Yesterday during the message I shared that God has increasingly convicted me that much of my Internet use is indicative of my tendency to lean on my own understanding as opposed to fully trusting in God. (Proverbs 3:5-6) I am an information junky and feel more content and at ease when I have "answers" to things. Thus I scour the Internet looking for the most up-to-date news, sports scores, and information about anything from the atonement to the average wheel circumference of a Trek 1000 road bike. None of those things themselves are inherently bad, but when information becomes my god, the God of the universe no longer sits on the throne of my life.
I have found too, that my Internet use is inversely proportional to my desire to spend time in face-to-face interaction. The more hours I spend glued to the computer screen, the less I am fully capable and willing to engage others in personal interaction, whether that be my wife or the neighbors next door. My mind becomes so inwardly focused that I cannot simply "flip the switch" and engage in healthy interpersonal communication. That is not good.
It turns out that scientists are beginning to be concerned about the effects of Internet use and specifically social websites on the brains of children. This article from the Daily Mail in England discusses how some scientists are now claiming that social websites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo "shorten attention spans, encourage instant gratification, and make young people more self-centered." That is not good.
It reminds me of a drug Public Service Announcement that was on television all the time when I was a kid. Is this our brain on the Internet?
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