There is a growing market dedicated to creating protective software for our everyday mobile devices. And much of it is aimed at combating one thing: pornography.
In the digital age, pornography is more accessible than ever. According to a 2023 study by Brigham Young University students, porn exists on 12% of all websites and is viewed by approximately 69% of men and 40% of women a year in the U.S.
With this rise of porn consumption, however, more people also are looking for ways to oppose the trend. Enter two BYU alums, who have created an app that seeks to address the root of this porn obsession.
Chandler Rogers, one of the co-founders of the Relay app, said their product takes a new approach to help individuals quit porn.
(Relay) Chandler Rogers, one of the co-founders of Relay, says the app focuses on a more holistic approach to overall health and well-being.
Most porn protection apps, such as Covenant Eyes and Net Nanny, filter internet content and preemptively block adult images or websites. Relay doesn’t actually contain a filter nor does it function as one.
The app instead focuses on a more holistic approach to overall health — through wellness checks, psychological curriculum and helping users set personal boundaries. This differs from other apps and programs, which tend to use models that penalize users when they relapse.
Rogers said these responses can inhibit the user’s progress and don’t target the heart of the issue. A common misconception, he said, is that the problem is in the porn and not the individual.
“We often tell people that they don’t really have a porn problem,” Rogers said. “They have a pain problem, and pornography really fills a gap for most people.”
Research appears to support Relay’s assertions.
Porn is not an addiction
Latter-day Saint author and sex researcher Cameron Staley explained that porn consumption is often a symptom of an underlying mental concern.
“People who struggle with compulsive pornography viewing tend to be less aware of their emotions,” Staley said. “It’s usually emotions that are preceding urges to view sexual images. And so emotions organize us for action, and we’re always feeling things even if we don’t notice those.”
After researching the topic for years, Staley found that the brain doesn’t tend to behave in typical addictive patterns as if it were subject to substance abuse. He said instead of treating porn like an addiction, it should be viewed as a symptom of an underlying mental concern.
“The antidote to (the) compulsive pornography viewing problem in many ways is to develop the capacity to get more comfortable with emotions and discomfort,” Staley said. “And learn better ways to manage emotions and create more space for those.”
As Staley sees it, that’s what Relay attempts to do.
Relay race against porn
On the app, users can opt in to an online support group where they can talk to other users about their struggles with porn. Users can open up with one another about their progress and reach out to others when they feel vulnerable to relapse.
The purpose, Rogers said, is to turn self-isolation into a team effort, which fits the company’s name.
“The name came about as an homage to my track background,” Rogers explained. “In a relay race, you have to run individually. You’ve run your own leg in the race, but, ultimately, the race can only be completed as a team. … It’s a very personal and individual thing to try to overcome.”
An Idaho Falls Relay user, who asked not to be named for privacy reasons, said he had tried programs, apps and internet filters for years but struggled to find a solution that worked for him.
Then he tried Relay.
“One of the key factors in my success is being able to feel connection,” the user said. “You really can’t go through this alone. You have to reach out to others. You have to find that support.”
(Relay) This image depicts the Relay app's user interface and shows the Red Flag feature, which allows users to reach out to members in their group for support.
This sense of community is Relay’s psychological strategy and is what shows results, said Joe Alto, Relay’s director of growth and one of the clinical therapists who collaborated on the project.
“Addiction is the opposite of connection,” Alto said. “Isolation is what fuels addiction. … You need community and you need accountability.”
And while Relay’s focus is on the pain, the porn might just disappear with it.
Note to readers • Dylan Eubank is a Report for America corps member covering faith in Utah County for The Salt Lake Tribune. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps to keep him writing stories. This story is available to Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism.