Media Addiction

We're normal, media-consuming Americans at this house.  We love our iPhones, our Internet browsing, some texting, some TV.  And, randomly enough, we love to listen to audio books.  We don't read much fiction around here, but man can we listen to it.

Obviously, a good portion of this media time is pretty much unavoidable.  We have jobs where answering emails is a non-negotiable task.  I text my friends about meeting up at the zoo.  We coordinate churchy things via our personal email, and look up fairly important info online about the day's weather (AKA how do I dress my toddler today?) and the new Infant Tylenol dosing.

But honestly, both Josh and I feel a another fast coming on in our house - one that's media related.

Because we waste a lot of time with TV, blogs, sports-following, iPhone games, etc.

What activities might we be missing out on because we watch so much TV?  
What might we learn about where our priorities are if we cut way back on mindless media?
How might my personal times in the Bible and in prayer change if I wasn't spending so much darned time surfing the Internet?
How much more would I experience God's presence in my life if I didn't always have to have something "on" in the background?  Or if my mind wasn't ping-ponging between Facebook and TV and Pinterest in the evenings?

Also, now that we're responsible for a small developing mind here at our house, I want to set a good example.  What am I teaching my curly-headed toddler when I check my iPhone while feeding her lunch?  A bad habit, yes, and probably something about the importance I place on spending time together.

I discovered others didn’t need me to be as wired as I thought. Most of my media involvement is simply about me (blah).” Pg 116

Yes, I definitely resonate with this.  A lot of my media-related time spent is about me, and not even about my spiritual growth or encouragement or anything meaningful.  It's mostly about my entertainment.  More important areas of my life suffer as a result.  I know it. 

We're going to think and pray about what a media fast might look like.  A week?  A month?  Where do we draw which lines?  And how do we keep Jesus at the center of it, reminding ourselves that less for the sake of less isn't the point?

We've got 4 more days of our spending fast to complete first, before we embark on something new.  And let me just tell you, I'm dying to buy my baby some new shoes.  Just ask my friends.



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