For those of you that have an iPhone or an iPod Touch, you know the gloriousness that is the App Store, where you can literally find anything you want at the click of a button. With the recent release of OS 3.0, things have opened up quite a bit too. Some good, some bad.
Almost in sync with the new OS came a barrage of new apps, seeking to capitalize on all the new features. A group of these targeted the new parental settings features. For over a year, the app store has banned any app relating to pornography and the like. Now, these apps are being allowed in under the guise of a mature rating, allowing anyone to purchase such content, wither a paid or free version.
I wanted to track this content a bit, so I have kept an eye out for popular apps in the store’s top 25 section. A while ago, it was BeautyMeter that held strong to the top inappropriate spot, until Apple yanked the current version for allowing teens to post sexually explicit content. Within the past two weeks, TOP100Lite – Sexy, Lingerie, Bikini & Swimwear Models is taking the reins of this content. With the addition of the new parental settings, this app takes full advantage of the new OS and is now allowing free pornographic content straight to your phone, no matter what the age. When it first appeared on the scene, it quickly rose to number two on the charts, and has since declined in popularity and is now resting comfortably at #12.
Is it because the app is no longer as good as it once was? No. In fact they have added more content in the past few weeks. So why is it still so popular and yet declining in its ratings? Simply because people are looking for a new fix; a new way to get a visual high- the next big thing. Sure enough, there will be another app out soon with new content that will attract a new crowd and further influence those that are already in the mix. These things never change. In fact, they get further away from reality, from a moral baseline and from where we need to be to be healthy.
So why put this out there? First- there are tons of men and women alike that can access this content and have it create a mess in their lives. Second- To not be aware of such things would leave you unprepared against such things. Third- As apps such as this creep into the lives and hearts of our families, churches and even our own lives, we need to keep in mind that we have been called to be beyond reproach, to live lives excellently according to the Lord. May God protect you and keep you safe. May He guide you as you lead others away from disaster, and may He always be your next big thing.