An Explosion of Technology

IN Albania it is not unusual to see an older person riding a donkey while talking on a cell phone. In India a beggar might pause in his solicitations to make or take a call on his phone. Yes, from cell phones to computers to television, technology has found its way into every corner of the world​—even crossing the divide between rich and poor—​and has become a part of life for many.

The pervasiveness of technology is perhaps most apparent in the proliferation of cell phones, many of which are no longer just phones. Advanced models enable users to access the Internet, send and receive e-mail and text messages, watch TV, listen to music, take photos, navigate by the Global Positioning System (GPS), and​—oh, yes—​phone someone!

According to a report in the Washington Post newspaper, a multimedia smartphone “now has more processing power than did the North American Air Defense Command in 1965.” The Post also states: “There is now one cellphone for every two humans on Earth,” and at least 30 nations have more cell phones than people. Indeed, we are witnessing “the fastest global diffusion of any technology in human history,” says the paper.

Worldwide, almost 60 percent of users live in developing lands, making the cell phone the first high-tech communications device to have the majority of its users in those lands. Afghanistan, for example, added about 140,000 subscribers a month in 2008, while in recent years Africa has seen cell-phone use grow nearly 50 percent annually.

But the communications revolution has its downside. Cell phones, pagers, and laptop computers make people accessible almost anytime, anywhere, causing some users to feel caught in an electronic web. At the other extreme are technology “addicts,” who have a compulsion to be connected, to know what is going on.

“Addiction,” distraction, interruption​—these are perhaps the most recognized problems associated with popular communications and media technology.a But the same devices also have much power for good. How, then, can you use them in a balanced, wise, and considerate way? The following articles address this question.

[Footnote]

Blessing or Curse?

A driver loses control of his car and hits a utility pole, seriously injuring a passenger. Immediately, he uses his cell phone to call for help. But why did he lose control? He momentarily took his eyes off the road to answer his phone.

AS THIS example illustrates, the products of modern technology can be either a blessing or a curse​—the choice depends on us. Few people, though, would prefer to go back to the comparatively crude products of yesteryear. Computers, for example, spare us tedious tasks, enable us to buy and bank conveniently online, and help us keep in touch with others by e-mail, voice mail, or video link.

Not too long ago, family members would go their various ways in the morning and not speak to one another again until evening. But now, “70% of couples in which both partners have cellphones contact each other daily just to say hello, 64% contact each other to coordinate schedules, and 42% of parents contact their children daily using a cellphone,” says a report in USA Today.

Do Not Let an Asset Become a Liability

Can the excessive or improper use of technology be harmful mentally and physically? Consider the example of two newlyweds in one Western land. According to a news report, they “were on the phone constantly​—in their cars, at the gym, even calling each other from different rooms inside their own house.” At times, they accrued 4,000 minutes​—more than 66 hours—​a month, and they said that they could not cope without their phones. They have the “classic signs of addiction,” noted Dr. Harris Stratyner, a mental-health specialist. “It’s like they are having a relationship through an object.”

That example may seem extreme, but it reflects a worrisome trend. For many people, the thought of being out of contact for even an hour is unbearable. “We always need to check out e-mail, we always need to be on the Internet, we always have to be on instant messaging with our friends,” said one woman in her 20’s.

If being connected “takes up more and more of your time and it becomes the preferred activity in your life to the exclusion of everything else, that’s the surest warning signal that something is not quite right,” says Dr. Brian Yeo in The Business Times of Singapore. Moreover, people who closet themselves away for hours on end with their gadgets often get little if any exercise and risk developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or some other serious condition.

Other dangers are more immediate. In regard to cell phones, for instance, a recent study concluded that motorists who talk on either handheld or hands-free devices are as impaired as drunk drivers! Texting while driving can also be lethal, and one survey found that approximately 40 percent of drivers between the ages of 16 and 27 text while behind the wheel. Moreover, if you are tempted to use a cell phone to talk or text while driving, keep in mind that should you have an accident, the police and your insurance company may check your cell-phone use in the moments leading up to the crash. A phone call or a simple text message can prove to be very costly!a An investigation into a 2008 train wreck that cost 25 lives in California, U.S.A., revealed that the engineer had sent a text message seconds before the crash. He never even applied the brakes.

Because a growing number of children use cell phones and computers, as well as entertainment media, they need to learn to use these devices wisely and responsibly. How can they be helped? Please read the following article.

[Footnote]

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Is being connected taking up more and more of your time?

Parents​—Guide Your Children

“In the past, we only had to be concerned about too much TV exposure. Now we have video games, computers and cell phones. It is overwhelming for young children and creates patterns of behaviors similar to addiction patterns . . . Their brains get used to too much auditory and visual stimulation​—and in the absence of these stimulations, they do not know what to do with themselves.”​—Mali Mann, M.D.

WE LIVE in an increasingly “wired” world thanks to advances in communications technology and the Internet. Many young people cannot leave home without their portable media player or cell phone. And as these and other devices become more powerful, more versatile, and less expensive, the present flood of communications technology may only intensify, creating even more challenges for parents in regard to supervising, training, and disciplining their children.

Those challenges can be met when parents do two important things. First: Recognize the truth of the following statement found in the Bible at Proverbs 22:15: “All children are foolish, but firm correction will make them change.” (Contemporary English Version) Second: Understand the power of technology to influence children in a positive or negative way, and strive to make it positive.

Start Early!

In many homes, TV is a child’s introduction to technology. In fact, TV often becomes the babysitter. Yet, some mental-health professionals believe that premature and excessive exposure to TV can foster disinterest in physical exercise, confusion between reality and fantasy, emotional problems and, later in the classroom, inattentiveness. Some children, says Dr. Mali Mann, may even “get diagnosed incorrectly with Attention Deficit Disorder [ADD] or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD], or even be erroneously labeled with bipolar disorder.” Accordingly, some authorities recommend no television viewing for children under the age of two.

“The most important thing that happens in the first couple of years of a child’s life is they form a deep connection with their parents,” says American Academy of Pediatrics spokesperson Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg. That connection is forged when parents talk and play with their little ones and read to them. And as many parents know, children who are regularly read to develop a love for reading, which is another valuable asset.

To be sure, a knowledge of computers and related technologies may be important, even essential, for millions of children. But if you detect that your children are becoming abnormally focused on computers, computer games, the Internet, and the like, it may be wise to broaden their interests. How? Why not introduce them to an interesting craft or a musical instrument​—anything wholesome that may be different, absorbing, and stimulating?

A well-chosen activity may do more than offer a refreshing diversion. It may also help your child to develop patience, tenacity, self-control, and creativity​—qualities that are essential for success in life, where solutions to problems are not always just the click of a mouse away.

Children Need “Wisdom and Thinking Ability”

In the Bible, adults and children are encouraged to develop their “power of reason,” or thinking ability. (Romans 12:1; Proverbs 1:8, 9; 3:21) This, in turn, enables us to distinguish not only right from wrong but also what is wise from what is unwise. To illustrate, it is not illegal to spend hours playing computer games or watching TV, but is it wise? It is not illegal to buy the latest gadgets or software, but once again, is it wise? How, then, can you help your children to develop a wise heart in regard to technology?

◼ Explain the dangers. When it comes to technology and the Internet, children may be quick learners, but lacking wisdom and experience, they tend to be naive. So show them the dangers to avoid and how to avoid them. Consider online social networks, for example. Granted, such networks may allow young ones to express their identity and meet other young people, but the sites are also a “shopping mall” for sexual predators and others with bad motives.a (1 Corinthians 15:33) Prudent parents, therefore, urge their children not to divulge personal details online.b

Of course, children have a right to privacy commensurate with their level of maturity. But as a parent, you have both the God-given authority and the responsibility to train and supervise your children. (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4) Hopefully, they will recognize your concern, not as a needless intrusion, but as an expression of unselfish love.

“But,” you may say, “how can I help my children if I don’t understand the devices they use?” Well, why not learn at least the basics? Melba, in her 90’s, never touched a computer till she was over 80. “When I first tried to use the thing,” she says, “I wanted to chuck it out the window. After a couple of months, I got the hang of it, and now I can handle e-mail and other functions quite easily.”

◼ Set appropriate limits on your child’s use of technology. If your child isolates himself for hours on end watching TV, surfing the Internet, or playing computer games, why not consider establishing technology-free times and zones in the home? This may help your son or daughter learn the value of the following Bible principle: “For everything there is an appointed time.” That means there is a time for family, a time for friends, a time for homework, a time to eat, a time to get some exercise, and so on. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Reasonable rules, consistently enforced, give family life structure and help children develop good manners, consideration for others, and sociability.

In the final article of this series, we will look at some principles that may help all of us​—adults and children—​to use technology not just considerately but also economically.

[Footnotes]

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Children need a broad range of activities that expand the mind and nurture patience and tenacity

Use Technology Considerately and Economically

Katherine, who is in her 20’s, uses a computer at work. But at home she found herself constantly surfing the Web, shopping online, and keeping up with countless e-mails. Still, her use of technology was moderate compared with that of younger colleagues. “Why do they bother me all the time with silly text messages?” she asks. “I’m a human! Why can’t they talk to me on the phone?”

THERE is irony in Katherine’s question, for the phone too is an indirect link. Still, Katherine has a point: Many gadgets that were designed to connect people may, in fact, put emotional distance between them. To help you find a good balance in your use of technology, consider the following Bible principles.

◼ “All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them.” (Matthew 7:12) When we apply those words of Jesus Christ to our use of cell phones and computers, we treat others with respect and show good manners. “My husband and I were at a restaurant,” says a woman named Anne. “Two men were having a meal together at an adjacent table. One of them, though, spent the entire time on his cell phone, talking and eating. We felt sorry for his companion, who ate ‘alone.’” How would you feel if you were that companion? Hurt? Offended? Yes, the fact that we may be able to use a cell phone almost anywhere and at any time does not mean we should. Jesus’ words ought to be our guiding principle.

◼ “Keep strict watch that how you walk is not as unwise but as wise persons, buying out the opportune time for yourselves.” (Ephesians 5:15, 16) Time is a precious gift from God and should not be squandered. Granted, technology can save time. The Internet, for example, can speed up research, banking, and shopping. But it can also steal time if we spend hours aimlessly surfing the Web.

Another potential time waster is multitasking​—working on a computer while watching TV and talking on the phone, or toggling between, say, e-mail and other programs. Why can multitasking be counterproductive?

“It’s almost impossible to gain a depth of knowledge of any of the tasks you do while you’re multitasking,” states neuroscientist Dr. Jordan Grafman. We simply cannot focus on a number of things at the same time; something has to suffer. Hence, multitasking can result in superficiality and poor retention. Also, the rapid-fire switching of attention causes people to make more mistakes and take “far longer​—often double the time or more—​to get the jobs done than if they were done sequentially,” says a report in Time magazine. So think twice before multitasking; your day may not be long enough!

◼ “Guard against every sort of covetousness, because even when a person has an abundance his life does not result from the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15) Material possessions, no matter how costly or fancy, cannot give us life or true happiness. Only God can. “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need,” said Jesus. (Matthew 5:3) The commercial world, on the other hand, equates happiness with material things. ‘Buy, buy, buy,’ it says. ‘You must have the latest.’ Do not be deceived. Instead, be wise. Analyze your motives and needs before parting with your hard-earned money. Remember, too, that many high-tech products rapidly depreciate in value. So if you do need a certain gadget, ask yourself: ‘Must I have the very latest? And do I need one with all the costly extras, which I may never use?’

A Blessing or a Curse​—Your Choice

Katherine, mentioned earlier, was alarmed when her home computer failed. “At first I was in shock,” she says, “but I decided to postpone replacing it. After a month, my nerves were more relaxed, and I read more. I use a computer at work, so I can still keep in touch with my friends outside of work hours. But I no longer feel driven to be constantly connected. Technology no longer rules my life.”

To be sure, many products of science and technology are practical and can save us much time and energy. So by all means use them if you need to, but do so responsibly and considerately. How? Put people before technology. Avoid squandering precious time and money on gadgets or software that you do not need. Do not use the Internet and other media to watch moral filth and violence. And do not become a technology “addict.” In short, be wise​—apply the divinely inspired, time-tested principles found in God’s written Word, the Holy Bible. Yes, “Jehovah himself gives wisdom; out of his mouth there are knowledge and discernment.”​—Proverbs 2:6.

[Box on page 9]

CELL PHONES, COMPUTERS, AND GOOD MANNERS

How can you use your cell phone and computer considerately? Consider the following suggestions.

◼ Avoid taking or making a phone call when or where you may disturb others. Turn your phone off if necessary.

◼ Do not let your phone disrupt important face-to-face conversations unless absolutely necessary.

◼ When you are talking on the phone, give the person you are speaking to your full attention.

◼ Do not take someone’s picture with your cell phone if this may be impolite or embarrassing to the individual.

◼ Resist the temptation to forward every “interesting” e-mail you receive. The recipients may not appreciate it.