No Rushing
Many (okay, some) people are asking how my social media fast is going.
I'm about two weeks in, and the withdrawals and constant reaching for my phone have lessened. I'm slightly less distracted, have stopped hearing phantom pings and vibrations, and I find my posture is slightly less humpy.
So that's good.
But I gotta say I miss the updates.
A friend had a baby.
Blurry shamrock selfies were posted and I didn't get the chance to like them.
What funny videos are hot? Has someone fallen and can't get up? Are there more cute babies saying cute things?
And I've undoubtedly missed some birthdays and “humble” brags.
You know what's been really interesting though?
I kind of feel, well, calmer.
I'm guessing it's the lack of nonstop dopamine rushes from all the scrolling.
I did a little internet search and came across this article that cites the work of Dr. Anna Lembke, who has written a book called Dopamine Nation.
Check those out if you want to get freaked out about what our phones and social media are doing to us—scary stuff.
Dr Lembke says our smartphones are the “modern-day hypodermic needle."
Jeez la weez.
Is there anything out there that isn't bad for us?
First Twinkies, now this?
Why do they keep making stuff that's bad for us and gets us addicted?
Answer: Greed
And why do we keep buying it?
Answer: I dunno, cuz we wanna
Smoking is bad, but vaping is cool.
Booze is bad, but bourbon and wine are fancy.
Sugar is bad, but diet stuff is good.
Carbs are bad, but protein is good.
Simple carbs are bad, but complex carbs are good.
Lead is bad, but plastic is great.
Just when we get on board with some new and better thing, "they" tell us that it isn't good, and we have to buy something to stop doing that, only to find out that the new thing is bad too.
We blindly follow the next crave or craze only to find ourselves imprisoned in their grips.
Do I have to live on a field somewhere to avoid all of this? If I did, "they" would probably discover that fields are harmful as they cause allergies and excessive dust in the atmosphere.
I realize this is a privileged problem. There are people in the world right now fighting for survival and facing real issues, and all of this seems silly in comparison.
And yet, I do think that the enemy - you know, the red lycra jumpsuit dude with the horns - loves to keep us distracted, divided, busy, addicted, and brainwashed.
That way, he can do his work without interruption.
Whoa.
That's deep.
Imagine what we could do to improve the world without all the addictive, divisive, adrenaline-rushing distractions.
I love cute puppy videos and games as much as the next guy, don't get me wrong.
But, when I think about all the stuff hurting us, pulling our attention away from God, and preventing us from living our best lives, I kinda want to shake us all out of this stupor we have found ourselves in.
And yet, I miss the connections and the dopamine rushes.
But that’s okay, I got better stuff to do today.
Time to do some interrupting.
1 John 2: 15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
John 10:10
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves [through and through] with many sorrows.