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<\/a>I think this applies broadly, even when I learn something that might not, on its own, be directly connected to character or culture transformation. When I learn content, <\/em>say about the organization of the periodic table of elements, I must practice humility, the recognition that I don\u2019t know something. <\/em>This practice is part of the learning and is thus part of the transformation. (We practice other character dispositions during learning<\/a>, too. Some people refer to these as intellectual virtues<\/a>, which also means there are intellectual vices<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n And now a confession: I\u2019ve been learning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In my case, I\u2019ve been wrong, hypocritical, and unwise, and as I learn, I am growing in truth, sincerity, and wisdom. I want to share a bit about this learning in case it might be helpful for your own learning, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReal and meaningful change also can become possible if we actually have the opportunity to experience new possibilities in our homes, our workplaces, and in our communities.\u201d – Dr. Song (p. 14)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been reading through Dr. Felicia Wu Song\u2019s excellent book, Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence, and Place in the Digital Age<\/em><\/a>. <\/em>Song is a cultural sociologist at Westmont College whose research and expertise examines media and digital technologies. Although much of my research has focused on how we develop beliefs about science and religion \u2013 and the way we conceptualize the relationship between the two \u2013 my master\u2019s thesis explored how preschool-aged children learned from different forms of media: books or videos with either cartoon characters or realistic characters1<\/sup>. I mention this because I still follow some of the emerging literature around media use and consumption, something I often approach now from the perspective of cognitive psychology, attention, and multitasking<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As someone who knows much of the research in this area, the research that Song shared did not surprise me. I know that a typical person checks their phone, often mindlessly, hundreds of times in a day, while at the same time estimating their phone use to be\u00a0half\u00a0<\/em>of the 6 hours that was typical in 2015 (p. 39, 161). I also know that internet and media companies have made excellent use of brain science to suck us in and monopolize our attention such that we find it hard to climb out of the digital vortex (ch. 2). And I know that the internet, especially social media, can pre-occupy us with broadcasting the present moment, rather than truly being in it, such that we merely manage through the present moment in wait of the next hit of dopamine and broadcast-worthy event (p. 71-84). In my arrogance, I thought\u00a0I know this stuff, but, boy, my students should read this<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then it hit me: it\u2019s me. She\u2019s talking to and about me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite my efforts to avoid multitasking (something I make sure to extol my students to do as well), her questions around monotasking<\/em> (p. 139-142) reveal something I do poorly. Instead of being present, I consistently do multiple mindless tasks simultaneously, rarely allowing myself the space to hear or experience my own thoughts or boredom. Despite my own research and published work<\/a> touching on the value to brain health and behavior of creating phone-free spaces (say, while waiting in line at the grocery store), I realized that my free moments were all filled by my phone. And then I realized that some moments that were not<\/em> free \u2013 like when I\u2019m talking with my husband at the end of the day or giving my child a bath \u2013 those moments were also<\/i> filled by my phone. This matters because of the role of practice in formation, as I discuss in this blog<\/a>, and that Song eloquently expands in her text. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Initially this hit me like a weight. Then I remembered the words of Jesus, my yoke is easy, and my burden is light<\/em><\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the first things I did was remove social media from my phone. I was already social media \u201clight\u201d by many standards, but an honest reflection of when, why, and how frequently I scrolled\u2026.and scrolled\u2026.and scrolled made me realize that I wasn\u2019t using social media; it was using me. Next, I removed my email app from my home screen. I hate responding to email on my phone (texting thumb<\/a> is a real thing, y\u2019all), but I found that I would check it each morning (to stress about what was waiting for me at work) and each night (to stress about what I wasn\u2019t able to take care of while putting my children to bed) and in the moments in between (\u201cwhat if someone needs me?!\u201d). As Song puts it, this consistent devotion to be present with a thing is what abiding <\/em>looks like (p. 168-171). As a Christian, I want to abide in Jesus, not my phone. Third, I committed to not using my phone as a distraction from what might be boring or awkward social interactions. Walking across campus. Waiting in line. In the time before a class starts. Maybe, instead of burying myself in a digital world, I can be fully present in and attentive to the real world around me. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m a work in progress, but that easy yoke? It applies to my digital life, too. And since starting these changes, I feel better. More whole. Less fractured. More present. Less anxious. I don\u2019t promise this as a panacea, but I will tell you I am learning. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Song\u2019s argument is predicated on the idea that when we understand the kinds of creatures we are \u2013 this includes what it means to be a person made in the image of God \u2013 we will think differently about our digital habits. God made us to be free<\/a>. I have been learning that the small things I do daily can form and malform me in ways that make me want to think twice about when I pick up my phone. In fact, you might see me wearing a bracelet with the engraving small things daily<\/em>2<\/sup> as a reminder that what I practice directs my becoming, an idea Song aptly introduces as liturgy3<\/sup> (p. 126-128). This small things daily <\/em>phrase directs me to Romans 12<\/a> as an outline of what I want my life to look like. This phrase prompts me to ask: If I were to do this (small) thing every day \u2013 practicing it for permanence – what kind of person would I be in 5 years?<\/em> I have to say that this phone-checking-every-minute-without-thinking person is not who I want to be. I am also not sure whether that person can be someone who would fit into a Romans 12 description. Like Paul urges, I want to be transformed with a renewed mind, using sober judgment, participating fully in the Body of Christ, loving sincerely, actively, and joyfully. I want to be attentive enough to bless and rejoice and mourn and live with others harmoniously and for God\u2019s glory. For me, this pursuit requires a new way to live alongside digital technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Toward this, and with God\u2019s grace, I am learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although this blog isn\u2019t meant to convince you that you should toss your phone (though maybe you should?), I hope it will get you thinking about your digital habits related to your formation. I would love to hear your reflections, and I hope you will share them below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Footnote :<\/p>\n\n\n\n The scary thing about learning new things is that you might come to realize you are wrong, hypocritical, or unwise (among other not-so-great adjectives). The wonderful, amazing, transformative thing about learning new things is that you might grow in truth, sincerity, and wisdom. I am skeptical that learning without change is meaningful. As a \u201cline […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[126,73,4,142,1],"tags":[12,44,46,107,25,19],"class_list":["post-1713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-erin-smith","category-mental-health","category-purpose","category-science-and-christianity","category-uncategorized","tag-cbu-faculty","tag-cbu-student","tag-christianity","tag-mindfulness","tag-psychology","tag-science-and-christianity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/cshb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/cshb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/cshb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/cshb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/cshb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1713"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/cshb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1889,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/cshb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1713\/revisions\/1889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/cshb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/cshb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/cshb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Sisters](\"https:\/\/images.nappy.co\/uploads\/large\/18441608581245qz4dkbkankkxxh5salmvwgtsxetp5vu0o9bkjwac4ee98dcdlayf2mwyumxudtwgledcvhdl08lq5xj3wyeqh85ctl5bptkajiza.jpg?auto=format&w=640&fit=clip&auto=format\")
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