Something has been really eating at me lately. I am an addict. According to Psychology Today, Addiction is defined as, " A condition that results when a person ingests a substance (for example, alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (such as gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continuation of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary responsibilities and concerns, such as work, relationships, or health". While I am not addicted to drugs, I am addicted to something that is far more acceptable in our culture, Useless Information.
If you know me, you know that I love to learn, thus I love to read. I get excited at the thought of expanding my knowledge and being in the know of new discoveries. Unfortunatly, my phone and social media outlets have taken a front seat in my search for information. I have become more concerned with what others thoughts and opinions are instead of creating my own. I am more in-tune with what my friends are taking pictures of then the conversation that surrounds me at work and home. I spend more time snuggled up with my phone in bed instead of my wife. Enough is enough.
I want to return to a time when I was fine just enjoying sitting in the silence and resting. The idea of just sitting down with a book in my spare bedroom seems foreign to me. Is it Apple's fault for forcing a smartphone on me? Is it Zuckerburg's responsibility to patrol how long I spend on Facebook? No, the responsibility is mine. As painful as it is to say, my connection to my social media has become stronger than my connect with God. I have put up a golden iPhone in my heart. I look at my phone right when I wake up instead of thanking the One who allowed me to open my eyes that morning.
So do I delete my social media accounts? No, but I have deleted the apps for the time being from my phone. I must reset myself, get back to basics. Until the new year, I will keep this fast going. I am tired of the chains of society that I have placed on myself. It is time to learn to breathe again.
