The article discusses how young men are heavily targeted by advertisements for sports gambling and other digital activities like pornography and video games. According to data from the Institute for Family Studies, about one-third of young men gamble daily or weekly, nearly half watch pornography regularly, and most play video games daily. The author, a pastor, argues that these behaviors stem from feelings of lack of control and isolation, as many young men feel ambitious but struggle with traditional paths to success. He suggests that society should offer guidance rather than criticism to help them build fulfilling lives instead of falling into the "addiction economy."
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
You cannot scroll on social media, watch television or even make a purchase online without being inundated with advertisements for sports gambling and prediction markets.
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You → scroll → gambling
Companies are spending millions to make sure we see them, and their primary target audience is young men.
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audience → spend → them
Data from the Institute for Family Studies confirms just how deeply this has taken hold: roughly one-third (35%) of young men gamble daily or weekly.
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third → confirm → men
This is not the only digital habit growing among young men today.
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This → grow → men
Nearly half (42%) watch pornography daily or weekly, and most young men (86%) play video games daily or weekly.
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men → watch → games
This is what some people refer to as the "addiction economy."
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people → refer → economy
As a pastor, I know young men who engage in these things every day.
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who → know → things
And, to be honest, I’m not surprised.
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I → ’m → ?
More than half (61%) of young men say they often feel they have little control over the things happening to them.
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they → say → them
Coping with this pervasive felt lack of agency drives them toward digital escapes that offer a temporary illusion of control, thrill or connection.
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that → cop → control
Yet, we know two crucial things about today’s young men: they’re ambitious — and they’re vulnerable.
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they → know → men
An overwhelming majority (84%) of young men say they have ambitious plans for their future.
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they → say → future
They want to grow.
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They → want → ?
They want to succeed, and in some sense feel that they’re capable of doing so.
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they → want → sense
But they’re also profoundly isolated and frustrated.
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they → ’re → ?
They’re facing a world where the paths to traditional success — like career success, homeownership, marriage, children and more — feel washed away or blocked.
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paths → face → success
They struggle with the ability to make friends with other young men or relate to young women.
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They → struggle → women
The addiction economy demands young men’s attention, time and money, and undermines their vision for a successful life.
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economy → demand → life
Left unchecked, society and commercial forces will continue to exploit or ignore their tendency at early ages to use things to numb pain, deal with anxiety, or cope with discouragement.
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society → leave → discouragement
But the true role of society should be to help them fulfill their aspirations for good and build lives of purpose.
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them → help → purpose
If we don’t offer them a better vision for their lives, the addiction economy will gladly fill the void.
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economy → offer → void
Older generations are quick to notice and criticize young men for retreating into digital vices, but scolding and shaming have never produced excellence.
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scolding → notice → excellence
Young men may be demoralized, but they haven’t given up.
uncertain
they → demoralize → ?
What they need is a guide and a path forward.
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need → need → What
They need to know they can build a life they actually want and can inhabit.
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they → need → life
Young men need formation and support if they are to develop their open-ended sense of potential and ambition into real success and healthy relationships with peers, colleagues and romantic partners.
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they → need → peers
They are capable of building good and desirable lives for themselves, and of attaining real excellence.
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They → build → excellence
But they need help to do so.
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they → need → help
And any invested, stable adult is capable of providing the support they need.
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they → invest → support
Show them they’re not alone, that they’re not unique in their struggles.
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they → show → struggles
These relationships will help remove the burden of guilt, of embarrassment, of shame for young men.
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relationships → help → men
We’re all going to struggle, often with the same things.
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We → go → things
These common struggles allow us to encourage and remind young men that they have the ability to overcome them.
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they → allow → them
’s also important to help young men feel like they have agency in their own lives, and that their lives have meaning.
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lives → ’ → meaning
They have a lot of questions: how to be successful, find a fulfilling job, make friends and navigate dating.
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They → have → dating
Often, we have to help them find answers and take practical steps to feel more in control of their future.
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them → have → future
Make sure they have the space they need to ask important questions and share vulnerable feelings or experiences, without feeling judged, dismissed or doubted.
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they → make → feelings
Young men also need a clear vision for their lives, and a clear vision of how they fit into their own communities.
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they → need → communities
Help them develop their ambitions into specific plans.
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them → help → plans
Help them come to know and understand how much impact they can have, just by showing up to serve.
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they → help → impact
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
