It might be ironic that you are reading about "the dark side of technology" on the web. And I am like most other guys, fascinated by tech gadgets. But I wonder sometimes about how technology is affecting us. Some negative effects:
1) We are constantly on call.
With email and cell phones, work is always with us. This lack of boundaries is dangerous. We all need mental rest from work.
2) We take shortcuts in relationships.
Email is great for information and easy chatting. However, it stinks for intimacy or heated discussion. If 85% of communication is non-verbal, email leaves way too much room for misunderstanding. And there is a temptation to send an email--get out what we want to say--and not have to face the person with whom we are corresponding.
3) Time. TV watching per person per day is over 4 hours for the average viewer in the US. This has actually gone up, even while web surfing is going up dramatically. This means that we are spending less and less physical time with one another.
What are good and poor uses of technology in relationships and ministry today?
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4 comments:
James,
I think all this latest greatest technology is causing more damage than most people are willing to admit. Some of the conveniences of modern technology is great when as parents we have been given a sense of security with giving our teenagers their own cell phone. For those old enough to be driving knowing that the cell phone offers the security of calling for help in the case of an emergency without the danger of leaving their car. But this same means of security can offer distractions that lead to dangers too. Teens are spending less and less time being taught to drive and then given the added distractions of driving and talking on their cell phones. But I think these new forms of technology offer another problem that we are beginning to accept too. How many times a day are our kids being distracted with text messages? The schools that allow kids to carry their cell phones as long as they are not "on" are allowing for a huge portion of time to be used texting without it ever making a sound to alert the teachers. How much of what is happening in the class room are they missing? Look around at any event you go to, movies, concerts, meetings, church.... you will see kids of all ages spending time sending or receiving text messages or playing some type of electronic hand held game. I think that these tools/games are great when used for the purpose they should be intended for... cell phones for safety and the electronic toys for play time. But as adults we often don't set good examples ourselves.
I think that we need to remember that no amount of convenient electronic communication can offer the benefit we receive from one on one physical communication, and that while modern technology has added much convenience to our lives it also offers "a dark side"
Don't even get me started on TV.....
Kim,
Thanks for your thoughts. I have heard from other parents too about text messaging. One parent told me that their kids are so used to communicting through this, that they don't know how to interact on a personal level.
I guess I'm okay with multi-tasking--as I'm writing this, I am listening to music as well! Kids are used to multiple inputs at the same time, and some of this is probably okay. But sometimes you do need to give someone your "undivided" attention (like when proposing to your wife!). And technology should never substitute for face-to-face relationships.
For instance, watching a movie together, while enjoyable, is hardly quality family time. And TV really can be a relationship killer.
James
I wasn't going to reply to this, but since it still sits and waits... I suppose I will put my thoughts onto the table.
Being a kid that is part of the "Nintendo" Generation I put a lot of stock into Technology. At the age of 4-5 playing on my Commodore 64 computer, then later on the NES that my mom brought home as an early christmas present, to the Playstation, the Cell phones, the countless computers... this has all lead me to where I am today. I dropped out of High School because it bored me, and have embraced the growth of technology. It has lead me to doing BETTER than any person I had gone to school with and still have some sort of contact with. This has also put me into a group of people that is leading the worlds future, and I am not disappointed in one bit.
Too much of everything is a BAD thing. This goes for everything(per usual, church excluded). Too much food, too much time exercising, and too much work. I think the one to blame is not technology, as much as its parents. Kids shouldnt talk on cell phones while they drive, but they can also see Mom and Dad doing it. Cell phones can be controlled in schools. Parents can control computer time, tv time, video game time, play time, phone time, and much much much more.
Technology does have its downfalls, as everything is expected to be quicker, more efficient, and streamlined. But its the countries future, or so it would seem, since every year something new comes out. According to Moore's Law which is, "The observation made in 1965 by Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, that the number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits had doubled every year since the integrated circuit was invented. Moore predicted that this trend would continue for the foreseeable future. In subsequent years, the pace slowed down a bit, but data density has doubled approximately every 18 months, and this is the current definition of Moore's Law, which Moore himself has blessed. Most experts, including Moore himself, expect Moore's Law to hold for at least another two decades." We will always see something newer and faster coming out.
So I say parents need to teach their kids, teachers need to watch their kids, and we all need to have self control. The light socket is there, we don't need to stick our fingers in it.
Matt,
I didn't know that you were old enough to play Commodre 64. I played games on that when I was in high school with my neighbor.
Moderation is good for most things. Unfortunately, we live in a "Super Size me" world.
Technology will continue to change our lives. Many of these changes will be good, but we need to be discerning.
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