In order to keep the Internet from controlling you, it’s crucial to set time limits as to the amount of time you spend online. We can form unhealthy emotional attachments to the Internet itself, just as we form attachments to people. It can even become an idol that hinders our relationship with God and obstructs our pursuit for His best for our lives.

It’s a bit like the fiction addiction I had in junior high. I read all the time—and if I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about reading. While reading itself isn’t bad (obviously), I had become completely obsessed with escaping into fictional stories about other people’s lives. I was making it an idol in my life. (An idol is anything that gets more of our attention than God).

 Be honest: Have you ever thought about the effect the Internet has on your emotional, spiritual and sexual purity? Why don’t you take the quiz below to see just how involved you are? Answer Yes or No for each of the following questions.

1. Do you rush home from school to get online? ---- Yes No

2.   Do you spend more than an hour online each day? ---- Yes No

3.   Do you check your email more than twice a day? ---- Yes No

4.   Do you go into withdrawals if you go more than a day without going online? ---- Yes No

5.   Do you send more than five emails a day to the same person? ---- Yes No

6.   Do you talk to strangers online? ---- Yes No

7.   Do you play RPGs (Role Playing Games) online? ---- Yes No

8.   Do you spend time thinking about what you’d like to be doing online? ---- Yes No

9.   Do you visit sites you wouldn’t want other people to know about? ---- Yes No

10.   Do you bring your computer on vacation so you can access the Internet? ---- Yes No

11.   Do you tell people things online that you wouldn’t tell them in person? ---- Yes No

12.   Do you wish you were the same person in real life as you are on the Internet? ---- Yes No
 

    If you answered Yes to three or more of these questions, you need to seriously evaluate if you are using the Internet or if the Internet is using you. The Internet can be a wonderful tool, but it can also destroy us if we’re not careful.

I’ll never forget the day God asked me to fast from reading. “Brienne,” He said. “If you really love me, you’ll give up your novels for the next 40 days.” I couldn’t imagine going that long with out a “fic fix!” At the same time, I knew I needed to show God that He was most important in my life.

After I got past the initial stages of withdrawal, I discovered that there was much more to life than just books. I started spending more time with friends and family, hanging out, watching movies, whatever. I never realized how much I’d been missing out on! I didn’t have time for any of those things when I was reading all the time.

If you’ve realized that the Internet has become an idol in your life, I challenge you to do the same thing I did with books. Make a commitment to fast from the Internet. It may sound extreme, but I guarantee it will help you to take a step back and gain some perspective on your life. Who knows? You may discover that you’ve given more of your heart away than you intended. Use the time to work on your relationship with God, and when the fast is over you’ll have a much better handle on how to guard your heart on the Internet, set some boundaries and reestablish your priorities.