Stuff you should know about cell phones
It has occurred to me that there is all this information out there that could be so helpful to you guys but you probably don't know it, because the people who put it out there don't put it where you'll see it. So I think we should start a whole "Stuff You Should Know" series and anything that comes my way, I'll pass on to you guys. Sound good?
We'll start with some of the latest news coming out about texting and cell phone use. Did you know that the more you use your phone to call and text throughout the day, the more likely you are to suffer from stress, anxiety, restlessness and exhaustion? Did you know that if you use your phone close to bedtime you're more likely to sleep badly all night long? We're also finding out that the more time you spend texting, watching TV, and on the computer, the more likely you are to suffer from depression. People are actually becoming addicted to texting, and the need to be connected to friends 24 hours a day is creating some unhealthy, co-dependent relationships that add stress and anxiety to people's lives. Any relationship can become unhealthy and dangerous pretty quickly if there aren't boundaries in place, so if you're feeling the stress of always being available, try this:
1) Turn your phone in to your parents each night at a certain time and tell your friends that you'll be offline from then until morning.
2) Talk to your parents if you're feeling stressed, anxious or depressed and ask them to help you set some personal boundaries.
Remember, your phone and your friends don't own you and you don't have to respond to every text and call in order to be a good friend. Jesus did the exact same thing when He would go off to a lonely place for some alone time. He was God and even He needed to get offline sometimes.
