LIFE

Dear Carol,
I’m a computer game/videogame/TV junkie. Every time I go on the computer, I become a zombie. I shut out my parents and friends, and they get really angry when they have to pull me off the computer screen to talk. I want to save up for an Xbox Kinect, but I know my parents will find me glued to the screen 24/7. I really want to get over this bad habit.
—Game Zombie

Dear Game Zombie,
Since you know you’re too glued to the tube, forget your Xbox. It’s easier to resist purchasing it than to resist turning it on each day. When friends are over, keep the computer and TV off—at least for the first hour or two. Do homework or bake pumpkin muffins or take a walk or play a board game. You can hardly blame a friend for being offended if you ask her over and then shut her out. Can you tell yourself you won’t turn on TV or the computer until a particular hour? Can you reward yourself for trying to break what is indeed a bad habit? When your hand goes for the “on” button, can you turn around and do something else instead—at least sometimes? Answer: Yes, you can! (P.S. You’re not alone. Lots of girls—and adults—spend too much time staring at screens.)

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by Carol Weston | 12/5/2017