Electronic Addiction, Stealing our time, our lives, our minds.
We are losing reality to false reality
The moment is real, snuggling in bed, softly kissing your shoulder. My head spins with thoughts of love and comfort. I whisper something whimsical, silly- Your body jerks violently; curses explode from your lips. I recoil away, shocked, disengaging from the moment, from you. You recover, apologize. "I'm sorry sweetheart- I just missed my goal in the game", the iPad he was holding. The moment "he" was in- not "your" moment--thinking "our" moment. The anger not at you directly, but indirectly you feel the snub, the interference with their reality-the game. Not your REAL - reality- "the moment". But another moment lost.
They are everywhere. Couples eating dinner, one or both buried in their phones. Looking at fake or silly things versus reality-life- right in front of them going by in second by minute by days. We are missing out. Missing moments in life, driving in silence while one talks aimlessly to a friend about mindless chatter.
You long for a hug, wait until the game is over, the battle is won, the cards are finished. Second best, we feel unworthy interrupting another's pleasure-giver- their device, iPad, phone.
Stop we think. We are here, right now in front of you. That device, game, cards won't miss you when you're gone. It won't cry tears over you when you're not around. It will remind you - "you" missed a session, but it will find others.
It will not love you, hug you, kiss you, touch you- only in your mind, that pleasure center it reaches. Until you lose, run out of money, or miss the timer, it only reacts to you. Others reach out again, and again eventually to withdraw feeling unwanted, bothersome or worse trivial. Because you are occupied with something else and can't be bothered by them.
Addictive behavior, escapism is all around us. People watch too much tv, eat and smoke too much, use drugs, shop and buy excessively. But reality waits on no one. Life goes on, kids grow up, spouses find other things to occupy their time and suddenly, when you finally are bored of your games, devices you find you are alone. No one cares that you have stopped. Because you stopped caring and interacting with them a long time ago. Subtly at first, you didn't mean to get so caught up in the show, the series, that game. But soon, it's- one minute, let me finish this. I'm in the middle of a tournament, wait don't leave, you drive, I'll play in the car.
Don't knock my arm in bed, you'll mess up my game. I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at the game. We can snuggle another time. If you want to lie next to me that's fine, just close your eyes so the light won't bother you.
Time, we are all losing time, then it's gone.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
