Topic > The Use of Technology in Discipleship

The power of technology, its problems, and its potential deserve our deliberate reflection. Technology can be a help or a hindrance to our personal and communal spiritual education, directing our desires and influencing our experience of time. Technology is often characterized by speed and efficiency, with the promise that our lives will be made easier because we can move and communicate faster and more effectively. These promises are precious and assume that convenience is better than effort and speed is better than slow. Technologies that emphasize speed and efficiency can prevent us from valuing experiences that require time and energy, which are rewarding only if carried out slowly and with difficulty. Loving relationships and the kind of community that Christ promotes are not in line with this emphasis on ease and speed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe speed of technology works against the patience necessary for the Christian faith, in a way that resembles how an emphasis on effectiveness can hinder the path of obedience. We need to encourage each other to slow down and disconnect from technology to invest time in people. What we find in the Christian community is a depth and richness that contrasts starkly with the fragmentation and decoupling we risk when we seek fulfillment in technology. The Church must remind itself that technology itself is not the place to find meaning and fulfillment. Technology can be useful or not, and we won't always immediately see whether it is useful or harmful. We must ensure that technology does not become another idol or another way to be detrimental to the empire's goals. Our attention span has been redefined and redefined by the speed of our digital technology and our immediate access to information. The Greek term pharmakon, means both poison and healing, something that both helps and hinders. Pharmakon helps us see technology as: It increases the availability of valuable information and also reduces our attention span. The church must be carefully aware that young people are shaped by aspects of mass culture that are more compelling and attention-grabbing more effectively than the shaping forces of the church. One consequence of the technology is that people can create calendars and record the passage of time. . As days, weeks, months, and years pass, technology places us in a way of being where we run the risk of focusing more on measurement and consistency than on the quality and depth of our experiences over time. Chronos and Kairos are useful here. Where chronos is measured and quantitative time, kairos is immeasurable and qualitative time. We can illustrate the difference by emphasizing the experience of watching the clock as the end of the workday approaches, as opposed to the experience of revered meditation or contemplation. The Church must evaluate the role of technology in training people and then develop approaches to discipleship that counteract the negative influences of technology and at the same time strengthen the positive influences of technology. Specific issues that may be addressed include: bias in the news media, pornography addiction, changing definitions of friendship (given Facebook), and the role of technology in worship. Intentional conversation about the role of technology in our lives can bring new practices of mindfulness, such as limiting the use of.