Published on CatholicMom.com
Then God said: Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There offer him up as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you. Genesis 22:2
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My teen son, Zack, has an intense addiction to screens. The minute he wakes up in the morning, he wants to know when he will be able to play his allotted time on his electronics. This fixation overshadows everything. On his bad days, it even strips him of his creativity and patience.
It’s a double edged sword for me. On the one hand, I feed his obsession because I can use it as a motivational tool. That kid would scrub my bathroom floor with a toothbrush if it meant the reward of more screen time. On the other hand, if I hear, “When can I play screens?” one more time, I’m going to jump out a window!
As I struggle with how to manage the issue, I realize I can’t fault him all that much. He’s not the only one with an obsession that he puts first.
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Shifting My Perspective 
Yes, Claire… I believe that young people, like your son Zach, as well as we adults, even Abraham of the Old Testament need to be honest and alert when obsessive preoccupations and activities take us regularly from our daily responsible tasks. Such obsessions eventually evolve into idols which we may unintentionally be worshiping for huge spaces of time , for so many of us, the screens, both computer and TV, in place of giving our Loving Father first place in our daily responsibilities and worship that each of us are called to prioritize daily, whether young child, teenager or adult. Zach is blessed to have a caring mother like you on his case, for his own well-being, awareness, growth and protection. Hope he listens!
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Me too, Jackie! But first, I have to lead by example. I need to overcome my own obsessions and stop making idols of so many things in my life. Oh how the journey never ends!
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