Yes, this book is ten years old this year (2023), and oddly I found it more interesting than when it first came out. Craig Detweiler wrote quite a seminal work at a time when most people had not even begun to think about the impact of technology, and howsocial media technology was changing our spiritual lives and the church.
I have found this to be a very helpful book because it provides a historical framework that helps one understand the development of the worldwide web and social media and enables one to reflect on where we are today.
The two major sections(the internet and social networking) each have a short history/summary that is a good source for reflection by itself, and lead into the broader analysis and particular commenton the commercial base of the internet now through exploration of Amazon, Microsoft (and YouTube) and Apple.
It was interesting to also reflect on some forms of early social media like Myspace (2003) that dominated from 2005 – 2008 but is of course now not something that a younger person would even be aware of; perhaps and in the same category as a corded telephone. I wonder what of the present, perhaps dominant social media may not survive the next decade or two?
There are some aspects that need updating of course, particularly the statistics quoted for YouTube,emails, and other social media,because simply ten years later the amount of material being uploaded and sent would be significantly larger, even though at the time it seemed astronomical.
For the development of social media two factors have been significant:
· The smart phone and its proliferation
· Fast and wireless internet (Some of us are old enough to remember that when we wanted to send an email, we were tied to a desk computer and after connecting up went to make a cup of tea, returning in ten minutes to see if the email had been sent)
One of the things that struck me is that overall,much of the technology and social media highlighted is such a new arrangement in historical terms, and yet because of its dominance now, it is seemingly something that has been with us since the dawn of time. It is sobering to think that Tik Tok was not even on the horizon in 2013, and only more prominent since 2020 CE (Covid Era).
Some significant milestones recorded that illustrate the history:
1997 Amazon became a public company and 1999patented ‘1-click ordering’.
1998 Google founded.
2001 iPod launched (who uses one now!)
2004 Facebooklaunched.
2005 YouTube (Google subsidiary from late 2006)
2006 Twitter
2007 The iPhone
2010-2012 Instagram
2011 - The death of Steve Jobs, perhaps the most iconic iGod.
When one considers this relatively short period of time and then the next decade, a factor that stands out overall is the colossal pace of change, and that the next change is just around the corner. Perhaps this is part of the causation of more anxiety and worry than ever before, and the increasing issues for those growing up as digital natives?
In past generations people were simply too caught up with following a ‘normal’ path or making a basic living to survive and were not confronted with the multiplicity of choice and instant gratification that is on offer today.
I was reflecting on a verse in Hebrews while writing this article, and noted the verse following:
“Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings”. (Hebrews 13: 9)
I think that is certainly a message for all of us today connected through the world wide web, and it is not only the idea of specific teaching, but the didactic teaching that internet and social media companies are now providing and that manyembraceas simply part of belonging to the new society.
An interesting key to understanding where we are heading today, is Detweiler’s point that a considerable amount of the development of technology is related to our increasing abundance and need to organise too much information. We have simply ended up with too many possessions and want too many possessions and companies and technology help here by curating information and our possessions. Technology truncates the space we physically need. We maintain the idea that we have these possessions, even if we don’t have them physically in our presence. We have not yet reached the stage that appears in series such as Star Trek, where physical possessions are almost non-existent and yet everything is accessible at the command of your voice.
Today we are seemingly offered it all, and yet fail to understand that we can lose our soul.
Who do we Worship?
One of the helpful things with this book by the series of questions after each chapter. They are very relevant and increasingly relevant for today.
Detweiler’s two final questions round off the book and bring the reader back to the need to think about our spiritual and social life.
“Is technology serving you or enslaving you?
What kind of practices can you adapt to keep technology from becoming an idol?”(Page 225)
For many today, the iGods are the new idols. Even though the leaders have many followers and are seemingly immortal, they too will wither and die, and like Steve Jobs, they will not be resurrected.
I was reminded that even followers of the Living God can turn to idols.I was reminded also of the need to take breaks from being continually connected and to limit my social media consumption, partly to give my brain time to process information, but also to allow God to speak to me through his word and in prayer.
In all that is happening and will happen we can take comfort in truly understanding the words of the first verse that I looked at:
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”(Hebrews 13: 8)