A porn blocker can play an extremely important role in your journey to overcome porn, especially if you use it with accountability. Few people overcome porn using only a porn blocker.
Screen Accountability allows you to block known porn sites, but in our initial release, you couldn’t personalize the list of websites it blocks. Many of our members expressed that they would happily switch to Screen Accountability when they could add websites of their choosing to a Custom Block List.
We are excited to announce that day is here! Custom Block Lists are now available with Screen Accountability.
How a Custom Block List Fits into Your Recovery Efforts
Porn blockers have their limitations, but they are valuable for recovery, especially in the early stages. A porn blocker can help someone achieve a level of sobriety by preventing them from accidentally stumbling upon a porn site. Our Filtering service, powered by CleanBrowsing, protects against this and automatically blocks all known porn sites.
But those struggling with porn often find that certain non-porn sites tempt them and act as a gateway to porn use. These porn triggers often vary from person to person. Maybe it’s YouTube. Maybe a fan fiction site. Maybe a certain store. What triggers you might not have the same effect on your friend, and vice versa. This is where a Custom Block List can help.
A Custom Block List allows you to block those non-porn sites that act as your gateway to porn. Knowing what sites trigger you helps you grow in self-awareness, and this self-awareness will be an important key to your recovery. Here are a few ways you can utilize this feature:
- Proactively identify some of the sites that are your porn triggers. Are there specific sites that seem to consistently trip you up? Add them to your Custom Block List.
- Review your screen activity with your ally. Were there any incidents? What type of activity led up to the incident? Any common themes from various incidents? Consider adding those to your Custom Block List.
How Blocking Works on Screen Accountability
Our Custom Block List provides you an easy way to set standards for yourself that carry over to all your devices. You don’t have to go through the time consuming and tedious process of managing a blacklist for each device.
Here are the high level things you need to know:
- Your existing Custom Block Lists will transfer to Screen Accountability. If you’re still using Internet Accountability, your old Blocked Sites List will be automatically imported to Screen Accountability when you switch. If you’ve already switched to Screen Accountability, your old Blocked Sites List from Internet Accountability will be automatically transferred at your next software update.
- It blocks domains, but not specific URLs. This means you can add “trigger-site.com” or “images.trigger-site.com,” but you can’t currently add the specific URL, “www.trigger-site.com/inappropriate-image.” NOTE: Adding “images.trigger-site.com” will not block “trigger-site.com,” but adding “trigger-site.com” will block “images.trigger-site.com.”
For more information about how blocking works with Screen Accountability, check out our Custom Block List support article.
I am really happy with the new system. I will explain.
The old Covenant Eyes (internet accountability) regular seemed to trigger false positives. Although some of what it reported was intentional, unrighteous behavior on my part, other parts were unintentional and innocent. As the person needing accountability, I always felt especially hurt by any of those false alarms. Sometimes I was innocent and proud of my conduct in real life but then later condemned by the auto-generated report e-mailed to those who were important to me. It broke down accountability, because I knew I was doubted, but I didn’t want to argue with anyone. How could I argue against Covenant Eyes? My heart was crushed. It even felt like I was being gaslighted because eventually, you don’t even know what to believe. Is it possible that in some careless moment, I did intentionally seek provocative content, and it meant so little to me that I just forgot about it? Yes, that is possible. Maybe that’s what happened, I would tell myself. Please forgive me, and may God have mercy on my soul.
The new Covenant Eyes (screenshot accountability) seems much less susceptible to raising false alarms. I really like that. When the custom block list was added this summer, restoring its custom filtering capabilities, it became as good as it’s ever been. I look forward to opening my daily Covenant Eyes reports now. They reinforce my purity and my relationships instead of clouding them in doubt. Thank you all for these improvements.
A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight (Proverbs 11:1). Our heavenly father sees all that you have done. For the times I was hurt, I forgive it all. Being in that situation was my fault anyway and not yours.
To anyone else thinking about switching to screenshot accountability, I think you will be really pleased. The software now is as good as its ever been. Covenant Eyes has become a world-class product. It is fair and righteous. You need this.
Tim,
SO glad to hear that you are loving our new Screen Accountability (and the custom block list)! There is much less “questioning” and doubt when it comes to my own reports, and I love that. It’s a whole new level of accountability, and we as believers need that!
Keep up the good fight.
Moriah