Visual Adultery

Over the last few years the Internet has become one of the most powerful methods of communication for people all over the world. Instead of popping a letter in the mailbox or dialing a phone number, you simply click a button. Who wants to wait several days for a mail reply or pay for a long distance call, when you can get an immediate response from places all over the world in just a matter of seconds? Far too many people are becoming entangled in the web of Internet addiction.

Since the Internet makes communication virtually effortless, almost always accessible, and never requires a person to reveal their true identity, it has become the perfect place for actors and actresses to create, polish, and pretentiously act out several of their alternate charismatic online characters. Pretending has become so commonplace that it has become a way of life for some. It is difficult to know just who is hiding behind your computer screen.

Some park themselves in front of their computer, stay up into the wee morning hours pressing buttons, and stare blankly into the screen instead of getting the rest their bodies need. Computers have become a stronghold in the lives of many people. Maintaining a relationship with God and family has begun to takes least priority for some. Because online relationships tend to move a lot faster than face-to-face ones, each person can build up unrealistic fantasies. Instead of seeing what is actually there, they base their expectations almost solely upon reading between the lines. Most online relationships are between people they have never actually met in person. Even those who are married can become involved in this visual worldwide web of Internet adultery. People of all ages and from all walks of life have become prisoners to their computer. Although their ransom has already been provided, they remain enslaved to their addiction. Adultery isn’t always limited to the area of infidelity in the marriage relationship.

It is hard to believe that some believe they have fallen in love with a person they do not really know. Instead of finding true love, they have created a fantasy and fallen in love with an idea of what the online person might be. Many who have only been acquainted but for a brief period of time are making decisions to marry. Because many of them are already married, their adulterous relationship results in the breakup of their marriage. Of the Internet relationships that were formed prematurely, most of them last but for a brief period of time. Instead of doing a reality check, many form relationships that lack real substance. Because relationships of this type are based simply on fantasy, the relationships have no real foundation to hold them together. When the challenges of real life hit, these relationships usually crash and break. Many will end up losing what took many years to build; the most important thing is your family.

Because many individuals spend inordinate amounts of time browsing the web, the Internet has begun to consume their lives. Inanimate objects such as computers now control the lives of many; they are under the power and control of the addictions. Stuck in the sticky multifaceted orbs, they travel link to link around the web until they are lost in a fantasy word. They become blinded to their surroundings and fall prey to that ugly Internet spider prostitute. Many could have avoided becoming her captive prey if they had only taken the reality check often implemented by taking a simple daily moral inventory.

Many people are becoming Internet addicts. Families are beginning to fall apart at the seams in mass. Moms and Dads are not taking time to teach their children to set guidelines and develop self-discipline. Often this simply boils down to two facts: most of their time is devoted to extra-curricular Internet activities and children learn from example. Parents are, in fact teaching children. They are saying, “It is okay to be self-absorbed”. Parents are leading their children to believe that a piece of equipment can control a human life, instead of managing their time. It seems that parents and children of all ages cannot exercise even a little self-control. It often seems many individuals will do everything possible to avoid living in the real world; they would rather live in a fantasyland. What happens if parents and children ignore the responsibility of discipline?

It is extremely obvious that the media’s focus is not on protecting our children. They seem to lean toward finding as many avenues as possible to attract people all ages to pornography sites, including very young children. Their efforts are producing positive results because the Internet has become a global communication tool to enable the media to reach people all over the world. The effects of pornography have increased because the media has found subtle ways to contact individuals as they surf the net. Their coverage continues to expand and is spreading like wildfire. Those who never struggled with pornography are now becoming addicted because the media has found numerous ways to engage the natural desires of the human soul and appeal to the senses. Has anyone considered the use of subliminal Internet messages?

What if people became offended about what you are reading? What if this uneasiness compels them to attend to real issues? What if this was shared with someone who is struggling with Internet addiction?

To break free from Internet addiction and online pornography, individuals must be willing to reassess their own Internet habits and become influential in helping others to do likewise. Men, women and children of all ages must decide to either become spokesperson for freedom or remain entangled in this web of visual adultery. In the face of decision, what choice will you make? Unless individuals choose to exercise self-control or place filters on their computers, they will most likely fall prey to the bondage of visual adultery. You must decide.