I remember where I was the first time I heard the words “COVID-19.” In December 2019, my then-boyfriend (now-husband) told me that a virus was sweeping through China and shutting its country down.
“That’s in China, though,” I said. “We don’t have to worry about that here.”
Boy, was I wrong.
We all know the rest of the story: Within a year of that conversation, we had all lived through a pandemic.
According to Merriam-Webster, a pandemic (used as a noun) is “an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affects a significant proportion of the population.”
However, when used as an adjective, the popular dictionary records the word’s meaning as “occurring over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affecting a significant proportion of the population.”
I would argue that although we are far past the days of masks and vaccine mandates, there is still a pandemic running through “a significant proportion” of our nation and world. Yet, its symptoms cut much deeper than the loss of smell or taste.
As with the worst cases of COVID, this sickness is known to spread quickly and can infect marriages and families.
This particular pandemic goes by the name of “pornography,” and its cure remains unknown.
To many wives, parents, and families, the word “pornography” itself is enough to send shivers down their spines. This topic, although prevalent in our nation, seems to be taboo. And, just as with many taboo topics, it often isn’t discussed. Meanwhile, it is ravaging homes like wildfire.
From January 2020 to February 2, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that 777,368,929 cases of COVID-19 were reported worldwide. In comparison, Covenant Eyes shared research showing that just one of the world’s largest porn sites had more than 5.6 billion views in 2024 alone.
But it gets worse, with an average age of first pornographic exposure being 12 years old, this pandemic has swept through the lives of many, leaving countless victims in its path, ranging from industry actors and hurting wives to broken families and empty hearts.
And, since little is being done to rectify these situations, it should be no shock that these numbers continue to grow. Recent Covenant Eyes (CE) research revealed some shocking stats concerning this issue. They include:
- “78% of men watch pornography.”
- “44% of women watch pornography.”
- “In 2023, estimates for the global industry range from $58 billion all the way to $287 billion.”
- “73% of teens have consumed pornography.”
- “When pornography is viewed, couples are twice as likely to separate. 70% of wives of sex addicts could be diagnosed with PTSD.”
- “51% of male students and 32% of female students first viewed porn before their teenage years.”
CE also reported that in today’s world, the pandemic has even made its way into the pews. It also noted that: “22% of Christians view pornography at least once a week, compared to 31% of non-Christians who view pornography at least weekly.”
No one is safe from this sickness.
In Luke 11, Jesus talks about how the importance of what we allow our eyes to see. In verses 33-36, it says:
“No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.” (Emphasis added.)
Just as Scripture explains, what we consume impacts us greatly. When darkness enters our minds and hearts, it affects every part of our lives. The pornography pandemic is no different. The question is, what will it take to end it?
For more information on how to combat pornography, visit Covenant Eyes or click here for a list of gender-specific resources.
