Gregory L. Jantz - Hooked: The Pitfalls of Media, Technology and Social Networking

For those of you figuratively and literally attached to your latest electronic must-have, Dr. Greg Jantz has crafted a book designed to help you loosen those technological tethers. Its written as a kindred spirit, from someone who loves them as much as you do but aware of the tremendous power they have over our everyday lives. Do you want to gain control over all those gadgets that seem to control you? Put them down and pick up this book!

TIM CLINTON, EDD, LPC, LMFT
PRESIDENT, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION
OF CHRISTIAN COUNSELORS

Most CHARISMA HOUSE BOOK GROUP products are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchase for sales promotions, premiums, fundraising, and educational needs. For details, write Charisma House Book Group, 600 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, or telephone (407) 333-0600.

#HOOKED by Gregory L. Jantz, PhD, with Ann McMurray
Published by Siloam
Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group
600 Rinehart Road
Lake Mary, Florida 32746
www.charismahouse.com

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked nas are from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked nkjv are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishers. Used by permission.

Copyright 2012 by Gregory L. Jantz
All rights reserved

Cover design by Justin Evans
Design Director: Bill Johnson

Visit the authors websites at www.drgregoryjantz.com and www.aplaceofhope.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Jantz, Gregory L.

#hooked / by Gregory Jantz with Ann McMurray.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p. ).

ISBN 978-1-61638-257-5 (trade paper) ISBN 978-1-61638-859-1 (ebook) 1. TechnologySocial aspectsPopular works. 2. Technological innovationsSocial aspectsPopular works. 3. Internet addictionPopular works. 4. Compulsive behaviorPopular works. I. McMurray, Ann. II. Title. III. Title: Hooked.

T14.5.J346

2012 303.483dc23

2011051052

This book contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is solely for informational and educational purposes and should not be regarded as a substitute for professional treatment. The nature of your bodys health condition is complex and unique. Therefore, you should consult a health professional if you have questions about your health. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this book.

People and names in this book are composites created by the author from his experiences as a professional counselor. Names and details of their stories have been changed, and any similarity between the names and stories of individuals described in this book to individuals known to readers is purely coincidental.

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors or for changes that occur after publication.

First edition

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Printed in the United States of America

THIS IS THE AIR
I BREATHE

H OOK IS AN interesting word with a great work history. If it had a LinkedIn profile, it would scroll off the page and boast of contacts from all over the world in multiple human endeavors. Originally coined by the Germans to describe an angled, projecting piece of land, hook has found employment in boxing, fishing, golfing, rugby, the sex trade, industry, clothing, the dating scene, telephones, and even writing. When not merely describing curves and angles (hook a left), hook often describes a thing that grabs you, traps you, sticks to you, or simply fascinates you.

Apart from your money, you have something every seller, every retailer, and every manufacturer wants: attention. And every day they work hard to hook your attention, to compel your focus, to dominate your mind share. They want you hooked, addicted, and liking it. This is a book about technology. Its a celebration of the positives that technology represents and a cautionary tale about the negatives it unleashes.

Technology is powerfuldrawing
you in, altering your world and
expectations, even defining who
you are. Powerful things should be
approached with caution, but many
abandon wisdom when it comes to
the latest upgrade or the newest
technological convenience.

From Twitter to iPhones, from Facebook to YouTube, there is an endless supply of things to hook our interest, snag our wallets, and occupy our time. From smartphones to iPads, from Google Plus (Google+) to Craigslist, there is an abundance of ways to say yes to yourself and yes to technology, and there are more every day. After all, technology keeps changing and adapting to what people want and need. Its exciting and amazing and compelling. Technology is powerfuldrawing you in, altering your world and expectations, even defining who you are. Powerful things should be approached with caution, but many abandon wisdom when it comes to the latest upgrade or the newest technological convenience.

If youre not careful, what you start out controlling has a way of controlling you.

Theres nothing quite like the power of saying yes. The ability to say yes is heady, immediate, and satisfying. Its the feeling of having the world at your fingertips. No matter what the latest it app is, with the slide of that finger, the press of a button, or the click of a mouse, your options magically unfold in nearly geometric progression. But with every yes comes a consequence: when you say yes to all this technology, you attach yourself to a digital umbilical cord that can be difficult to removeeven temporarily.

If youre not careful, what you start out controlling has a way of controlling you.

We live in a world of evercontracting technology. The 52-inch big-screen television of yesterday has telescoped down into the tiny screen of an iPod nano, fitting easily in the palm of your hand. The endlessly possible has become the eminently portable. Being accessible acquires new meaning with a smartphone in your back pocket. Staying connected becomes compulsory, and expectations take a quantum leap toward the tyrannical. Off-line has become a dirty word; unplugged, the new leprosy.

I iPhone

Heres what LSD and iPhones do have in common: they make us feel divinely connected to our environments and to other people, they lift mood and bring us joy, they enrich humanity. Is that love? Maybe.

But at their worst, drugs and computers can also create distance and trigger addiction, which can destroy human connection and affection.

If youre not careful, what you start out controlling has a way of controlling you.

And for all of that, I admitI love this technology. It is the air I breathe. I tweet, and you can find me on Facebook. (If you feel compelled to check that out right now, you probably ought to keep reading!) I have my Droid smartphone with me at all times. I live on my big computer (as opposed to my little Droid) hours every day. I have multiple monitors. I have multiple e-mail accounts that forward to each other so I always get my messages, which are also synched to my phone. I own a Kindle