 |
| Photo Credit: Boise Tech Mall |
Technology
has been pretty helpful in my own life. I remember plenty of times being lost
while studying abroad in Europe. When in Paris, we were able to use my
Smartphone to find the best viewing spot of the Eiffel Tower. Or
when at the Head and the Heart
concert (that happens to be one of my best friend’s favorite bands) the option
to record a song was a wonderful way to include her in the memory. Also, being
able to connect with family and friends overseas has been a blessing!
But at
what cost?
The social
media world seems to be finding convenient ways to help us all stay plugged in
and connected. We have Instagram,
where we can take and edit pictures so people only see the best side of us. We
have Snapchat, so that others can
view our stories through images. We have Twitter
and Facebook, where we share all the
great things about ourselves. And many more Apps and websites are available to
draw people closer to the amazing details of our lives.
We are
now supposedly more connected with each other than ever before.
We thrive on the amount of followers we have and the amount of likes we get for each update or photo we
post. I would venture to say that instead of technology connecting us, the
reality is… We are losing the ability to connect with others. Beyond
all the ways we share with our “friends,” we actually end up feeling isolated, instead
of feeling more connected.
As part
of my job, I talk with teens about chastity and the beauty of God’s plan for
our sexuality, but as you can imagine there is some down time when we can talk
with the teachers as well. This past week I was able to talk with one teacher
on this subject of technology and social media. She has
been a teacher for many years and has noticed a very interesting shift in her
students’ behavior. She said her students’ attention spans have decreased
since technology has become more and more “at our fingertips.” She even noticed
her students need more review in order for them to retain any information. They
have little desire to remember anything because they have the ability to ask Siri or look it up on Google.
In
college, I studied the Catholic faith and how to pass it on. During one class
on youth ministry my professor predicted that in the future he has a concern
that teens won’t ask, “Who is Jesus?” but rather, “What is a relationship?” At
this point, here is our dance with technology. With all the ways we
seem closer through our Apps, we are missing out on the truest form of intimacy
we all crave by establishing REAL relationships.
Plugging
into our digital lives more and more could cause us to forget how to form an
actual relationship with another human person face-to-face. What a scary
thought. If one day, people can’t form relationships they will be unable to find
authentic love. Our hearts long for
authentic love and the fleeting attention we receive by the number of likes in our media will not fulfill our
desire for this love.
The
solution? Silence.
All the technology in the palm of our hands has caused a growing
problem. We don’t like silence. We can’t just be still anymore.
We fear the silence. Maybe we want to avoid the truth that we would have to
face if we allowed ourselves to reflect inward on the longing of our hearts.
This might sound extreme but we are numbing ourselves to reality. Avoiding the
unpleasantness, loneliness, sufferings, anxiety, boredom, we use the noise or
the notifications to fill the false need instead of the real need of being
wanted and loved.
 |
| Photo Credit: Nashua College |
Silence creates
the room for us to hear God. For me this was not an immediate thing I woke up
and did. It takes practice. We must begin to discipline and train ourselves.
The more we grow in prayer, the more natural it will begin to feel to rest in
the stillness. The most important relationship we need to grow in is our
relationship with Jesus Christ and silent prayer time is a great starting
place. As we become more rooted in Christ we can more fully shed the things of
this world. Letting go of the earthly things “connecting” us gives us the
freedom to give our lives and connect our hearts to God. So I pose this question to you:
Is logging
into your technology logging you out of true intimacy?
