What if smart phones were around when Jesus was? No doubt word about him would’ve traveled faster and farther. Jesus said many Tweetable things, and his miracles would make one wonder if the videos were manipulated. How many people would look and listen directly, or would the crowds mediate Jesus and his message through their screens? Lots of places I go I see people do just this – watch the performer or event through their screen rather than taking it all in the old-fashioned way.
I admit to being more attached to my phone than I’d like, and I’m a comparatively light user. Many studies have shown how our digital attachments are affecting us and our interpersonal relationships. I remember walking by jobsites and seeing workers talking with each other over lunch. Now each is on his phone, head bent. On my daily walks, many people seem to ignore each other and all the activity around them, staring instead at their screens. Even at church – ahem - I notice the familiar posture of heads seemingly bowed in prayer, but the hands, unfolded, are scrolling and typing instead. Am I becoming a cranky old man?
Yes, yes, yes…smart phones or whatever tech device that will supplant them are here to stay, and there are some good things about their use. But are we evolving into a better type of human, or are we becoming something else, less social and less observant beings, perhaps, that we will be unequipped to recognize?
God’s blessings and peace,
Dan+
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