I also dislike the internet. It's highly addictive. We can intend to work for school or vocation, and find ourselves updating our Facebook status or watching YouTube videos, delaying our time until completion by minutes to hours. The internet is a source of procrastination. It is a tool that can take us away from normal conversation into isolated, nonverbal people. The internet can delay focus, stop our daily routines, and take over our lives. The internet can easily become our idol. We can be on the internet all day and night long, possibly.
I'd like to present a challenge. I'm one of those "internet surfers" who end up trying to do work and ends up getting sidetracked at the push of the power button. I propose a plan to stop relying so much on these rectangles and say "yes" to more contact with friends and family. I propose a plan to decrease procrastination of the internet so all work can get done in a timely fashion. I propose a plan to only use the internet for leisure, and if this holds true, it will be for an hour a day. I propose a plan to not use the internet during the work week, only the weekend as a way to get rid of the addictive idol. I propose a plan not to do any internet surfing, and if surfing must be done, it will only be done in minimal amounts.
The point that I'm getting at here is that I'm tired of the internet controlling my life. I've tried plans before, but have always fallen. It takes 21 days to break a habit. Starting tomorrow until December 5, I will use all of these tactics to stop relying so much on the internet. I'll get rid of the rectangle controlling my mind everywhere I go. I will stop the search overload and telling everyone about what I've found. I will not use the internet until all of my work is done and it is a weekend. No exceptions. In all of the other times that I've failed, it has been because I've let something slide like "It's the weekend...I have all day to do this" and then I'm online for hours. Enough is enough. I've decided to let go of the rectangle controlling me.
I'd like to reiterate that the internet can be used for good things. It has been used to tell of persecution in different countries as a way for people to help and has also been used in getting someone to stop committing suicide. However, the internet becomes our worst nightmare when we rely on it for everything we have and we let it control our minds. I want to change. I want to clear my mind of search overload syndrome and renew it with my relationship with God and all of the beautiful things that there is. I'm tired of staring at a glowing screen and typing on black keys. I will stop. I want to change. I'm done with using the internet too much and then shaming myself for it. I'm done with praying and asking forgiveness and doing the same. exact. sin. the next day. I won't have it. I want to have an actual relationship with God that is me obeying because I love Him and not out of fear. I want to feel free with joy abounding in me and to love one another with everything I have. I want to become more patient and more kind. I want to manage my time much better than I have been doing now. I want to be able to read and study; then come out of that reading saying "I understood the material".
I'm guessing that stating how tired I am of all of my consequences of using the internet as my idol is what starts change. It's like how most people won't lose weight effectively until they choose to lose it. That's how God works. And I think that's amazing. He doesn't force us to do anything because He wants us to do things out of our love for him. And that's why we have a choice. Therefore, if anyone who wants to rid themselves of an internet addiction, I'd suggest that you'd check yourself to see how much you really want to do it. I don't mean to sound arrogant, and maybe it's good to let go of the internet and fail a few times until you have reached a final decision. I just don't want you to fail and then feel as if nothing else would work; that's how I've been feeling this past week. However, I've grown tired of all of this madness surrounding my ever present obsession with the glowing rectangle.
Here's how it will work:
-No using the internet during the week
-All homework must be done before using the internet on the weekends
-Internet usage is restricted to 1-2 hours
Or am I being too strict? Is this why I've failed before? Am I putting too many unrealistic restrictions for myself and this has been why I have failed? Maybe. Possibly. Maybe it shall be modified.
-Internet usage may be only used 30min./day and can be only used when all homework is done
-Weekends permit 2 hours max. of the internet, only to be used when all homework is done
There. I think I have it. And I hope that if you're reading this and you would like to also have this journey of releasing yourself of the controlling internet on your life that you are successful too.
I apologize that this is so long! I didn't mean for it to go on for this long!
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