So, I never played Farmville. Back in my Facebook days, my page would be littered with friend's Farmville activities until I learned that I could block the feed. There were several reasons that I never chose to play, but the chief reason lay in the fact that I was wary of being drawn into what has become an addiction for so many. Google "farmville addiction" to see the seriousness of this "game".http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Parenting/facebook-met-farming-80-million-play-farmville/story?id=10608972&page=2
One friend in particular had seemingly endless days of Farmville play. Sometimes I would try to see if she had taken a few hours break from her farm chores. It made me wish that there was some method of determining how many real crops, actual barns, etc. could be grown and/or built if those hours (days!) were spent digging in her backyard, sweating and hammering. Crazy. Maybe we would be able to feed the entire Midwest if all the virtual farmers invested their efforts into what would result in a tangible harvest.
The wonderful women from my Tuesday study were discussing Farmville and we all agreed that one of the things that makes it so appealing is that the virtual farm feeds our love of instant gratification. In our society of split-second communication, waiting seems like such a chore (and bore). As we were discussing Farmville, I was feeling pretty proud of myself, thinking that I deserved a pat on the back for avoiding the pitfall of Farmville.
Then one of these beautiful friends piped up: "So, what's your Farmville. Everybody has a Farmville".
Way to kill my self congratulatory moment. Then I started thinking....my "farmville" may not be listed on a personal page for all to see that my day has been spent tending virtual cows and crops, but I have wasted my time in other ways.
Here it is. My Farmville definitely falls into the computer category. Often I am incredulous when I marvel at the wealth of information I have at my fingertips. Being a foodie and lover of creativity, sites like allrecipes and etsy can beckon to me like a dear friend. I suppose that it is easy to justify since much of the time I am looking for good recipes or frugal ways to plan my meals or organize my laundry, etc. But, would it not be better if I were actually planning those meals or folding those towels?
What to do? Well, every day I have been making an effort to limit my computer time and I have been more disciplined. The rewards are huge: tidier home, content family, more time living the life I love.
My hope is that this post was not offensive to anyone. Whatever your Farmville (and we all have one), I pray that we choose to be honest with ourselves and make choices that honor God with our time.1 Corinthians 6:12 says:
Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
Great post & question. The internet is just one big Farmville for me really. I can get lost in StumbleUpon for hours, literally. But much like you, I think I'm justifying it because it's for writing. But am I using what I'm learning to actually write? very convicting...
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that we all have our own "Farmville". For me, I can get lost in the blogosphere, bloghopping around, just out of curiosity, until way too much time has passed. That is why I have purposefully increased my "real-life" responsibilities and lined up some hobbies to keep me grounded in the earthy experience of family life. Knowing that I have important and productive and fun things to do helps me limit my time on the computer. That being said, I have learned a lot from reading other Christian women's blogs, so it is not an unworthy activity at all! It is just that there are so many great ones out there, and we have to set limits for ourselves.
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