As an industry, it has a worldwide value of $57 billion and an $12 to $14 billion value in America. To put this number into context, this industry grosses more money than professional football, baseball and basketball combined in the United States.

The business is pornography, and it had the power to pack the Great Hall of the Memorial Union during Wednesday night’s lecture, “Porn Nation.”

“Sex is awesome: It’s a wonderful thing, a beautiful thing, but it’s also a powerful, powerful tool,” said Michael Leahy, recovering sex addict and founder of BraveHearts LLC, an organization aimed at raising public awareness about the dangers and consequences of pornography exposure.

Leahy’s presentation included a combination of live lecture and personal testimonial, accompanied by a multimedia presentation.

Leahy was first exposed to pornography as an 11-year-old, sparking a 30-year struggle with a pornography addiction, eventually costing him a career and family.

“How could I allow something so harmless, so silly, to ruin my life?” Leahy said.

Two of the largest deceptions surrounding pornography are the notion that it is just “harmless, cheap entertainment” and that if individuals don’t want to be affected by pornography, they can merely avoid being exposed to it, he said.

“Whether you become addicted or not, [pornography] has a direct impact on relationships and the way [people who use pornography] view others,” Leahy said.

Anatomically, viewing pornography releases dopamine, the same “excitement” chemical associated with the first stage of attraction.

“The body and brain build up tolerance to the [instant gratification] experience of pornography,” Leahy said. “Eventually, that user is doing what used to be for pleasure just to feel normal.”

An increase in sexual assaults and eating disorders has also been associated with a culture bombarded with sexual messages, Leahy said.

“Every person who is addicted to anything has one thing in common: They have a false belief system,” Leahy said.

In his own life, he said the false belief was that if anyone really knew everything about his life, they would reject him. In actuality, his real need was a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Students attended the lecture for a variety of reasons, but had strong opinions surrounding this historically taboo topic.

“I think pornography is damaging because of its portrayal of women as a sex symbol,” said Kathy Mou, junior in animal science.

Mou said individuals who view pornography begin to look at women as physical objects instead of people.

“I know a lot of guys get on the Internet and almost stalk people; the government should pass laws or regulations restricting certain Web sites,” said John Dicke, junior in accounting.

For more information on “Porn Nation” and Michael Leahy’s message, students can visit the Web site www.bravehearts.net.