John-Michael Bout and Jacob Valk: Breaking Free of Porn Addiction

Welcome to part one of our two-part series on “Technology, Church, and Culture.” On today’s episode, Heather finally has a conversation on a topic she has been wanting to discuss since season 1: pornography. According to the Youth Pornography Addiction Center, 93 percent of boys and 62 percent of girls are exposed to internet pornography before the age of 18. To discuss porn’s impact and what resources may be available to help a user who wants to quit, Heather sits down with John Michael Bout and Jacob Valk, who created the documentary Into The Light, which helps people navigate and break free of porn addiction.

Heather also sits down with Taylor Lorenz, an investigative reporter on technology and culture, to discuss the 12-page bill known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, aimed to “protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary controlled applications” like TikTok. Taylor walks us through what we need to know about the TikTok ban and adds another tool to our social toolkit. Learn more in her latest book, Extremely Online.

Guest Bio

Jacob Valk holds a degree in advertising from Mohawk College and a BA in humanities from Brock University. He worked various roles in advertising/film in Toronto, coproduced the documentaries Ordinary Commission and Into The Light, and runs the podcast Chats Under the Sun. He is finishing an MDiv at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he lives and works at the Re:Center homeless shelter.

John-Michael Bout holds a BA in classics from Brock University and is working on an MDiv at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He coproduced Ordinary Commission and Into The Light. He is married to his lovely wife Jessica and has two sons, Roman and Andrew.

Host Bio

Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including I’ll See You Tomorrow and It’s Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on X, the app formerly known as Twitter, at @HeatherTDay and on Instagram at @heatherthompsonday. Receive Heather’s weekly inspirational email every Friday at 7 p.m. eastern time; sign up at www.heatherthompsonday.com/links.