Addiction at its very root is a form of idolatry that we must break. We can be addicted to virtually anything—good things and bad things. And while it may seem hard to break out of habits that can be harmful to us, God's Word promises that there is freedom through the power of Jesus.
One prevalent addiction today is our dependence of social media. Social media is not necessarily a bad thing. It can be helpful in many ways, but it can also become destructive when it starts to take a hold of our daily lives and spirals out of control. Addiction towards social media can be harmful because it cripples our productivity, our relationships and even our devotions with God.
As believers, we don't have to live under the yoke of unfruitfulness and lack of control that an unhealthy view of social media brings. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
Here are five signs that social media has become an addiction and that we must start surrendering it to Christ.
1. You check your accounts first thing in the morning.
As a morning person, I find that so much can get done in the morning. We can start off with devotions, exercise, breakfast and some quality time with the family. What gets in the way of all of those wonderful things? To many it's a mobile phone and Internet connection.
2. Time goes by without you doing anything on social media.
You're sitting at the office getting a paper ready for a presentation and then you take a 10-minute break to check your Instagram account. Next thing you know, 10 minutes has turned into half an hour.
3. Your mood easily gets affected by what you read.
One of the many disadvantages of social media is that it's a no holds barred platform for unrestrained expression. To many people, this can be a terrible application as news feeds turn to cesspools of negativity and hate. When we read all of this, all of a sudden it affects our mood and consequently the things we do in a day.
4. It's the first recreational activity you think of.
So a holiday was just announced and you have a whole day ahead of you. How much of that time do you actually use separated from your phone? If it's more than you'd like it to be, then things are getting out of hand.
5. It affects your normal interactions.
It saddens me to see people in restaurants, coffee shops, malls and parks glued to their phone without even talking to the people they are with. Have we truly replaced basic interactions for likes and shares?
If you've realised that social media is taking too much of your time, attention and devotion, it's time things had to change. God can bring that change into us as we surrender our time and attention back to Jesus and allow Him to realign our values. When Jesus is number one, our priorities start falling back in place.
