Alone Together
This weekend, I listened to a broadcast interview with the author of a book called "Alone Together," Dr. Sherry Turkle. In fairness, I've not read the book, but much of what she was saying in the interview are also things I have noticed and have grown concerned about. I love technology—that's no secret—especially if that technology has an Apple logo on it. And technology by itself is not good or evil. It's a tool, and can be useful in communication and even very useful in continuing the mission of the church.
However, there's also a, for lack of a better word, "dark side" to technology, and that's the way we are being "re-wired" to the point that technology controls us. Dr. Turkle talks about how people seem incapable of resisting the impulse to immediately check a text whenever their phone buzzes, or how we rarely are any place (eating out, in line at the grocery store, or in church) without constantly checking the screens in our lives. How many places do we go where there isn't some sort of screen, some sort of noise? Even at many gas stations today, there are screens on the pumps providing "entertainment" while we pump gas.
All of this has led, Dr. Turkle asserts, to an inability to enjoy solitude while at the same time being alone more than we are with others. We are "alone together," she says, constantly connected to others through Facebook, Twitter, blogs and the like while spending less and less time with actual people, in actual relationships. What will this mean for the next generation? She has some pretty incredible predictions, which you can read in the book (or listen to in the podcast, linked below).
But for me, I can't help but wonder what it means for the church, for the community that is the Body of Christ. Jesus calls us to community, yet more and more people are distancing themselves from the accountability and relationships that come in community and choosing rather to stay by themselves and "connect" to others via the screens in their lives. Is that real community? Far from it. It may be helpful, especially for those who are homebound, but there is no substitute for real, flesh and blood community, people who love us and hold us accountable in the ups and downs of life.
The Word became flesh, John tells us (1:14). He could have sent a message, a text, a tweet, but instead the Word became flesh, to live among us in community. He brought together twelve very different men into a community. And he calls us to community—to not neglect meeting together. Technology has its place, but it is not an end in itself. The call is to community.
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Podcast of the interview with Dr. Sherry Turkle, click here.
However, there's also a, for lack of a better word, "dark side" to technology, and that's the way we are being "re-wired" to the point that technology controls us. Dr. Turkle talks about how people seem incapable of resisting the impulse to immediately check a text whenever their phone buzzes, or how we rarely are any place (eating out, in line at the grocery store, or in church) without constantly checking the screens in our lives. How many places do we go where there isn't some sort of screen, some sort of noise? Even at many gas stations today, there are screens on the pumps providing "entertainment" while we pump gas.
All of this has led, Dr. Turkle asserts, to an inability to enjoy solitude while at the same time being alone more than we are with others. We are "alone together," she says, constantly connected to others through Facebook, Twitter, blogs and the like while spending less and less time with actual people, in actual relationships. What will this mean for the next generation? She has some pretty incredible predictions, which you can read in the book (or listen to in the podcast, linked below).
But for me, I can't help but wonder what it means for the church, for the community that is the Body of Christ. Jesus calls us to community, yet more and more people are distancing themselves from the accountability and relationships that come in community and choosing rather to stay by themselves and "connect" to others via the screens in their lives. Is that real community? Far from it. It may be helpful, especially for those who are homebound, but there is no substitute for real, flesh and blood community, people who love us and hold us accountable in the ups and downs of life.
The Word became flesh, John tells us (1:14). He could have sent a message, a text, a tweet, but instead the Word became flesh, to live among us in community. He brought together twelve very different men into a community. And he calls us to community—to not neglect meeting together. Technology has its place, but it is not an end in itself. The call is to community.
+++++++
Podcast of the interview with Dr. Sherry Turkle, click here.
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