Introduction
We are a part of a technological revolution often called the information age, the computer age, and now the age of hand-held digital media devices. We have access to information 24/7- no pun intended! The way we do business, receive medical care, education, engage in entertainment, write, create, and shop has all been greatly shaped and changed by technology. You may have heard the saying, with great power comes great responsibility. Having access to so much information and media does put into our hands a very sharp tool, one we need to be disciplined with, and very careful with. The power to create and the power to harm lies within our grasp depending on what we do with this streaming flow of applications, data, and information.
Digital Citizens Academy
There are some vital teachings that apply to all of us today regarding our participation in this technology transformation. Dr. Lisa Strohman gives us the Digital Citizens Academy. This information gives a discerning understanding at how much our brains and behaviors are being affected by a constant engagement of being online. So much has changed so fast. Yet, our best practices regarding our use of technology can easily become out of balance and even destructive for us and our children.
For today’s video content we first go to a Ted Talk this time with Dr. Strohman. She expertly shares how a technology addict’s brain is changed. The dopamine centers are significantly diminished. The gray matter, the outer layer of our brains shrinks, and the interior white matter shows less density. This means, according to Strohman, that children who spend long periods of time online posting, watching video content, and gaming, etc…are becoming more depressed, less emotionally connected, and more isolated.
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Do you think the explosion of technology advances has overall been a positive thing for humanity? How about for you?
Dr. Strohman mentioned the net value of technology as being positive, but not without its negative results as well. Her group’s work in schools has been very helpful. 
One middle school after being given the tools of awareness and education of being good digital citizens, had dramatically lower online incidents of cyber bullying, depression and self-esteem issues connected to online incidents, and even sexting. She emphasizes that coming together as a society to deal with the problem of technology addiction sooner than later is worth it. The digital footprint we all leave online has far-reaching effects. Posting immoral and negatives messages, pictures, and videos can’t be taken back, and can have extensive legal and even criminal consequences, not to mention how it can ruin a person’s reputation and character.
Focused Screen Time
There are many practical things that can decrease the time you spend online. We are bombarded with so much information each day and are checking our emails dozens of times. Here is a news report video that discusses how we can achieve more focused blocks of time on the computer, avoiding distractions.
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Isn’t it true that we are losing the art of face to face conversation? The more we use social media and texting to communicate instead of talking in person, the more we are losing the ability to effectively converse this way! The report suggested that instead of sending texts to people at work, we walk over to their cubicle, make eye contact, and talk with them face to face. These face to face social skills are so important in life, relationships, and the workplace, it is worth diving further into the subject.
Disconnecting to Connect
Here is another video on the huge benefits of unplugging from technology and practicing our social skills. This Ted Talk is presented by Steve Baskin at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. in 2012.
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Steve uses the example of going to summer camp as a place to develop social, communication, and collaborative skills. When many people are put into a small space and live there without technology 16 hours a day, they are developing face to face time and empathy skills. They talk to each other! What a great shared experience. The top two skills Steve Baskin mentioned that were the most critical for the workforce were oral communication skills, and the ability to collaborate and work with groups, often not with people of our choosing. That would connect to yesterday’s lesson on peer pressure and relating to people from different cultures.
He described a letter he received from a high school student that was thanking him for the opportunity at the camp of turning off the electronic devices and connecting human to human. The whole experience of the only times where you can take away teenager’s electronics, put them in a hot cabin often without air conditioning, and they will thank you for it!
The Plague of Pornography
In what ways can we disconnect to connect? How can we limit our use of electronic devices? Spending idle time on screens often leads us to places we know we really should not be going. There are so many ads in the side bars that would tempt men and women alike into pornography for example. Often you are just 1 or 2 clicks away from the naked and graphic images and videos that have flooded the internet in recent years. Listen up!! They are an absolute counterfeit for real loving relationships. Marriages and healthy sexuality are being eroded and destroyed by people’s choice to interact with this content. Many men for example are finding themselves unable to perform sexually with an actual flesh and bone woman! This is very alarming! People are becoming oriented to the machines, and the images and videos on the screens are not people. They are images on a machine.
Simply because there are large quantities of this explicit content and many areas of the general culture have accepted it as allowable, does not mean it can’t destroy your life and relationships. If you are struggling with an addiction to pornography, coming clean from it is very much like that of going through a 12-step program. The first step is to admit you have a problem, and then become willing to get help. Just like with alcohol and drug use, sexual addiction and pornography have support groups that help people come through and be set free of these bondages.
When we look at a person, do we see them as a whole person to be cherished and honored? People have a sacred and intrinsic value. When we see the whole person, we respect their personal space, including their sexuality.
If spending idle time on the computer is causing you to engage in this kind of graphic content, then turn it off. If you really want to be bold, you can even hold yourself accountable to watching this content by placing a software on your devices that can only be accessed by a password which you give to someone else you trust! So, if you want to visit an “adult” site, you would have to call the trusted friend, mentor, or sponsor, and ask them for that password which would be pretty embarrassing. That would be a bold move, and a good one. If you want to be a person of integrity, holding yourself accountable both to yourself and others will strengthen your character and help straighten out your life.
Conclusion
The internet and the digital age give us some very sharp tools. Our ability to create and help others has never been greater. We can use these tools for good. Now is the time to learn the best daily practices ensuring our moral and ethical choices reflect the knowledge, love, and light that we are entrusted with.
Question for Reflection: Do you find yourself spending more time online than you want to? What are some alternatives you can explore to help give you balance?
Helpful Links
Accountability Software
Digital Citizen’s Academy
https://digitalcitizenacademy.org/about-us/who-we-are/
Learning Critical Life Skills