Today I met with yet another person who had their lives shattered via a technological addiction. It begins with a simple text, a search on Facebook or a peak on a tempting website. Everything and anything is so easily accessible to us with the mere tap of the finger.
Now don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with the advancements we’ve made technologically and I enjoy my computer and cell phone just as much as the next guy. It’s difficult to even think back to the days of carbon paper and typewriters (boy am I dating myself). What is wrong is how we use technology at times.
Addictions are rampant and difficult to overcome and they are fed and fueled my the internet. Pornography, gambling and even shopping addictions can so easily be hidden when we don’t even have to leave our living room to indulge in our ‘guilty pleasures’. Affairs of the heart, if not the body, blossom as people connect with others who are as lonely as they are in their relationships. It’s much easier to get an emotional fix sexting instead of doing the hard work of confronting the issues and learning to truly connect emotionally with your partner. Especially when things aren’t going well to begin with. Most, if not all, resist spending the time and money required to get professional help. It’s a hard thing to do. Airing our ‘dirty laundry’ isn’t fun for anyone.
Easy To Start, Tough To Stop
The problem is that it’s a slippery slope and once you’re on it the momentum is hard to fight. There are many many people out there who has said, “I would never……”. And yet they hit the slope and it’s like skiing Mount Everest–downward at a fast a furious pace.
So what can you do to safeguard yourself? To begin with, don’t start. Don’t look at that website, contact that old boyfriend from high school or flirt via text with that co-worker. If you don’t start you don’t have to worry about stopping. If you’ve already started decide to stop. If you need to enlist the help of friends and family, or seek out a qualified professional, do so. Stopping can be difficult but not impossible and you’ll be surprised how much better you’ll feel if you do.
So guard yourself carefully. Be honest with yourself. And remember that “I’d never…” can change instantly with the tap of a finger and a slide down the slope!