Addiction and the iPhone

In August I got an iPhone. I was refusing to get one for the longest time because of two reasons. First, I don't particularly like text messages and prefer to talk to people so getting a phone that makes it easier to text seemed counter productive to me. Secondly, I have an addiction problem so I thought I would be too tempted with games on my phone.

I was correct in my assumptions.

#1. I text a lot now. It's just so easy. I still would prefer to talk to people in real life but sometimes when I'm in the middle of something, texting is a convenient way to quickly share. For example, my baby puked on me the other day while I was holding him up above my face... so yes, he actually puked in me - as in, IN my mouth and then all over my shirt. I had my phone nearby, took a picture of the puke all over my shirt and sent it to a friend. So convenient to share in my disgusting moment, right?

#2. I have an iPod that we received in 2009. I had many games on the machine that I would play until I conquered them. Sally's Spa. Angry Birds. Words with Friends. Trinitower. Spider Solitaire. Just plain old Solitaire. I would play them all the time. Meanwhile, I took a course at my church called Freedom Session and when someone else revealed - to her embarrassment - that she was addicted to a game on her computer and needed to stop it, my eyes were suddenly opened and I realized I too was addicted to gaming.  I thought I was only addicted to emotional eating, but it turned out I was also addicted to certain games. I vowed to stop playing Spider Solitaire on my laptop. It worked. I also deleted all the games on my iPod. Leaving it basically useless to me, since I don't listen to music. (Jordan now plays Angry Birds on it from time to time.)

So, I wasn't sure if I could handle the temptation with a cell phone that was made for games! I can't. I have since downloaded  a handful of games, only to delete them a few weeks later when I realize I'm again addicted. It's a vicious cycle.

Recently, I became addicted to a game called Fashion Boutique... well the actual name is Disney Fairies Fashion Boutique, but then if I tell you that, you're going to realize it's for 8-year-olds and I can't stop playing the darn game! I downloaded it for Sloan, but it's beyond her, so I have to help her read what outfits the fairies want and then she can design them. But I've played it so much - while she's in bed and won't bug me while I'm designing the clothes for the fairy friends - that we're (see how I did that.. said "we" although it's actually just me) in levels that are beyond her 4-year-old understanding. She doesn't know how to make animal talent outfits, or how to perfectly get the grubs, butterfly and spider to properly conquer the games so that we get more points (again the we). So I get frustrated when my 4-year-old is ruining all my hard work on her game (notice... hers!).

I really wanted to get the larger boutique which meant that I needed to save 50,000 points and buy it. I knew that Sloan would love it. True. I really thought she would love it so I wanted to get the larger boutique for her to see and be so proud of me for winning it for her! (And YES, I'm very embarassed to even be writing all of this!) I did it! We have the larger boutique.
(The photo to the left is not my boutique... I wish!)

Two days ago I started to think about this in depth. I've been embarrassed to let Sloan see me playing her game. Jordan just laughs at me. But the real problem is that I'm addicted to something. I've just passed my addiction around.... food, Spider Solitaire, desserts, Disney Fairies Fashion Boutique. It's not something that I'm proud of, but in admitting it, once again, I hope that I can get a grip on this very real issue I have.

I have deleted the other games off my phone (just this very second in fact). All that's left are Facebook and Instagram. I have to control my urges with them too... also very real addictions to them going on in my brain over here!

So, the moral of the story is this: the iPhone is a great invention and I need to be very careful that I don't let myself waste time on it. I only have a limited time on this earth, especially while my kids are young, and I don't want to look back and just think about how I wasted it on collecting coins in a kid's game.