In my research on technology, I came again and again to the need for accountability. Because of the addictive and manipulative nature of phones, many people say it is impossible to get victory over our phones without accountability.
Smarter people than me, whole teams of them backed with billions of dollars, are purposely manipulating technology to make it addictive. This isn’t a reason to feel like a victim; it should be motivation to help each other evaluate and control our phone use.
But accountability is scary. Can I trust this person to be confidential? Do I really want to tell someone how I fail? Can’t I be strong enough to battle this on my own?
“Is accepting accountability weakness? NO. Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.” Brene Brown
Today’s Challenge: Ask someone to hold you accountable for your internet use. This could be your husband, a close friend, sister, or a mentor—someone who will ask hard questions and not allow excuses. It could be informal, someone that occasionally asks you how you are doing, or formal with regular meet-ups. You can even set up an app such as Qustodio or Covenant Eyes that emails a report of your internet use to your accountability partner.
Our family uses Accountable2You.com and it's been a life changer for us. We have installed it on all of our devices (laptop, phones, Chromebook, desktop computer, etc.). My husband is my accountability partner and I am his and our children's. We each get daily reports sent to our e-mails, so we are able to monitor each other's usage. Just knowing someone will know what ever has been searched and how long a person has been online is motivating. You are so spot on when you speak of the need for accountability.
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