Virtual Vices Reveal Shift in American Morality

Virtual Vices Reveal Shift in American Morality

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As the Internet and other media invade American life, our vices have gone virtual, according to a new study. Nearly half of Americans say they are tempted to idle the hours away on the Internet, video games and television, according to Barna Group, a California-based Christian research organization. And more than one in four American men admit to struggling with Internet pornography or other sexually inappropriate material online. Millennials — Americans born between the early 1980s and 2000s — are most likely to seek forbidden fruits online, according to Barna.

The technological temptations reflect a shift in American morality, said David Kinnaman, Barna’s president. Vice now “shadows many of the digital domains of contemporary life,” he said. “For faith leaders, this shift underscores the importance of including technology and media as part of a broader discussion of spirituality and stewardship.”