The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse The Challenge

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality THE ABILITY TO FOLLOW SOPHISTICATED THOUGHTPROGRESSION

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse “I’m. THESIS: not thinking the way I used to think. I I. T. over-use inhibits feeland/or it most strongly when I’m reading. I erodes key elements of used to find it easy to immerse myself in a our humanity & spirituality book or a lengthy article. . . That’s rarely the case anymore. my concentration THE ABILITY TO Now FOLLOW starts to drift after a THOUGHTpage or two. I get SOPHISTICATED fidgety, lose thread, begin looking for PROGRESSION something else to do. I feel like I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle. ” Nicolas Carr, The Shallows

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality THE VALUE OF SOLITUDE FOR REFLECTION, MEDITATION, IMAGINATION, ETC. Psalm 62: 5 My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. 6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. . .

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse David Levy, a University of Washington professor who. I. T. studies high-tech THESIS: over-use inhibits communications and quality of life, and/or erodes key elements of acknowledges that the young have become our humanity & spirituality adept at managing multiple sources of information at once, but he worries that THE ABILITY TO FOLLOW the. SOPHISTICATED ability to multitask has curbed their THOUGHT“ability to focus on a single thing, the PROGRESSION ability to be silent and still inside, basically the ability to be unplugged and content. ” Cited in Mireya Navarro, “Parents Fret That Dialing Up Interferes With Growing Up, ” New York Times, October 23, 2005.

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality THE ABILITY TO APPRECIATE & LEARN FROM NATURE The heavens declare the glory of God. . . Proverbs 6: 6 Go to the ant, O sluggard. . Matthew 6: 24 Consider the ravens. . . 27 Consider the lilies. . . Psalm 19: 1

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality THE ABILITY TO APPRECIATE & LEARN FROM NATURE Psalm 8: 3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality THE VALUE OF MEMORIZATION Psalm 119: 11 Your word I have stored up in my heart, that I may not sin against You. . . 15 I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. (See also Matt. 4 – “It is written; ” Eph. 6: 17)

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality THE PRIORITY OF FACE-TO-FACE RELATING Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full. 2 John 1: 12

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality THE PRIORITY OF FACE-TO-FACE RELATING • Seduces us from spending adequate time for face-to-face relating

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality THE PRIORITY OF FACE-TO-FACE RELATING • Encourages & facilitates aversion to face-to-face relating

“(A) young The woman writing in the Challenge of Times admitted, ‘I consistently trade actual Information Technology Overuse human contact for the more reliable high of. . . likes on Facebook. ’ That she finds these online relationships moreinhibits reliable is THESIS: I. T. over-use telling: it shows a desire avoid the of and/or erodes keytoelements vulnerability and uncertainty that true our humanity & spirituality friendship entails. Real intimacy requires THE ABILITY FOLLOWof heartache, risk—the risk of TO disapproval, THOUGHTof SOPHISTICATED being thought a fool. Social networking PROGRESSION websites may make relationships more reliable, but whether those relationships can be humanly satisfying remains to be seen. ” Christine Rosen, “Virtual Friendship & the New Narcissism”

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality THE PRIORITY OF FACE-TO-FACE RELATING • Distracts us when we are relating face-to-face

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse “My students tell me about an important new. THESIS: skill: it involves maintaining eye I. T. over-use inhibits contact with erodes someonekey while you text of and/or elements someone else; it’s hard, but it can be our humanity & spirituality done. . . In conversation we (must). . . attend to tone and THE ABILITY TO nuance. FOLLOWIn conversation, we are THOUGHTcalled upon to see SOPHISTICATED things from another’s point of view. Face. PROGRESSION to-face conversation unfolds slowly. It teaches patience. (But) when we communicate on our digital devices, we learn different habits. ” Sherry Turkle, “The Flight From Conversation”

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality THE PRIORITY OF FACE-TO-FACE RELATING • Encourages narcissism

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse “Does (social networking), withinhibits THESIS: I. T. over-use constant demands to collect (friends and/or erodes key elements of status), and perform (by marketing our humanity & undermine spirituality ourselves), in some ways our ability to attain. TO what it promises—a surer THE ABILITY FOLLOW sense of who we are and where we belong? SOPHISTICATED THOUGHTThe Delphic oracle’s guidance was know PROGRESSION thyself. Today, in the world of online social networks, the oracle’s advice might be show thyself. ” Christine Rosen, “Virtual Friendship & the New Narcissism”

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality THE PRIORITY OF FACE-TO-FACE RELATING • Encourages incivility

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse “We want to move in and out of where we are because thing we valueinhibits most is THESIS: the I. T. over-use control over where wekey focus our attention. and/or erodes elements of We have gotten used to the idea of being our humanity & spirituality in a tribe of one, loyal to our own party. . . Human relationships are rich; they’re THE ABILITY TO FOLLOW messy and demanding. We have learned SOPHISTICATED THOUGHTthe. PROGRESSION habit of cleaning them up with technology. (But in) the move from conversation to connection. . . we shortchange ourselves. Worse, it seems that over time we stop caring. ” Sherry Turkle, “The Flight From Conversation”

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality THE PRIORITY OF FACE-TO-FACE RELATING • Deceives us into thinking we are relationally healthy

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse “We. THESIS: expect more from technology and less I. T. over-use inhibits from one another and seem increasingly and/or erodes key drawn to technologies thatelements provide theof our humanity & spirituality illusion of companionship without the demands of relationship. . . THE ABILITY TO FOLLOWOur new devices have turned being alone into a SOPHISTICATED THOUGHTproblem that can be solved. . . We think PROGRESSION constant connection will make us feel less lonely (but) the opposite is true. ” Sherry Turkle, “The Flight From Conversation”

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse THESIS: I. T. over-use inhibits and/or erodes key elements of our humanity & spirituality

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse PRINCIPLES FOR PARENTING

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse PRINCIPLES FOR PARENTING • Invest in your children regularly!

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse PRINCIPLES FOR PARENTING • Invest in your children regularly! • Model reading, relating, etc. - & your enjoyment of these activities

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse PRINCIPLES FOR PARENTING • Invest in your children regularly! • Model reading, relating, etc. - & your enjoyment of these activities • Sacrifice to involve them in healthy play & quality fellowship

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse PRINCIPLES FOR PARENTING • Invest in your children regularly! • Model reading, relating, etc. - & your enjoyment of these activities • Sacrifice to involve them in healthy play & quality fellowship • Monitor not only WHAT, but HOW MUCH they access

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse PRINCIPLES FOR PARENTING • Invest in your children regularly! • Model reading, relating, etc. - & your enjoyment of these activities • Sacrifice to involve them in healthy play & quality fellowship • Monitor not only WHAT, but HOW MUCH they access • Set limits on where, when, etc.

The Challenge of Information Technology Overuse PRINCIPLES FOR PARENTING • Invest in your children regularly! • Model reading, relating, etc. - & your enjoyment of these activities • Sacrifice to involve them in healthy play & quality fellowship • Monitor not only WHAT, but HOW MUCH they access • Set limits on where, when, etc. • Use access for discipline & reward