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In This Series:
We’re going from a well-ordered life to a chaotic one. One of the culprits is the blue light that comes from our devices. For example, in the evening, the melatonin levels in our bodies begin to rise, which signals our bodies to go to sleep. But if we spend the evening on a device, the blue light will “trick” us into thinking it’s not bedtime; our melatonin levels drop like they would the following day when God’s rays enter our rooms to wake us. Disrupted sleep cycles result in the cyberspace cadet having difficulty sleeping, focusing, and paying attention. Of course, he will be tired at the wrong times, throwing him out of sync with others. The next day at school, he’s disruptive or sleepy. He compromises his attention span, and his agitation levels can rise.
Sadly, one of the typical “remedies” for the kid who needs a jolt to stay alert in school is medication. It has become our impulse to take him to a counselor because we want our child to achieve an optimal outcome, even if we have to drug him to get there. At that juncture, to the non-discerning eye, he falls into the black hole of disorders. He’s labeled! A secular counselor does not look for source causes but symptoms that align with the DSM-5-TR nomenclature, their descriptive psychology book. If the child’s behavior matches a certain number of descriptions in the DSM, he receives a label, which becomes his identity.
It’s hard to recover from here because there is a pseudo remedy: his behavior changes. Plus, he does not have to change his tech habits. It’s a win-win for parents and children. The parent gets the pragmatic, optimal desired behavior, and the child does not have to give up his addictive behavior. One of the most effective solutions to this problem is a curfew of screen time in the evening, if not amputation altogether (Matthew 5:30). There are other issues with blue light, like macular degeneration, a common eye impairment for the older generation. As much as I thank God for tablets where I can access and read fantastic Christ-centered content, I’m also aware that I’m putting my eyes in harm’s way. I don’t want to be like the 25-year-old smoker who does not believe he can get cancer.
Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.
In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).