Feeling Disconnected in the Age of Hyper Connectivity

Digital devices may be wireless, but their users are hard-wired. From phone to tablet to television, the hyper-linked are showing no sign of slowing down. 

The Millennials are the first generation to grow up so hyper-connected.  In a George Barna survey, they identified technology as that which distinguishes them most. But when asked what they feel is lacking in their lives, they identified “meaningful” relationships. It would seem that so-called hyper-connections are starting to fray around the edges—texters and tweeters are feeling under-connected in ways that matter to them!

Three thousand years ago, David discovered the ultimate connection: “face time.” “When you said, Seek my face; my heart said unto you, your face, LORD, will I seek… there is none on earth that I desire beside you” (Ps. 27:8; 73:25). Whatever generation we are, and whatever high-tech toys we enjoy, we must be careful not to get so distracted that we deprive ourselves of our most hyper connection.

Whatever happened to Silence?

I mentioned last week that Altha and I had visited a Greek Orthodox Monastery. The quiet and solitude was a stark contrast to 21st century noise-filled lifestyles. So accustomed to the non-stop sounds of TV, radio, iPods and cell phones, people find no place for silence.  Moreover, there is the the mental “noise” of social networking, emailing, texting and tweeting.

When was the last time you heard silence?—the sound of nothing, being alone with your thoughts. Part of the purpose of a daily “quiet time” is to quiet your mind of distractions and open your spirit to hear from the Lord. In the late 1950’s A.W. Tozer wrote: “God is having a difficult time getting through to us because we are a fast-paced generation. We seem to have no time for contemplation. We have no time to answer God when He calls.” I wonder what Tozer would think about today’s digitally distracted generation?

To be “well-connected” used to mean that someone was connected by blood or close acquaintance with people of wealth and influence. Now it means you have a lot of apps on your iPhone. I think “well-connected” is an accurate way to describe someone who hears from God every day. But our digital connections are making it more difficult than ever to be still, and know God (Ps. 46:11).

Tweeting is for the Birds, isn't it?

Did you hear that President Obama had a Twitter Town Hall on Wednesday? Tweeting has become the icon of word economy. “Tweeple,” people who “tweet” on Twitter, need to communicate in messages that are no more than 140 characters.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt said it took him about an hour to write a one-hour speech, but two hours or more to do a 30-minute version. Henry David Thoreau said a story doesn’t need to be long, but it takes a long time to make it short. Mark Twain said if he had more time, he’d write shorter.

But surely these wordsmiths would have found the brevity of tweets and texts utterly contemptible. No, these short communiqués are not the product of thoughtful writing. Rather they are simply driven by a need for speed: quite the opposite of what Roosevelt, Thoreau, and Twain had in mind.

In these daily blog posts, I try to be concise without sacrificing depth. And though I hope my words are meaty enough to chew on for awhile, they cannot substitute for a healthy daily diet of The Word. In this day of texts and tweets, look at what Jesus said about words: “the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). Well, all this is to say, I think our President’s town hall twitter is a good time to reflect on the importance of God’s words, and be careful that we are not twittering away our daily talks with Him!