is one that Martinson, a senior economics major with a minor in theology, does his due-diligence. Martinson serves as the President of Students For Child Oriented Policy (SCOP) a student-driven organization that according to their website, “advocates the development and implementation of child-oriented policies… especially on the issues of marriage, education, adoption, drug abuse, and pornography.” As to be expected, Martinson and his team’s efforts are causing some push-back from people, but they remain optimistic for a change. “I’m confident that we’ll be able to get it done by the end of the year.” It’s exhilarating to see young men recognize how the porn industry corrupts the hearts and expectations of people who are exposed to it. Sadly, in the U.S., porn is a billion dollar industry where 40 million internet users are viewing porn on a regular basis. In recent weeks, Starbucks, as well as the social media platform Tumblr, have also announced measures to censor pornographic images. If anything, this should leave us hopeful that future generations are mobilized to change our overly-sexualized culture for the better. For similar articles, click here and here. Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer. What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support. You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you. Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible. Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer. What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support. You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you. Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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