This CNN post is a depiction of a people distracted from the world that surrounds us.  Benign. Malignant. Peaceful. Sad. Connecting. Lonely.

Click HERE and decide for yourself.

If you’ve had a smartphone for a while, you’ve been asked by your spouse “can you put that thing down?” with a frustrating tone.   Sometimes it’s during a phone call… sometimes it’s in the midst of a furry of thumb action and the lit screen illuminating your face.  And sometimes… it’s Pinterest/Candycrush/you-name-it.

Phrases muttered back from such an accusing and interrupting question usually go like this: “What…?”; “Just one more thing…”; “I’ve got to answer this…”; “It’s work… I’ve got to get this one”; or “…ok… but I’ve almost gotten to the next level!!!  Please – Just one more second…”

Adults are able to be very efficient with their work by having access to all their contacts, information that is mobile with them, and being able to access resources quicker than ever before.  But that doesn’t always translate into a your-cancer-medication.com, especially not a healthy relational life.

Dopamine, the chemical released into the brain when you get a new message, creates a high that your body begins to crave.  In fact, webmd classifies it as an addictive feeling that can be rather destructive.  It can be no different than the high a gambler feels or a person who is using a substance they are putting into their bodies feels as the rush of the chemical hits their blood stream.  Check out this article on webmd or this NYTIMES article (take note that smartphones make the internet and connecting software and apps even more accessible).

We will list several articles that can help you UNPLUG or DISCONNECT that you may need to take an honest look at.  We encourage you to enlist the help of those around you to implement some steps that can help you do this.  We will also list some articles that can help you discern if you are on your phone more than it is necessary, helpful or healthy.  The Huffington Post has a great list of articles that can be helpful in both of these processes.  Click HERE.

Finally, I’d also encourage you to check out our blog post related to cell phone use and health.  Click Here.

During middle school kids are entering a new era of self-expression and the search for identity and a way to fit in takes on a new emotional intensity. The shift of focus is from family and close friends, to establishing a presence in a community with peers.  In the cyber realm, middle school marks a cyber rite of passage, which I call, the Junior Explorer (11 to 15 years) and it requires parental attention and monitoring of all cyber communications.

The three most common things that kids experience in their cyber-powered communications during middle school are gossip, bullying and sexually explicit images …

Want to read more?  Check out the rest of this article from antibiotics-antibacterials.net by clicking right HERE

Teenagers are always on their phones… Candycrush, Mafia Wars, Words with Friends, FaceBook, Buy Antidepressants Online, Instagram, Pinterest… oh, wait… I’m actually talking about parents…  Check out this article.

Wake up.  Reach over.  Turn alarm off.  As your hand comes off the phone you slide it across the nightstand and grab the phone on the way back to the warmth from the reality of the cold morning!

Click. Slide. 4-digit password.  Then…

Then what?

Twitter? Facebook?  Work Email? Messages & Texts? An App?

What if the Creator of the Universe was waiting to connect with you?  Waiting to hear your voice?  Waiting to hear your desire to love The Lord your God with all Comprare cialis, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength…?

Here’s a challenge:

Before you connect with anyone electronically… connect with God in prayer. 

Before you read a message from anybody… read a message from God’s Word (doesn’t have to be long). 

Before you wish someone a good day or happy birthday or comment on the weather via social media or message… connect with someone in your home with a kind word or expression of love.

To readWhat if you had every resource to be constantly connected to every one of your family members?

What if you had every resource at your disposition to share day to day information with important people in your life?

What if you could stay connected with your college roommate (who you haven’t seen in decades) and their family?

What if … What if research showed that as “connected” as we are now, we are lonelier than we’ve every been.

World renowned researcher Sherry Turkle does an incredible job in her TED Talk analyzing what has happened to us psychologically and sociologically as people and communities as we have become more and more connected.

By the way… if your family looks like the family in the picture above right now… put down your phone, step away from the computer or tablet, and start a game of “Would you rather…?”  I’ll give you a couple of freebies: 1) Would you rather eat your siblings booger OR bathe an alien with your toothbrush then brush your teeth…?  2)  Would you rather go to Disney World for a month OR win $1,000,000?

IF now is a good time to watch this incredible video… enjoy the show!