The first YouTube video was produced by Jawed Karim in 2005. He posted a video of himself at the San Diego Zoo, in front of some elephants, telling the world that it’s cool that they have long trunks.
From that humble beginning, YouTube has exploded in popularity. They now boast a monthly audience of 5 billion users, generating a revenue of $29.2 billion last year. In America, among people who use the Internet, 62 percent look at YouTube every day, and 98 percent look at YouTube at least once each month.
Is YouTube an inherent problem? No. Can it be a horrible problem? Absolutely! It takes a nanosecond to descend from an informative YouTube video to images that provoke lust and sexual fantasy. Sometimes the best thing we can do for our sobriety is to put our devices down and just walk away.
One day Jesus called his disciples away from the temptations that were embedded in their daily routines.
“And he came out, and went, as his custom was, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed him…And when he was at the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you not enter into temptation’” (Luke 22:39-44).
Recovery Step: If you are struggling with chronic relapse, it is probably not because you aren’t spending enough time on YouTube. Try this – fast from YouTube for 40 days.
