It’s never the technology itself that kept me away from Macs (though frankly, I never like the user interfaces, not that Windows is a drastic improvement, especially as they keep trying to get more and more like Macs), but rather the seemingly obsessive quality about the users. And of course, the more people insist on something, the more I rebel against that thing. Many followers seem to tout Mac products as one would heroin or worse, an iGod. Surely, technological toys have replaced the little house statues of old.

What we need to look for in expensive new toys are exactly what you were talking about. Utility, primarily, and we need to keep in check the desire we find for letting it drive our life. Technology is akin to money in that it can be immensely useful and in and of itself, not evil. But rather, it’s what we do with that technology/money that defines what is evil. Does it cause us to turn away from God or does it cause us to have a growing relationship with Him? Or is it something value neutral, that is, maybe it shifts between one standpoint or another.

To me, never having grown any need structure from the iPhone, nor ever having the urge to, the iPad seems to be just a complete waste of money. It’s just another step on a company’s value chain, which is to create new needs by introducing new products that people will feel they need (which Apple has an incredible skill for). Maybe in 10 years it will be essential in order to live life, but right now, I’m still not moved. To someone who is outside the iWorld, it really doesn’t seem that thrilling of a technological advance. It’s just a huge, oversized iPhone, that will neither fill the service of a phone (too big) or a computer (too low of capacity), but will create it’s own need pool, causing people to want to own all three things. They could have simply adjusted the engineering on the iBook if they were really looking to do something innovative. But the iPad is not innovative in the tech sense, just in the marketing sense.

Sorry for the rant.

I love the line, ” technological toys have replaced the little house statues of old.” I think it’s even evident as we look at how spaces are set up, with our tech often becoming the featured point of the room. While there’s a certain amount of utilitarian value there, what does it say about how we value other things like human interaction and relationships when our spaces themselves, by their design, disconnect us from people?

I love your reasoning for the iphone – because you lose pieces of paper?! Now, self confessed gadget girl that I am, I still have to wonder whether our love for technology is a self-justified form of idolatry, and the following thoughts make me sound like I would like to live in a cave again.

If life is easier with a computer, how many do we need in a household? One; one per family member; One for home & one for on the go? We COULD make do with sharing/waiting until we get home but this appears to be the case less and less, often with a desktop, laptop and then an iphone each in a home. Somehow we find ways to justify what we want.

An iphone is simply an expensive storage media – an advanced form of the diary or (remember this?!)… a personal organiser! Granted with a few extra features – like a phone! If we actually went against the tide, and stuck to a paper based diary for example, we would still have one place to store all information and therefore not end up putting it in the washer. As you have identified, there are financial implications to this. Especially when we need to make the purchase, buy the accessories, then purchase the upgrade because the new one does things the ‘old one’ didn’t do.

My biggest consideration is the amount of time that ends up being spent on technology. For something that is supposed to save time, how often do we find ourselves using them?! If our concern is for helping our neighbour and displaying the splendor of Christ. then surely we should be interacting with the world in a personal and real sense? How many people feel that they know what is happening in another’s life, simply because they saw it on facebook? Rather than calling someone how much more convenient is it to text or email, thereby gradually removing us from personal interaction and a real community. (And yes, I am guilty of this one). Additionally it does make you have to question what our motives are behind facebooking, blogging and tweeting. Do we really need so much of our lives to be on display – and for who are we doing it. Is it simply sometimes a matter of self-idolatry? Do our actions edify the church? Sometimes, absolutely, but often not.

Now I am not saying technology is wrong- after all, I met my husband-to-be online and now am thankful for it in combatting homesickness! It makes the world smaller and helps people overcome the separation that geographical distance causes. I have used technology to explore and grow theologically aswell as witness and point people to Jesus… yet also wasted many hours of my life utilising technology and not doing these things. But my concern is how easily we do buy into the concepts of new technology. What are the financial and social implications… Is it the gadget we need, or simply to re-evaluate the way we do things – which of course could mean admitting that our system is wrong?

Now… Time to go and make fire and hunt wild boar or something.

Yeah, yeah, I know the reasoning sounds trite at first, but it’s the short version of the story. I spent 17 years buying various planners and trying everything I could find to get my tasks organized and keep my ideas from being lost. I spent way more money in that time than an iPhone costs, and nothing I found worked. How’d I get through college and seminary? An incredible amount of luck with friends mentioning assignments that were due the next day and an amazing ability to stay up all night writing papers. For whatever reason, where everything else failed, the iPhone has worked … maybe in part because of my techno-obsession so I can’t help but being reminded repeatedly throughout the day.

I think the time challenge is one of utmost importance. One of the things I dislike most about my iPhone is that it’s just too accessible … although, depending on where I am, my laptop can be the same way, so I have no reason to think some other device wouldn’t be as tempting for a “quick look” that turns into a pointless hour spent wandering cyberspace.

Then of course there’s the wandering that’s valuable. The time I spent today encouraging a 5th grader in Denver while I sat in South Africa, or the way I have, in some way, remained connected with youth who live in California while I’ve been in St. Louis or Denver. Or a whole collection of people I’ve met and had the chance to tell about Jesus because of Twitter and Tweetups. Heck, just the other day, the guy who is about to become the Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Southern Africa pointed to me as someone who could help churches here connect with their people through virtual mediums as a way to communicate news, promote Bible study and devotions, or remind them about events at church. How do we manage our time so we’re not removing ourselves from the digital opportunities, but at the same time, not disconnecting ourselves from the analog ones? Hum, I have a feeling that’s a whole different post.

I ran across this earlier today through a friend on Twitter. It certainly adds an entirely different element to the discussion … what do we do when we get rid of our old technology?

http://www.blessedearth.org/blogs/faq/theelectronictoyandthepoorestofthepoor.html