Utah in the news?

I am sure you've seen UT was in the news for a recent Harvard Study, claiming they were ranked highest in the nation for online porn subscriptions. To be sure, there are problems with porn in UT, as well as many other states. But, as you might expect, I have something to say about this study. The following are thoughts of mine and my dearest friend upon discussing the study. Read on if you dare...

1) How reliable is Eldeman's study? He fails to mention how he retrieved the zip codes. Are these zip codes based on broadband/cable bills or credit cards (if it was indeed porn-for-purchase)? As much of my sad work experience with juvenile delinquents has taught me, most internet porn is free. They tell me you can "sign up" to access it by an online profile, much like MySpace. In that case, how many porn addicts really use their true zip code?

2) What are Utah laws on the availability of pornography in other outlets (e.g., live, newsstand, etc.)? What is available in the local cable subscriptions? I'm betting that both of these are far more limited in places such as Utah as opposed to California simply because the overwhelming demand isn't there to carry the stuff. Note that one of the highest percentages for accessing online smut in Utah is in Sevier County, where ALL services are pretty limited. The upshot is that you have a certain segment of the population who is always going to want this kind of stuff and if it isn't readily available in their community, they'll access the internet to find it. What this study seems to leave out is that yes, more likely than not, Utahns have chosen to legislate morality and in doing so have caused a certain percentage of their population to have to seek it out in other venues, which wouldn't occur in other states. My bet is that the more conservative states who have chosen to put constitutionally-acceptable limitations on access to and availability of pornography would also have "higher" rates of internet access to it. I also would note that the identities of the other states, except Montana, have been omitted. Why? Probably to gloss over the fact that the percentages are so close that's it's not even worth mentioning.

3) This study smacks of a biased fight against the recent Prop 8 support work Utah and the LDS church paricipated in. Had this high-use porn percentage been reported in any other pro-Prop 8 state, would there even be a story? I quote Edelman's own words who, by the way, fails to mention any of the other "defense of marriage" states.

"Subscriptions are slightly more prevalent in states that have enacted conservative legislation on sexuality," Edelman writes. In the 27 states where "defense of marriage" amendments have been adopted, there were 11 percent more porn subscribers than in other states, he reports. Use is higher also in states where more people agree with the statement "I never doubt the existence of God."

4) If you believe Edelman's description of his own study (the italicized portion above), the conclusions he has reached must necessarily lead to the inevitable yet fatally flawed conclusion that people with an unwavering belief in God are, or are far more likely to be, porn addicts. I highly doubt it.

There. I've said it. Now you know my thoughts and feelings on the matter. That said, I am STILL moving home to Utah in mid-June. I miss my family, and I've been away for far too long. This last scare with dad's stroke and current rehab at home have taught me that I'll take the Utah Mormon culture "quirks", if it means I can be with the ones I love the most and live in a place that isn't tilting towards Amsterdam with legalization of everything. *grin*