As more and more people enter into lockdowns and shutdowns it is almost inevitable that time on social media and screens is going to increase. So how should we view that?
As a den of temptation and vice?
As not that bad?
“There doesn’t seem to be an evidence base that would explain the level of panic and consternation around these issues,” said Candice L. Odgers, a professor at the University of California…
https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/01/how-bad-are-smart-phones-for-people-and-kids.html
Or as something we would basically be better off, if not completely without, then definitely with a lot less.
People spend more time on social media than they realize, and stepping away frees up time for more rewarding offline activities, leading, in turn, to an increase in self-reported happiness and a decrease in self-reported anxiety.
https://www.calnewport.com/blog/2020/02/29/top-economists-study-what-happens-when-you-stop-using-facebook/
And, as Christians, if we want to switch on to God then we must switch off our phones.
I think one really practical thing we can do is to encourage digital breaks and sabbaths perhaps a Sunday afternoon to a Mondays lunch. We need to encourages people towards healthy rhythms and habits for their, and our, mental health but also so that we can be a people who are present not just to other people but before God.
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