Internet misuse creates new challenges for family and spirituality

July 7, 10:24 PMNew Thought ExaminerAlex Marcoux

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Internet misuse is creating some new challenges for the family and our spirituality, particularly the spiritual practice of mindfulness.

You don’t need the wisdom of a sage to ascertain what you’re attracting in your life when you spend more time on Facebook than interacting with your family. The law of attraction suggests you manifest your reality by your thoughts and actions. So I often say, “Think responsibly.” With Internet use on an incline and family interaction on the decline, I ask, “What are you attracting into your life?”

The Internet can be a serious challenge to the spiritual practice of mindfulness. Living in the now or the moment, uplifts our relationships and is the greatest gift we can give ourselves and our family. How can you be present when you’re mindlessly surfing the Internet?

The Internet is a wonderful tool. Webcams halfway round the world reveal events in foreign countries. Through webinars you can learn just about any subject in the convenience of your home. You can Skype a friend for a virtual face-to-face visit! By developing social media sites you can build up a professional network and even reconnect with old friends. The worldwide web can be used to communicate, educate, shop, research and keep abreast of newsworthy events.  There is no end to the Internet’s value.

 But there are drawbacks to communicating using the Internet:

• Have you ever been accused of having the wrong tone in an email?
• Or perhaps you haven’t had a chance to return someone’s email because of pressing issues and now your name is mud?

Recently I was saddened when I realized that over that last few months my closest friends and I have only interacted with occasional messages through Facebook. I spend so much time in front of a computer it’s easier to whip out a quick message than it is to pick up a phone and call.

In a recent article, “Family time eroding as Internet use soars,” AP Technology Writer Barbara Ortutay suggests that families are spending less time interacting which coincides with the rise in Internet use. One of the fads pulling us to the Internet now is the social media craze. Yes Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter and more! Perhaps you can relate to the increase in computer time and less face-to-face time with your loved ones.

I had a shocker last week when my partner accused me of spending too much time with a secret Internet love! When I asked if they really believed that, the response was, “No! Of course not! I just wanted to give you an idea how much time you spend on your computer.”

Ouch! I got the message.

Family interaction has changed over the centuries. With each communication and entertainment invention there is a shift in how we spend time and interact with the family. Many times the initial resistance is from fear. My mother was known to say, “Turn off that idiot box!” Of course she was referring to our first color television. While to this day I don’t watch a lot of TV, the television is one of the best teaching tools we have.

I dragged my feet when buying my son an X-box, another invention which changed how people spend their time. My son earned it fair and square though, so with great caution we bought one. Turns out, it was the best thing we could have purchased him. I made a deal with him early on. For every minute he read, he earned a minute to play X-Box. Would you believe he is now an avid reader because of X-Box?

I am not advocating that you stop using social media. How could I? I’m an author and marketing consultant. The simple truth is social media sites, like MySpace, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, blogs (and so many others) all serve a purpose, whether it is to professionally network, reconnect with old friends, market merchandise and services, communicate or provide real-time updates on issues.

However, we have to be responsible and use the Internet or any new fad with moderation. We need to be mindful that we attract our reality. If we are spending more time online at the expense of our family time, it’s clear our relationship with our family will be sacrificed. If you’re on Facebook socializing with acquaintances from a lifetime past instead of being with your partner, what are you attracting into your life?

We need to be present. When we’re mindlessly surfing the internet we’re not there for the ones we love. If we choose to peruse social sites instead of a card game with our family, then it’s time to reconsider priorities.

If you’re zipping off quick emails to dear friends in lieu of hearing their voices on the other end of a telephone, it’s time to reconsider.

If you’re just waiting for the novelty of these social media sites to wear off before you return your attention to your family, then think again. There’ll always be new, bigger and better MySpace, Facebook, YouTube or Twitter.

Next time you come home from work and you find yourself heading to your computer to check your email or Facebook before you hug your family, perhaps you should think about what you’re attracting to your life.

The Internet is here and it is a magnificent tool. Use it responsibly, with moderation. Be present for your family and know that nothing can replace a face-to-face visit with a loved one or hear their voice on the telephone handset.

Namaste.
 

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AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli