rebelling against low expectations
In my last article I wrote about how teens should set boundaries with technology. If you want to know why, you can go back and read that short article. One of the most influential pieces of technology in human history has been the smartphone. I think the smartphone is brilliant and helpful, but it can quickly become toxic and harmful to our productivity, mental well being, and physical health. In...
I have been on Facebook since I was thirteen years old. Now, I am twenty-five, which means I’ve been on Facebook for over twelve years, having joined in November of 2008. To put this in perspective for you younger folk, when I joined Facebook, then President-elect Barack Obama had not yet been sworn in as President of the United States and Apple’s revolutionary new device, the “iPhone,” was...
My phone does a great job at helping me pass the time. During quarantine, as the days went by, I found myself obsessively checking on my phone every fifteen minutes. My average screen time was at least 4 hours per day. Ridiculous! Nearly 90% of the time was spent on social media, especially on Instagram. Gradually, I found myself less being motivated to draw close to God. My attention was...
Words have reached light-speed. We can type something in a minute and thousands of people can see it in an hour. We can speak to more people than could ever fit within our earshot, all at one time. We can spread inspiration, joy, love, and encouragement to so many so fast. This is because we have been blessed with an amazing tool—technology-based communication. But with this gift comes an...
“Where shall the world be found, where will the word resound? Not here, there is not enough silence.” — T.S. Eliot Shortly after my son was born, we began putting him down for bed at night with a Kindle app that produces white noise. Mixes can be customized to include sounds of rain, thunder, lightning, and the ocean, but the final effect is uninterrupted hissing that can be likened...
Controlling non-productive media and entertainment, such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, is obviously important. But what about technology mediums we deem necessary or important? We couldn’t possibly turn off our phones. What if someone texts us? We must have an app for our email, so we can respond immediately, right? Since I try to respond to emails promptly, I never, ever thought I...
“Technology is so immersive, it’s like oxygen.” So says Tony Reinke, a senior staff writer and researcher for desiringGod, who has studied culture and technology for years. “It’s so around us that we don’t even recognize technology as what it is. We’re sort of bathed in technology, if you will.” He’s right. In our day and age, technology is pervasive, and, in our culture...
rebelling against low expectations
