Pornography Consumption as a Threat to Religious Socialization

Abstract

Although pornography consumption has become increasingly pervasive in the USA, few studies have considered the impact that more frequent pornography use may have on the health and character of American religion. This article examines how more frequent consumption of pornography among parents might influence their religious socialization of their children and how this effect might vary across mothers and fathers. Analyses of 2006 Portraits of American Life Study data reveal that pornography consumption is negatively associated with the time parents spend talking or reading about religion with their children, net of relevant religious and sociodemographic characteristics. Moreover, interactions demonstrate that pornography consumption diminishes the positive effects of other religious factors on time spent religiously socializing one’s children. Splitting the sample by gender reveals that these effects apply primarily to fathers. Findings suggest that increased pornography consumption itself might threaten the transmission of religious heritage from parents (and particularly fathers) to children.