We live in exciting times. Human history is in the midst of a fundamental shift in the way we function. The advent of the smart phone is forcing us to evaluate and redefine how life is lived in our current age and for years to come. Not since the invention of the printing press has humanity experienced such massive changes. Every aspect of life has been touched by this new digital revolution, but it is most clearly seen in the manner in which we communicate with one another.
As a kid growing up, I had exactly three ways to communicate with friends and family. I could write a letter and mail it across the country via the USPS. This was the best means of communication for those who lived long distances away. I could pick up a phone, an actual “land line” with a wire connected to the wall, and call. This was usually limited to local friends and family because long distance phone calls were expensive. But, most communication was done face-to-face. If I wanted to talk to my friend around the way, I had to actually go outside, jump on my bike, ride over to his/her house, and see if they could come out to talk. Communication required a modest investment of time, energy, and effort.
Cell phones have become the central hub of communication for daily life.
The digital revolution, particularly the proliferation of the smart phone, has opened up more avenues for connection and communication than we had dreamed possible even a generation ago. If you think about it, a smart phone is only a phone in the academic sense; It is capable of making a phone call from one phone to another. Functionally, however, cell phones are much more than two-way radios. Cell phones have become the central hub of communication for daily life.
Look at your cell phone for a moment. Count how many apps you have on your phone at this moment that are for the purpose of connection or communication. On my own cell phone, I currently have ten such apps. We have a vast array of social networking tools available to us. There is, without question, immense value in these tools, when used properly.
On a personal level, having lived most of my adult life several hours away from my hometown and friends and family, all of these social networking avenues have allowed me to observe and engage in special events, achievements, and struggles back home. Professionally, these outlets have allowed me to communicate with colleagues and members of my community to develop programming, improve performance, invite participation, and invest in a greater number of people. Further, social media is extremely entertaining and helps fill blank space. We begin to have a problem, though, when the social networking tools become our primary form of social interaction.
It is incredibly ironic that while we have more means of communication imminently available to us than ever before, studies continue to indicate that people feel more disconnected, isolated, and alone than ever before. I have come to believe that a big reason for this is no matter how much we share through a screen, it isn’t real. That isn’t to say that the experiences we share weren’t real and didn’t happen, but they aren’t truly shared experiences. Further, what we share will always fail to tell the whole story. No matter how real, authentic, or genuine we try to be in our digital interactions, our interactions are always manicured and manufactured. It is much easier to reveal the pieces of ourselves that we want others to see, while hiding the rest behind the screen.
We need to be known not as posts, but as persons.
The truth is that we need to be truly known and to know others. We need people in our lives who understand who we truly are; people who know our successes and struggles; people who will stand with or up to us; people who love and are loved by us. We need to be known not as posts, but as persons.
In the 1980’s, AT&T had a great commercial with an incredibly catchy slogan; “Reach out and touch someone.” I think now, more than ever, that is exactly what the world needs. We need to reach out and touch someone. In order to do that we need to actually be close enough to touch. We need to occupy the same space. We need to actually be in the physical presence of other humans. It is one of the definitive features of the Judaeo-Christian faith, that God continues to make His presence known with, in, and through us through the person of Jesus Christ. This is the truth of the gospel, that God became man, lived among us, and now lives through us. The gospel is best shared and communicated when we are present one with another.
We live in exciting times. The digital revolution will continue to plow ahead. More tools for connection and communication will emerge in coming days. As it does we need to put a high premium on in-person interaction. For all of its value, social media has fallen short of meeting the needs of the human heart. Our relationships need to be built with more face-to-face and less FaceTime.
