Today’s world is a laboratory for experimenting with all types of new media, and we are all creating our own ways of adopting technologies as they develop. It’s not dramatic to say that these digital technologies and especially the ones we use on our computers, smartphones, and tablets we use every day, summed in the simple word “app,” are changing what it means to function as humans. Apps on our electronic devices have certainly made communication faster and access to information easier but we are bombarded by this information and notifications about more information almost every waking moment or at least every moment we look at and interact with our devices. However, the Christian walk requires stopping and asking ourselves, “What does this do to my soul?” Because we are still learning how these apps are changing our culture for better and worse, it’s up to us to evaluate our own interactions with new technologies and examine what is leading us to be more alive and able to live our callings, or what is pulling us away from the very things that make us human. The Christian life by its very nature requires stillness, contemplation, thought, and study. A life dominated by digital interaction does not foster the pursuit of spiritual disciplines or face-to-face community in the local church. This episode is a conversation about technology and why Christians should consider the practice of taking digital sabbaths or intentional time away from our devices.
This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Rachel Ollivant about her article in the 42:2 Journal “Seeking Spiritual Solace in a Daze of Digital Distraction“
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Other articles and Postmodern Realities podcasts related to this topic:
Episode 074: Authentic Community in the Age of Social Media
The Virtualization of Culture and the Need for an Embodied Christian Alternative
The Graven Images of Social Media
Episode 009: The Graven Images of Social Media
Episode 098 Virtual Violence, Video Game Addiction, and the Kingdom of God
Can God Fit in This Machine? Video Games and Christians
Episode 077: Video Gaming, Kids & Addiction
Episode 128 Summer Vacation, Kids, and Video Games: Better Alternatives to Fortnite
Summer Vacation, Kids, and Video Games: Better Alternatives to Fortnite
Is It Impossible to Redeem Electronic Media?
The New Dark Ages: How Electronic Media Are Pulling Us Back to Barbarism