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What do Utahns Google? Answers may come as surprise

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utahrules | 1:12 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Isn't it great to be inquisivive sand open minded. Nice ol' well-balanced Utah shows how.

Pete | 3:36 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Interestingly Utah came out as the No. 1 sub-region (in U.S) for Googling "How to commit suicide", but none of the top 10 cities were in Utah.

tmjtbat | 5:24 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I just went to Google Trends and tried the terms Davidson's report claims Salt Lakers are searching(i.e., nude). What I found was that SLC was not on the top ten list for these questionalbe searches. As usual, Davidson has put out a misleading article.

Comments continue below

Lance Homer | 5:44 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

The author didn't do enough research on this issue because Salt Lake City isn't really #1 in most of the categories for all the cities in the United States. For example if you go to Google Trends and search on "mormon" and select on the United States it makes it appear that Salt Lake is the #2 city for this search term yet if you click on the Utah region it shows Salt Lake as #5 just within our state. Doing the same for "nude" and "boobs" you'll find the same kind of results showing that St. George and Spanish Fork search more often for these terms than Salt Lake. So when it lists Salt Lake as #1 in the nation for the term, I think it may be excluding smaller cities (such as St. George and Spanish Fork) in the results.

samhill | 6:39 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I'm surprised that so much of the article (about 100%) dealt with the idea that the light/dark dichotomy was a result of the predominance of LDS people in Utah.

Regarding the “dark” side (internet porn), there are at least two other factors which, I must presume, also play a very important role. Namely, the very high computer literacy and usage within Utah (usually ranked as one or two in the nation) and the very young average age of the state, the perennially youngest in the country.

Between the higher than average ability to access internet porn and the higher than average percentage of people whose raging hormones would tend to drive them to use that accessibility for some sexual gratification via pornography vicarious though it may be. Consequently, for those reasons alone, the Google search rankings ought to be no surprise at all.

dblagent007 | 7:00 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

In order to keep my children safe, I automatically assume that everyone I meet is addicted to porn and is potentially a child molestor. That is why my children are rarely left alone with others, especially men.

Kevin of Arkansas | 7:23 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

As a method to monitor internet use, you could have mentioned checking the internet browser history. That will let you know exactly which sites your computer has visited. It is a great tool to monitoring youthful inappropriate viewing.

Don't Trust Google | 7:31 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I do not trust Google. This is the same company that censors itself at the behest of communist dictators and selectively censors conservative political messages on YouTube and in it's ad space while unapologetically allowing terrorist, leftists, and other anti-US messages openly and freely. Who can confirm these numbers? Who checks Google to see what they're doing and why? There is no checks and balances here. Google says they don't do anything to hurt or harm. Well guess what, I don't believe everything just becuase someone says it is...especially from someone who's "fruits" has shown such poor decisions in the past.

Alternative explanations? | 7:41 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Let's be realistic here about what these data mean. That Utah has a problem with pornography is only one of many explanations! For instance, Google is a curiosity website. People go to Google to get information that they do not already have. So you could realistically make the argument that Utah is actually the least "sexed-up" state on the web (i.e., people are going to Google for porn rather than to porn sites for porn). My hunch is that hard-core addicts do not start out every peek by going to Google. So while this article paints Utah as being on the dark-side... it could also be that they are really the most naive. So until alternative explanations can be ruled out, we had better wait to draw conclusions. As they say on trends.google.com: the service is intended to be "interesting and entertaining" but not something sufficiently accurate to draw conclusions (i.e., don't "write your Ph.D. dissertation" on it). Readers be warned: there is more than one way to interpret these data! The article only portrays only the simplest story, but not necessarily the right story.

Steve, DC | 7:47 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

The proverbial icing on the cake: He urges adults to help each other by searching through browsing history? How disturbing!

computer counselor | 8:09 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I have a theory for why Utah may be higher in some of the 'darker' searches on the Internet.

In most of the United States, the acceptance of pornographpy is considered 'normal'. Even this article said it. Where society sees pornography as 'normal', a 'normal' person would be signed up for their favorite sites. They would have shortcuts on their web browsers and if they wanted to go to another site, they would simply go from their favorite to an advertised site that interested them. Therefore, they do not need to do searches or use a search engine.

In 'good old Utah', pornography is not considered 'normal' and is not commonly and openly accepted. So... a person wanting to view pornographic images would have to do a search each time to link into their favorite site. Thus bypassing a record being kept in the addresses of their web browser (imagine a wife looking for www.xray and www.xxxsexxx pops up as a suggestion to finish the address). By going through the search engine, a porno addict can more easily hide their tracks. Since it isn't 'normal' why would a person want it in their favorites?

LC | 8:14 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

If parents aren't willing to help out with questions of nature, kids are naturally going to seek out the answers.

BYUGrad | 8:26 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I wish I was surprised by this report. I know too many individuals with sexual addiction issues in the church. I am convinced that sexual addiction starts with curiosity and repression.

The number one reason male students at BYU go to the counseling center is for sexual compulsion. The number one reason female students at BYU go to the counseling center is for eating disorders. These are real problems that need to be confronted.

The findings could be spun as Satan working harder to destroy the church.

Don't be believe what you read | 8:54 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

What makes for a better story? New York City has the highest search rating for porn or SLC has the highest rating for porn? Yeah...someones just looking to spin this to make a story out of it. You can make numbers say anything you want.

Tribble | 9:10 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I know that we NoMos are responsible for everything bad in Utah. But to reach #1 for "boobs" means we've got to be getting some help from the other side of the divide.

PhD ABD | 9:17 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Oh please.

Not only is this not PhD dissertation-quality, it's not even acceptable research for a high school paper. YOU CANNOT draw conclusions without correlating the searches. It's bunk, it's bad science, and it's designed to slander a city.

The U psychologist who tries to prop up the bad science should have her tenure pulled. This is so bad, it's Al Goreian.

(Of course, we could just stipulate that SLC != Mormonism and be done with it.)

Move on.

Addicted | 9:22 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I've been in recovery for a couple of years, and have found abstaining from lust to be monumentally difficult. For an alcoholic to recover, he/she needs to avoid taking a drink; but for the sexaholic, visual stimuli are everywhere, and can even be generated in the mind, making abstenance that much more difficult. Our sex-crazed world gives visual doses left and right, which make recovery for the sexaholic nearly impossible, and which wins new addicts constantly.

Before I went into recovery, I used Google as my primary tool for launching me where my lust-filled curiosity was taking me.

I should complain, too, that both Google Videos and YouTube (owned by Google) provide a near constant enticement to lascivious content in the offerings they provide in the margins. I've sent Google a request that they allow people to opt out of this soft-porn, but so far, it continues unabaited.

Tim | 9:31 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

It does not matter whether Utahns are #1 in googling porn sites or #50. The abusive effects that result will take generations to overcome. Sadly, men think they are doing it in secret and hoping they will not be discovered. But eventually, they are. Fathers are fired from jobs, wives feel betrayed, and children at a loss about what is happening around them. Porn is a poison of the minda and the spirit. Over time, it becomes a cancer growth that must be cut out or it will kill you.

Kitenoa | 9:34 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

What else is google tracking that we are not aware of?

Perspective | 9:39 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

As a recent transplant to Utah, it is very apparent that accessibility is a significant issue. I have lived in lots of places in the world, and Utah has less porn (literally) lying around than just about anywhere, so if a person is tempted to peek at something, they don't go to the corner shop or the XXX video booth in the red light district, they go to the internet. And computer counselor is right that they are more likely to try to use a search engine to hide their tracks. It is still alarming to note its a problem here (and certainly some of the "light and dark" struggle is involved), but in some respects it is also a sign that the community is doing something right by keeping the smut out of the public space.

Claire | 9:40 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

It seems kind of strange that they're ignoring Utah laws about porn. In another state you could go to the corner store instead of to the internet. Shouldn't they take that into account?

HAHAHAHAHAHA | 9:46 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I think it is funny that so many people get on the offense or the defense. So Mormons are googling boobs. Shocking. Remember that doctrine teaches us that Mormons are people too. They make mistakes, they trip, they fall, and they pick themselves back up again. Is this actually a convtroversial topic? I think not.

placebo | 9:46 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

by the way, i wouldn't consider Harry Potter or Orson Scott Card as literature. speculative fiction, yes.

Mike Kessler | 9:49 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

The article is misleading. For one thing, the statistics and rankings on Google Trands change minute by minute. For another, more important, thing, we don't know why anyone entered the search term. If, in General Conference, there was a talk on pornography, then the number of searches for that term would go up, but not necessarily because people are =seeking= pornography. What would be telling (and what we don't know) is, after receiving search results, what did the person click on, and how long did that person spend on that other site? But entering a term in Google only tells us... that someone entered a term in Google. There's not enough data for judgments to be made.

It's Sad! | 9:57 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

The sad part is that when you google "boobs" in Utah, all you get are pictures of Legislators!

Anonymous | 10:12 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

#4 in "barelylegal." Must have been Dave Fox searching for mortage loans.

Krusty | 10:12 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Remember that Salt Lake City is way below 50% LDS. Just because members of the LDS church are in a higher percentage than other groups doesn't mean they are the ones doing all the google searches for porn. I know there are not immune, but there are plenty of those who are opposed to the LDS church who would spend all day googling porn or what ever if they thought it would make Utah and LDS people look bad.

Susan | 10:17 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Too bad they can't monitor how many of these searches are done by children and teens. It wouldn't surprise me if Utah's youth were the ones checking out "boobs" and "suicide" topics....just sayin'.

Kami Telford | 10:25 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I just wanted to note here that you may not google "pornography" as a way to get porn. I have learned if I want to arm myself in the fight against porn I don't google "porn" I Google "pornography" because those are going to be more likely the hits I am looking for. I find it curious that ï¿½pornï¿½ was not on that list? Not everyone making google searches for "pornography" is looking for smut, but may in fact be looking for ways to protects and defend against. Still there is a problem with internet porn or I would not be motivated to fight against it. I agree that this article is badly constructed as there are a lot of ways to take the data and a simple light vs dark treatment, though not without some merit, is misleading. One of the problems here in Utah is that because of the dominant anti-sexuality we do have a lot of oppression which can intensify guilt and therefore the problems. However the other side of that is that we ARE fighting it. A lot of places/ people do not see it as a problem.

who cares | 10:28 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

dont get so bent out of shape about this. I just moved to utah from the east and i have to say everyone is so uptight about so many things here. When i read this article I thought, oh that is interesting. I never thought utah is evil, mormons are evil. It is not an attack on utah, it is just an interesting tidbit. Dont get so bent out of shape about it. Ironically the worse thing about utah is not that people may do things that may be considered "dark" it is that everyone else passes judgement on them for doing something they think is wrong. Live and let live people, you do what is right for you, and let others do what is right for them. I'm telling you, this is a great place to live but it would be so much better if everyone quit worrying about what everyone else is doing.

Ryan | 10:28 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

That crackback on Dave Fox just made the rest of this tripe and number-fudging worth reading. Brilliant, sir!

Porn a Problem | 10:42 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I do think that this article is misleading, for the many reasons that has already been stated. But it brings once again our attention to the growing problem of internet porn. This topic needs more discussion.

If you think that viewing pornography is okay and normal, I just want you to know that I would never allow anyone to watch my kids if I knew that they were looking at porn, even soft porn, even bras and swimsuits.

dblagen007 said something that unfortunately I have to agree with. Due to the secret nature of internet porn, parents must be on the offensive side and protect their kids from people who do porn. If you do porn you are more likely to commit sexual crimes.

Porn is not harmless and is linked to violent crime.

Know Jack | 10:46 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

As a non-Mormon, I have taken two LDS friends to Las Vegas on business trips, along with other inactive and non-Mormons. Most times the very religious just go crazy when they get the chance, like a kid in a candy store for the first time. I guess no wine, women, and song make Jack a dull boy!

superman | 11:20 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

boobs....
oh wait this isn't google.

Maria | 11:23 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Ha ha! It is funny that Utahns even use clean words like 'nude' or 'naked' or 'boobs' when looking for porn. I'm sorry but that is just hilarious.

Researcher | 11:27 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Actually, the research shows that "porn" is NOT linked to violent crime. Only violent porn is. And psychologists have known for decades that "violent crime" in the form of rape is not about sex at all!

I find it interesting that common Mormons, who are so sexually repressed, think they know more about this than researchers with decades of training and experience in researching these issues. What ever happened to being humble and teachable?

Frank | 11:28 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I'm wondering now what other cities/states are #1 on, we cant be taking all the prominent ones. I'm guessing the Nebraskans just google "corn", "hay rides" and "butterfly kisses"? Lol I know us Idahoans have to be #1 googling "potatoes", no sarcasam meant at all, thats just a given.

AS | 11:36 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Well now I'm very curious and I'm going to have to go and google "boobs". Ha ha

sam | 11:52 a.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I went to google trends and put in the words boobs and striptease and when the results of the search came up I selected from the pull down menu the region of the united states Utah was first in both words.

Dan Sage | 12:00 p.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I agree with many that there might be some other variables in play that the article is not considering. I wrote a post about it at my blog at Peer Help Groups. Basically, Utah does not rank high in porn, only pornography. People use the two terms for very different purposes. Utah is number one in "pornography addiction." Also, Utah's data is skewed because of the large discrepancy between number of computers and number of homes connected to the internet. One of the largest discrepancies in the nation. That means a lot of people are not searching google in their homes which greatly affects normalized data. Also, a lot of the terms do not have enough date to break down by city within Utah. This means the absolute numbers are very low. Finally, Spanish Fork ranks very high when the data can be broken down. Spanish Fork only has 20,000 people, 40% of which are under 18. I wonder if there is a small population of teenagers struggling with addictions that are thrusting Utah to the number one spot on Google Trends. There are definitely more variables than considered in the article.

To Maria | 12:10 p.m. Oct. 12, 2007

That's actually a good point. There are many other terms that get to the same content, but are less polite.

I think the points of criticism here are valid, but nevertheless there is something to be said about making something taboo and thereby promoting it. One can teach virtuous lessons about sex without making it so secretive and curious that you create more interest by not talking about the topic at all or in only a very cryptic sense. Unfortunately, that is a difficult balance for many to strike.

A.S. | 12:25 p.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Researcher,
Exactly what is your definition of sexually repressed? Just thought you'd do a little Mormon bashing while you could? Never once have I thought I was sexually repressed. But since you say I am, then I guess I'm sexually repressed. How ridiculous can you be. Save comments of a persons sexual nature for the porn sites.

Researcher | 12:35 p.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I Googled *Boobs* and it came up with "people in SLC and Utah that comment on stories about Boobs."

Spencer from AZ | 12:36 p.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Whether these searches are being done by LDS or non-LDS or whether or not UT is actually #1 in these specific categories or even if the Google data is valid is not the point. The point is that pornographic material is being made available in such a ubiquitous manner that it should be shocking to all of us.

Pornography is not something to laugh about, it is not harmless, nor is it a natural, uncontrollable desire that people have. It is fake, un-natural, and destructive to everybody that is involved.

There is nothing positive or good about this. It destroys families, causes harm to marital relationships, and embarrasses and shames those who are involved at any level.

I appreciate this article because it points out and brings to mind the reckless and cruel manner in which this danger is being published. We should see pornography for what it is, not be glib or trivial about it and have the courage to stand up to it.

Richard | 12:53 p.m. Oct. 12, 2007

I can't figure it out. Is it good or bad, or does it make any difference what whoever wrote this says.
I can only control what I do. Every thing else is beyound my control.

Too Funny | 1:03 p.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Again, the comments posted are hysterical!!! I love it - too funny!!!

"Boobs...
Oh wait, this isn't google" CLASSIC!!!

By the way, to claim Utah/SLC is the porn capital of the nation - give me a break. That is the stupidest claim I have heard yet. LOL

This is Zion man - I guarantee that is not the case.

All of you, sign a hymn!!!

whatever | 1:03 p.m. Oct. 12, 2007

The only thing I can glean from this article is that the five people in Utah that use google are extrememly weird. With Yahoo users however, the results are probably just the opposite of the googlers (can I say that in this forum?)

who cares | 1:22 p.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Superman, that was the funniest thing I have read today!

Porn and rape | 1:23 p.m. Oct. 12, 2007

Researcher,

Give me a break. The biggest category of rape is date rape. Are you telling me that date rape is not about sex? That's the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard. The guy is randy, he doesn't care much about the girl, and forces himself on her. It does not revolve around violence. Porn fuels passions and the passions fuel wanting them satisfied.

Sarah | 1:47 p.m. Oct. 12, 2007

At least Salt Lake City is not number one for porn or porno...

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