If you’ve been outside in 2016, chances are you’ve seen large numbers of people staring at their phones while walking and swiping upward violently. These people congregate around landmarks and city parks, and seem to be having a better time than usual on their mobile devices. No, these people aren’t texting or passionately scrolling through social media, they are most likely playing Pokémon GO, the latest app that has taken the world by storm.
According to Similar Web, only two days after the augmented reality app’s release, Pokémon GO was already installed on 5.16% of all Android devices in the US. Just one day after Pokémon GO debuted, it was already installed on more US Android phones than Tinder, which is always among the top apps. Yes, that’s right, Pokémon GO has nearly double the installs compared to Tinder.
If that wasn’t enough, Similar Web also reported that over 60% of those who have downloaded Pokémon GO in the US are using it daily, putting it neck and neck with Twitter users. The app is also being used for an average of 43 minutes and 23 seconds a day, which is higher than Whatsapp, Instagram, Snapchat, and Messenger.
But perhaps the most interesting statistic of all is the one found by Twitter user ZhugeEX, who pointed out that according to Google Trends, search results for Pokémon GO have surpassed that of porn searches. It’s a sad reality that in the age of the internet, nothing is searched more often than porn.
The blue line represents searches for Pokémon GO, while the red line represents the search term porn. As you can see, only a short couple of days after the app was released, the Pokémon GO trend surpassed the internet’s desire for porn.
Whether you’re into Pokémon or not, this is something we can all be happy about. Science and research are proving that viewing pornography is harmful to the brain, relationships, and society. Spend your time doing other things instead of watching porn. Whether those activities include Pikachu or not is entirely up to you.
Your Support Matters Now More Than Ever
Most kids today are exposed to porn by the age of 12. By the time they’re teenagers, 75% of boys and 70% of girls have already viewed itRobb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.Copy —often before they’ve had a single healthy conversation about it.
Even more concerning: over half of boys and nearly 40% of girls believe porn is a realistic depiction of sexMartellozzo, E., Monaghan, A., Adler, J. R., Davidson, J., Leyva, R., & Horvath, M. A. H. (2016). “I wasn’t sure it was normal to watch it”: A quantitative and qualitative examination of the impact of online pornography on the values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of children and young people. Middlesex University, NSPCC, & Office of the Children’s Commissioner.Copy . And among teens who have seen porn, more than 79% of teens use it to learn how to have sexRobb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.Copy . That means millions of young people are getting sex ed from violent, degrading content, which becomes their baseline understanding of intimacy. Out of the most popular porn, 33%-88% of videos contain physical aggression and nonconsensual violence-related themesFritz, N., Malic, V., Paul, B., & Zhou, Y. (2020). A descriptive analysis of the types, targets, and relative frequency of aggression in mainstream pornography. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(8), 3041-3053. doi:10.1007/s10508-020-01773-0Copy Bridges et al., 2010, “Aggression and Sexual Behavior in Best-Selling Pornography Videos: A Content Analysis,” Violence Against Women.Copy .
From increasing rates of loneliness, depression, and self-doubt, to distorted views of sex, reduced relationship satisfaction, and riskier sexual behavior among teens, porn is impacting individuals, relationships, and society worldwideFight the New Drug. (2024, May). Get the Facts (Series of web articles). Fight the New Drug.Copy .
This is why Fight the New Drug exists—but we can’t do it without you.
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