Why Can’t I Stop Swiping Down Every 10 Seconds?

Have you ever swiped down on your phone to refresh your email? And done so, repeatedly?

Hi, my name is Kínyúngú, and I’m a recovering email addict.  What is it about email anyways that gets our juices flowing so much?  It’s not a pretty sight, as email addiction could be just a nicer-looking veneer to what’s really going on:

  • I want to be distracted and entertained, because my life seems _____
  • I want to be noticed, because I feel _____
  • I need to be needed, so I feel _____

A lot has already been written on the urgency (and relative unimportance) of email. It’s not the emails itself that are urgent. Often times, it’s our soul that urgently feels that we need something deeper, and email is a nice fluffy filler.

Don’t be satisfied with cardboard filler. Instead, ask some courageous questions.

  • Why does my life feel boring (or overwhelming)? Am I not pursuing worthy goals and dreams?
  • Why am I looking for more attention?
  • Why do I feel like I need to do something to be worth something?

Without digging into these, our addiction for escape, approval, and ego-boasting  will continue living within our phones (and anywhere else we can find it).

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