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We have to embrace the notion that technocrates are heavily involved in the science of keeping you logged into technology of all forms and platforms. However, when you dig deep enough, you will learn that Steve Jobs refused to allow his children to use the iPad and Bill Gates limited computer usage to school assignments only. Also you will find that the former editor of Wired Magazine to the founder of Blogger, Twitter, and Medium all had similar restrictions in their homes.

I don’t know about you, but it raises the question of  WHY? As you ponder this ageless question, you might come to the notion that you should never become high on your own supply! You must embrace the science that addicts are not just weaker specimens. They are also impacted by environment as well. Relapsing occurs many time when recovering addicts visit places and people that remind them of their former habits.

What little thing can you do today to Optimize your environment today? Author Adam Alter states that people spend 1-4 hours on their phones daily. Research suggests that one hour/day is sufficient! If this is true then 88% of users are overusing! If you play this scenario out over the course of an average life span, you will  realize that 11 years of your life is spent chasing the latest chirp, tweet, chime, stock-market, and news feed. Can I just state the obvious – THAT IS NUTS!!!

In Roman times the word ADDICTION meant something very different than today. If you owed someone money and could not repay the debt, a judge would sentence you to addiction. You would be forced into slavery until you repaid the debt. The history of etymology shows that us this word came to mean any bond that was hard to break.

The most significant phrase that I can give you to challenge your technology addictions is this: You cannot unpickle a pickle! Said another way, It is impossible to escape the after effects of addiction.

Our society has become synonymous with shallow thinking. We have lost in great part an ability to think critically. Meaning that we have lost the ability to think ahead by evaluating decisions with possible resulting consequences. Since we have and are in the process of losing critical thinking skills, the question becomes, Who and by what means will we go deep into our work? Why is this important? Innovation will suffer? Who will create? Where will the inventors come from?

In closing there are three fundamental areas that are of great value in overcoming this modern addiction. Here they are:

1. Empowering people through investing in them (Autonomy)
2. People desire to feel connected socially as friends and family (Relatedness)
3. People want to feel effective in the face of a changing external environment (Competence)

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Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!