Be Aware

Few days ago I read an article from Ensign June 2010). The title of the article is called "Things as They Really Are" by Elder David A. Bednar, Quorum of the twelve apostles. It contained the deep discussion why we should be aware of the dangers of the Internet. Well, the Internet is good in many things for retrieving/sharing information but it can have many negative impact on our lives as well. After reading this article, I was extremely alarmed, so I immediately called my family to address the subject.

"In essence, he (Satan) encourages us to think and act as if we were in our premortal state, unemboded state. And, if we let him, he can cunningly employ some aspects of modern technology to accomplish his purpose. Read carefully how the following quote describing an intense romantic relationship a woman had with a cyberspace boyfriend. And note how the medium of communication minimized the importance of physical body. "And so PFSlider (the man's screen name became my everyday life. All the tangible stuff fell away. My body did not exist. I had no skin, no hair, no bones. All desire had converted itself into a cerebral current that reached nothing but my frontal lobe. That was no outdoors, no social life, no weather. The was only the computer screen and the phone, my chair, and maybe a glass of water." (page 21, Ensign 2010)

"Let me provide another example of disconnecting gradually and physically from things as they really. Today a person can enter into a virtual world, such as Second Life,and assume a new identity. an individual can create a avatar, or a cyberspace persona, that conforms to his or her own appearance and behavior. Or a person can concoct a counterfeit identity that does not correlated in any way to things as they really are." (Page 22, Ensign 2010)

My son and I were discussing the problems of a user name that makes people think they are not going be to discovered using their hidden identitites, so they lie and make rude or dirty comments. It's very immoral ideed. I hope you have a discussion about this subject with your family.