Love is perhaps the most overused and misunderstand word. Because of humanity's corruption and our twisted desires and hearts, relational love has always been hard to define and even harder to achieve. Today, with the incredibly powerful influence of the internet and media, even more lies and falsehoods concerning love confront and challenge us.

In pop culture, romantic love has all but been equated with sex, and as a result, we've lost what it means to truly love another person. Rather than portraying the emotional, spiritual, mental and physical aspects of love, much of media focuses on the physical act of sex itself. Whether in the hype about becoming fit and achieving a sexy body or on the covers of glossy magazines that advertise ways to have the best sex of your life, the sexualization of culture is everywhere. Something that was once sacred between two individuals is now plastered on screens and pages for all the world to see.

This pervasive and destructive idea that sex equals love has built up the industry of pornography.

A few months ago, my sister told me about a non-profit organization called Fight the New Drug. According to their Facebook page, “Fight the New Drug is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to educate and raise awareness on the harmful effects of pornography and sexual exploitation. We exist to provide individuals, especially teens, with the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding pornography by raising awareness using science, facts, and personal accounts.” This organization, founded in 2008 by college students with a vision to recapture what love means, has now over 1,000,000 likes on Facebook and has extended its reach across the globe.

Fight the New Drug presents a simple but powerful message: pornography harms the brain, the heart and the world. Pornography traps the viewer in a destructive cycle by triggering the brain to release high levels of dopamine, thus creating pathways that make it easier and easier for the viewer to return to that same behavior which caused the release, just like a drug addict. This addictive influence not only affects the people who view porn but also damages their relationships with others.

Shown in a variety of personal accounts and statistics on their blog, Fight the New Drug tells how watching pornography changes one's perception of love. Essentially, because pornography prevents a cheap and fake picture of sex, it limits love. No longer is the act of sex or falling in love something holy between two human beings, between two human souls. Personal accounts reveal that those who watch porn eventually lose interest in finding real love altogether, finding it hard to be attracted to a real, imperfect human when used to porn stars on a screen.

Even more saddening than how pornography affects its viewers, however, is the reality within the porn industry. Fight the New Drug has published dozens of articles on their website, revealing the shocking stories and statistics surrounding the porn industry. One such article reveals the secret of the porn industry: "To viewers, pornography can appear a fantasy world of pleasure and thrills. To those who create and participate in making pornography, however, their experiences are often flooded with drugs, disease, slavery, trafficking, rape and abuse."

Not only for the women who are trapped in the porn industry, but for the men and women whose lives are affected by porn, let's do something to change our culture's perception of love and sexuality. Stand up with Fight The New Drug, and become a fighter for real, costly love.