Technology

 

We have Forgotten our Purpose

* The Spirit comes to you to remake you and free you, and the Spirit then does works through you for behalf of the broken world. It is really cool that I am here to “reverse the curse on humanity.”  You are gifted in some specific ways by God for a specific area of work to clean up the messed up world (compassion, creativity, analytical mind, good with numbers, writer)

 

* Assume there is an enemy—The enemy of our souls and of this world, does not want you to bring the presence of Christ and his ideas/ways/heart/help here. He wants us to get bored, entertain ourselves to death, and waste loads of time on pointless living. This is worth paying attention to because it is a primary reason people are depressed, they just don’t link it to this.

  

* The rive of culture: We follow the lead of cultural norms and trends. We think what is “normal” is good and harmless. But most times it results from thoughtless decisions and impulsivity. Most of our trends in behavior are self-promoting. We must learn to be THOUGHTFUL—why are we doing what we are doing? Should I buy this? Download this? Be a part of this group? These days, being “odd” is equal to maturity and wisdom.

 

 

The Brain

• Continues to develop until age 25—these years are VERY SIGNIFICANT. What your brain is experiencing now will have lasting impact.

• Neuronal Pruning-What you don’t use, you lose

• Dirt Road vs Paved Road-repeated activities pave the pathways —If you don’t practice behaviors, personal interactions, problem-solving, creativity, and downtime, you will always struggle to have confidence in areas of life.

 

  

The Dangers of Technology

Addiction is real—

         -World Health Organization has named “Video Game Addiction” a mental health disorder                               that is not diagnosable.

         -Tech companies study the casino industry to learn the tactics of hooking users

         -Tech gurus have left the industry after feeling convicted about what it is doing to the                           world and especially kids

           

 

Unable to tolerate downtime/boredom—

         -Creativity

         -Self-reflection

         -Problem-solving

         -Prayer

         -Stress relief

 

Stunts relationships—

         -Face to face/real life interaction leads to attachment and genuine bonding

         -The phone causes people to pull back and not risk being vulnerable. There is a fear a                           “notification” will interrupt.

         -12%-23% of Americans say they have no one to talk to. In 1985 it was 8%.

 

 

Disrupts restorative sleep—

         -Our brains reset and reorganize information when we sleep

         -Melatonin (a natural chemical in our body that helps us fall asleep) is surpassed by the                        phone light.

 

Less physical movement/less time in nature—

         -Our brains need movement for many reasons!

         -Nature has an enormous amount of positive influence on us

 

Increases stress/anxiety/depression—

         -Higher social media users report higher anxiety/loneliness

         -Constant distraction and input will increase the stress hormones in our body

         -Scrolling on our phones is not restorative downtime; it does not refresh us.

 

 

A Healthy Brain

Reading (#1)

Face to Face interactions with people

Real Experiences

Movement

Sound sleep

Boredom/downtime/daydreaming/imagining…

Unstructured play time

 

 

Closure/Self-Reflection—keep in mind that when we fail to do self-reflection, blind spots will grow. It is more important than you know to take a look at yourself and be honest about what you need to work on.

 

1. How well do you do with chores in your home? Studies show that chores will prepare you more for life than almost anything else. They build life-skills, confidence (so that you can handle all that life requires of you), and bond people. If your parents get on you for doing chores, and tell you to get off your screens, they are doing you a massive kindness!
2. Learn to be honest-if you can admit to the power technology has in certain areas of your life you will get a better handle on it. What social media/games on your screen take up too much of your time, if you are honest?
3. Is there any app you can choose to delete in order to be balanced?
4. Are you willing to turn off notifications so that you control when you look at an app instead of it controlling you?
5. Who do you compare yourself with the most? Who do you follow who gets your anxiety up the most? Who can you stop “following” so as to care for yourself?
6. If you seem like an oddball, it means you are mature. It’s the majority making a mess of their lives as a result of thoughtless choices.
7. Do you worry about your attention span? What boundaries can you put in place (not having your phone out when with a friend, not having a phone out at a meal, not having your phone with you past a certain hour…) to help you be more present?

 

 

………..

Technology is actually one of the lead reasons people struggle with sleep these days. Reason being, these are incredibly sworn to the human body. it’s interpreted as sunlight, triggering you to stay awake.  In nature, when the sun sets, she takes her to primary “awake” signals with her, heat and light. When it starts getting dark outside, you start getting tired. It would make sense, then, that the Opposites of heat and light, dark and cold, would help you fall asleep faster. These signals have been our natural sleep aids for millions of years. 

Looking at an artificially illuminated screen has an influence on the human body’s circadian rhythm. In particular, the isolated blue light that emanates from electronic devices is shown to be disruptive to the natural hormonal fluctuations that we experience in concert with the day and night cycles. Unnatural light can delay melatonin secretion (the hormone that primes you for sleep) in the evening, which can lead to any of the associated chronic and acute health consequences of insufficient sleep, including weight gain, reduced immunity, cardiovascular health, metabolic disease, cancer, and reduced motor skill function. 

The environmental input from screen use goes beyond its artificial lighting and attention-grabbing nature. Screen-time creates a very near, static focal length for our eyes. The ciliary muscle in the eye relaxes when distance vision is engaged, and it contracts at shorter focal lengths. Gazing at a screen for hours on end is effectively practicing constant contraction of the ciliary muscle. Near “work” in the absence of mid-range and distance “work” influences the progression of myopia. 

Prolonged internet use is closely associated with sedentary behavior and all of the associated health consequences. 

We’re Becoming More Socially Isolated. The internet was designed to connect us with others. It has certainly done this, but it’s also true that the internet can be a cause of disconnection in our lives. For example, a common scene in the modern household is for all family members to be present, with each person staring into their own screen, co-existing without sharing the experience of life. Likewise, it’s not unusual to go out to a café and see nearly every person there completely immersed in their digital device, or to go to a restaurant and see couples or groups of people at a table all staring at their phones.

Electronic communication has revolutionized the way we work and play and provided important social benefits. But when it comes at the expense of interacting with people in person (or even over the phone), there are consequences. Genuine social interaction has been part of the human experience for as long as we’ve been human, and it’s as necessary for health as a nutrient-dense diet, appropriate physical activity, and adequate sleep.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there have been many studies linking excessive internet use to increased social isolation. One study discovered a relationship between the amount of time that adolescents spent online and the ability to connect with others. It was found that kids who self-reported as “low” internet users (less than one hour per day) had better relationships with friends and family than those who reported “moderate” (one to two hours per day) and “high” (more than two hours per day). The authors concluded that excessive internet use can interfere with face-to-face relationships.

Caplan studied a person’s preference for online interaction as a factor in the development of problematic internet usage and the psychological health consequences that can develop as a result. He found that those who preferred to connect with others online would tend to become lonelier and more depressed over time and that people who identified as lonelier and more depressed would have a stronger preference for online interaction rather than face-to-face interaction. 

 

What Can You Do? Awareness is key, and if you interact with the internet on a daily basis, you might consider the following opportunities:

1. Recognize that there is a difference between “internet use” and “problematic internet use.”
2. Make a point of looking away from your screen routinely to focus on mid-range and far distances.
3. Make a point of standing up from your desk routinely to move your body.
4. Crowd out unnecessary screen time to do things that bring you joy.
5. Schedule face-to-face meetings with friends, family, and coworkers to cultivate community.
6. Head outdoors to experience movement and natural environments.
7. Question your indoor air quality and work to improve it.
8. Turn off screens at a certain time each night; install a program like Flux on your computer to eliminate blue light in the evening.
9. To limit blue light on mobile devices at night, try an app like Twilight for Android or Apple’s Night Shift feature that is new with iOS 9.3.
10. Put your wireless router on a timer so that the internet is “shut off” each night.

 

Furthered Learning Articles On Today’s Topic:

Screen Strong is a wonderful organization that teaches on technology and kids. Hundreds of informational blog posts can be found here: https://screenstrong.com/blog/

https://mashable.com/2014/03/14/tech-brains-neuroplasticity/

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/health-effects-of-technol_n_6263120

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/negative-effects-of-technology