Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Technology and Religion
Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Social media took over our minds!

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Social media took over our minds!

Last updated on: August 13, 2024 at 7:16 pm by Christy Thomas

0 Comments

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Social media took over our minds! 2024-08-13T19:16:57-05:00 Christy Thomas

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Social media consumes many of us—and in too many ways, it has taken over our minds. We’ve made a deal with the devil.

Social media took over our minds

OpenAI ChatGPT generated photo

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: been noticing of late how intrusive I’ve let social media and media consumption in general become.

So I’ve been banishing the tablet from my bed three nights a week, which has made me antsy and itchy.

And, irony of ironies, I’ve downloaded headspace, a meditation app. Believe it or not, a seasoned meditator guides you into 10 minutes of breathing and silence.

It is so, so hard. How did this even happen?

We are collectively cracking our brains with a piece of technology that most of us stay tethered to constantly. The smart phone has taken over. In a piece of my own irony, just as I started to work on this question, I realized I had misplaced my phone. Massive angst followed as I frantically searched for it.

I finally remembered that there is a “find-my-phone” utility which then made my phone ping (the sound was otherwise turned off) and found it. To my utter relief. Why? Because I have outsourced much of my brain to the phone.

I rarely know what day it is: I look at the phone.

I do not know phone numbers or addresses of my children. I look at the phone.

I have to function with a plethora of passwords to multiple places and they are all stored, safely encrypted, in some app on my phone.

Bank balance? A fingerprint sign-in gives me up-to-date information.

Directions to anywhere? And yeah, I’ve forgotten how to internalize them.

Want to know the traffic? Check the phone and see the graphic with endless orange and red dots showing congested areas.

Need a document? I can get to anything I’ve ever written or stored for any reason right there on my phone.

Want to know the latest political news (well, no, actually)? Can tell you in seconds.

What are my friends up to? And what do I want my friends to know that I am doing? Easy-peasy: social media!

My calendar no longer sits in my head or on a desk, but in electronic form. I don’t try to remember birthdays: a reminder will show up a week ahead of each important one. Need to remember to do something? No, I don’t, because a reminder will pop up when it is time.

Again, a huge part of my brain resides there.

This wonderful, freeing addition to our lives leaves all of us with broken brains. Constant interruption accompanies the screen environment. It gratifies the never ending need for something NEW to show up. We can pass on thoughtless quotes or seriously biased news to others in microseconds.

Our use of social media is a deal with the devil

Several years ago,, I read Nicholas Carr’s superb work, The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. He lays it out clearly: in many ways, we are all becoming addicted to distraction.

I remember when I read the book how difficult it was for me to stay focused even as I was reading about how the unabated use of the Internet was making it nearly impossible for people to read books from beginning to end.

None of us can stay focused. It took constant self-checking to persevere with that book. I became more troubled by each well-researched page on how this electronic world is indeed mangling our brains.

Why? What’s the draw? Personally, I think it is one more way to keep us from having to confront and carefully examine our own lives. By staying in a state of consistent distraction, we move further from the kind of honest self-reflection that is mandated for people to reach real maturity.

We’ve traded information for wisdom and in doing so, we’ve made a deal with the devil.

As for our spiritual lives . . . the act of worship, of intentionally focusing of God, not our own petty little selves, mandates a move to inner quietness. Much traditional worship is slow, full of spaces, generally devoid of immediate gratification, demanding discipline of body and mind.

Some churches have tried to accommodate the Internet-shallowed mind with mind-numbing loud music and never ending graphics flashing across multiple screens. It may be comfortable, familiar, and non-demanding, but this will not develop the soul.

The Real Problem: Laziness in Brain and Body

But we let it happen because we humans are, at our core, essentially lazy, both in mind and body. These constant distractions feed laziness while giving the illusion that we are engaged and doing something useful.

In truth, the never-ending stream of words, videos and images provides a wall of protection to keep us from having to encounter life in its rawness. All reality becomes mediated by the screen, giving an illusion of safe barriers.

It is yet one more drug to enter into our brains, taking us captive, unprotesting, into the abyss of constant information, curated to feed our particular prejudices. Ultimately, we become less human, less able to listen, learn, and grow.

Why? I’ll say it again: we are, at our core, lazy. That may be the ultimate sin that needs to be addressed.

[Note: a version of this column is scheduled to run in the Sept 30, 2016, edition of the Denton Record Chronicle. The Thoughtful Pastor, AKA Christy Thomas, welcomes all questions for the column. Although the questioner will not be identified, I do need a name and verifiable contact information in case the newspaper editor has need of it. Please email questions to: [email protected].]

General Christian

Technology and Religion

About Christy Thomas

I am an opinionated Jesus-follower, a retired elder in the United Methodist church, a questioner of everything, and a lover of grace. I am married to a wonderful man and together we claim 11 children and 12 grandchildren. I love to travel, garden, walk and connect ideas together. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

September 26, 2016

The penchant for purity will kill the church

Next Post

September 27, 2016 Post debate musings of a policially-mixed couple

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Stepping away from his campaign for 13 days handed his opponents a gift which they ..."

Bob Shiloh

The Lies and Hypocrisy Are Degrading ..."

"Thank you. We really do need to practice what we preach. And hardly any of ..."

The Rev. Dr. Christy Thomas

The Lies and Hypocrisy Are Degrading ..."

"Mrs. Thomas, Reverend Jefferies became the pastor of First Baptist Dallas in August 2007 – ..."

glen smith

I Ache For The People Of ..."

"I sent you a reply which for some reason was not deemed appropriate for posting. ..."

linda_rob

I Ache For The People Of ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category " obedience abortion accommodation accountability administration adolescence Advent advice an ordinary death anxiety apology apportionments Ash Wednesday ask thoughtfulpastor baptism betrayal Bible bondage calling certainty change character charity children Christianity Christmas church church as garden clergy clergy credentials closure comfort compassion competition compromise Confirmation conservation conservative conspiracy theories consumer conversion coronavirua corruption courage covenant cultural context death Deconstruction discipleship discord divorce doctrine doing good drugs dysfunctional Easter Easter; Resurrection education election entertainment envy escape evaluation evil exclusive church exercise faith faithfulness family fasting fear feast featured film review finances first world problem food forgiveness fundamentalist garden gay marriage General Conference generosity giving thanks GLBT glory good government grace guilt habit happy harmony hateful acts healing health health care heaven hell hello/goodbye heresy hidden agenda holiness homelessness homosexuality humility hymn hypocrisy Imago Dei In training inclusive church indulgence injustice innocents insurance intolerance itinerancy joy Justice kindness Kingdom of Heave kingdom of heaven language laughter laundry lawsuit leadership Lent LGBTQ liberal life Little Things Matter longform meandering thoughts memories mercy metaphor metrics miracle misfortunes morality Mormon Muslim mystery worship natural disasters New Category Name nutrients older adults oppression pain Paleo paperwork partnered pastor peace pension pharmaceutical placebo politics poverty prayer privilege public schools questions quiet racism rain reason reconciliation religion repentance requirements rescue respect rest resurrection retirement Sabbath sacrament sacred salvation same-sex marriage sanctuary schism schooling science SCOTUS secrecy separation of church and state sexism sexuality short cuts silence sin sleep soil spiritual journey stillness suffering surgery sustainable church teacher technology thank you theology therapy thinking tolerance TOS trust truth Uncategorized welcome Why Easter? wisdom women worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 December 2025 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 March 2025 February 2025 December 2024 November 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 July 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 October 2021 July 2021 June 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 January 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 July 2007 March 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz