So lets be honest you like to use the internet. That is obvious because you are here on the internet reading this post. Obviously there are some really good things that you can do on the internet, there are some really bad things you can do on the internet and there are some really good things that you can do way too much on the internet.
This week in Youth Group we had a guest speaker who talked about a Biblical View regarding the Internet. This made me do some thinking about the internet and the things we do on the internet.
The Good
Well when Al Gore or whoever invented the internet, I wonder if they knew how much this constant stream of information would be used. Everyday people pour on to the internet for many different reasons. The newspaper industry is slowly collapsing because why would anyone wait til the next day to read the newspaper when with two clicks they can have immediate coverage. Social networking has become the biggest user of the internet. 1/3 of internet users are going to social networking sites. In fact if Facebook were a nation they would be the 3 largest nation in the world (500,000,000 users). Social networking is good but do we really need to know that you ate three large chimichangas and now you are bloated? I also find value in research on the internet. Obviously I have to be careful to use a trusted source, but if I have a question about the average size of the human head I can type it in and immediately find out the answer (proving Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa have larger heads than others, hmmm :).
The Bad
There are a number of bad things that are involved in the internet. Every day thousands of people have their financial and personal world rocked by the lack of security involving their credit card numbers. Sometimes people use the information in your bio on facebook to find out pertinent information about you that they can use harm you. There is always the problem of inappropriate content on the internet. Every minute of the day there is estimated to be over $3,000 dollars spent on adult only sites. It does not just stop there, because even You Tube is able to provide junk for free. The internet can also provide a sense of boldness for people to say things to others that they would never say in person. I find it sad to read new stories about a tragic event that has happened only to read someone making extremely insensitive comments immediately after it in the comment section.
The Really Good Things that We Do Way Too Much
As is the case with everything in life, we have a tendency to take good things and overdo them causing us to have an inappropriate need to have them for our satisfaction. Families literally sit in the same room on different computers and never really pay attention to their family. Husbands learn more about their wife by reading their statuses than by talking to them. Children develop their worldview because of the constant flow of media in their life as opposed to the Bible. Many companies have blocked certain websites because the production of their company has gone down because of the staff constantly networking. We must be careful not to get so connected we lose touch with reality.
So What Should I Do with the Internet
1. Shut it off. That's right when it means taking away time from people who are their with you in person, turn the stupid thing off. Life can go on without you on facebook. I have told my wife that unless I am doing schoolwork or sending a work related email I will stay off of the internet when I am with her.
2. Get some accountability. You need to determine what form of accountability you need to help your internet usage to be pleasing to God. In your office you may need someone to remind you to do your work. In your house you may need someone to remind to pay attention to your family. In your private use you may need to use an accountability tracker to make sure you are not going to inappropriate sites. I have installed X3 watch to send accountability reports to one of my friends.
3. Use the internet for the right reasons. Set a goal for every time you go on the internet. Check your email, read the news, check your social networks and then get off the internet. Too many people get in trouble because they drift with no purpose and end up doing foolish things. There do not need to be any more Facebook stalkers.
4. Identify if it has become an idol. Do not just blow this thought off! Did you spend more time with God or with the internet today? Do you read more posts that verses? If you answered yes this will help you answer your idols question. Get your Bible out and read about the One who died for you instead of someones taco dinner recipe.
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