Technology & Culture
 Reflective
Christian thinkers in the spirit of Francis Schaeffer have increasingly
weighed in thoughtfully on a number of social issues. One of the social
issues that has not received much attention, however, has been the
personal and social impact of technology. It seems extreme to take the
"technophobe" view that all technology should be resisted. At
the same time, it would be naive to embrace all technological progress
uncritically. While most of us appreciate the increased efficiency
that technology and innovation brings, we tend to overlook that
fact that often in history seemingly value-neutral technology has produced
unintended consequences on human life--including how we perceive reality and
human relationships. It seems that our culture is both in awe of
technology and resentful of its overwhelming presence.
Parents of children born in the digital age cannot afford to be reactive about technology--either against or for it. Raising our children in a technological society is more than preparing them to function in the new economy. They will need help learning how to reason (which an image-based culture tends to retard) and prioritizing relational and ethical principles. A number of social commentators, both religious and secular, have observed a variety of unforeseen consequences of the technological revolution. Below are some of their insights. |
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"Postmodern social experience in general saturates the self with a welter of conflicting and confusing images and ideas, with little unity or coherence at hand. What Kenneth Gergen calls “technologies of social saturation”—radio, television, computers, movies, telephones, rapid transportation and so forth—tend to overwhelm our ability to rank our stimulations in order of importance." --Douglas Groothuis, Truth Decay "The power of electronic technology to accelerate our lives took us by surprise... When we travel at warp speed, we fall under the sway of a new force, the power of now... The power of now replaces the long-term with the short-term, duration with immediacy, permanence with transience, memory with sensation, insight with impulse." --Stephen Bertman, Hyperculture: The Cost of Human Speed "Technopoly is a state of culture. It is also a state of mind. It consists of the deification of technology, which means the culture seeks its authorization in technology, finds its satisfaction in technology, and takes its orders from technology." ---Neil Postman, Technopoly |
