We’re one of the growing numbers of families who’ve cut the cable and stream all our TV programing through the internet to our television with Apple TV.  We subscribe to Netflix & Hulu Plus.  In addition, we will occasionally rent movies off of Apple TV.  We love the flexibility and the lower costs, but there is a down side to unlimited programing and dozens of shows with hundreds of episodes at the click of a button – ADDICTION.  I’ve experienced this addiction first hand.  This fall I finally got around to watching LOST.  This show isn’t even on the air anymore and began almost ten years ago, but I never watched it.  I’m embarrassed to say that I finished all 121 episodes in just a few months.

With unlimited programming at our finger tips for just $7.99 per month there are many people out there who share accounts.  I’d be willing to bet that for every paying customer there are probably 10 more sharing log-in codes.  One would think that companies who sell these internet based television streaming services would want to crack down on it.  But this week the CEO of HBO Go says just the opposite.   Richard Plepler told BuzzFeed in a recent interview that sharing your log-in code, “…presents the brand to more and more people and gives them an opportunity, hopefully, to become addicted to it.”  He went on to say, “What we’re in the business of is building addicts, building video addicts, and the way we do that is exposing our product and our shows and our brand to more and more people.”

It doesn’t surprise me that this is the mindset of media leaders, but it does cause me to step back and think.  I’m one of those who has a tendency to be addicted.  I have just enough OCD and addictive personality in the make up of who I am that I can get lost in media…both video and social.

At the end of my life do I want to be remembered as someone who Richard Plepler would call a TV addict?  Or do I want my life to be remembered for more?  What I really want is to be an addict of the Word of God.  I want to be addicted to sharing my faith with others.  I want to be addicted to my love relationship with Jesus.  I want to be remembered as a man who was addicted to being a great husband, father, and pastor.  TV Addict? …NO.  Will I go out today and throw out the flat screen and cancel Netflix & Hulu Plus…no.   I will keep media in perspective of the cross of Jesus Christ.  May all forms of media become less in our lives and may Jesus increase.