Inception, a 2010 film by Christopher Nolan, is a masterful, frequently unsettling depiction of a future society in which advanced technology has enabled people to transcend reality. The characters in the film Inception have the ability to create, alter, and even invade other people's dreams thanks to a fictitious "dream-sharing" gadget. The protagonists go to a scientist who can create a sedative that makes dream sharing even more potent and vivid at one point in the film. One character wonders, "Do these people come here to fall asleep?" after observing dozens of individuals lying on mattresses in the scientist's basement while they were all connected to the dream-sharing gadgets. They come here to wake up, the scientist responds. Their fantasy has materialised.
The authors of Inception used a science-fiction setting to make a significant statement.a comment on human nature. If we have the ability, humans have a tendency to utilise technology to isolate ourselves from the world that God has created for us and to retreat into a more comfortable alternate reality. Although sharing dreams is a fantasy, there are advanced technologies that give us the capacity to construct and occupy our own cosmos in a godlike manner. In fact, you probably have one of these technologies in your hand or pocket right now.
Nothing less than a cultural revolution has been sparked by the Internet, smartphones, and social media together. They serve as the main interface with the outside world for hundreds of millions of individuals. Today, we use the Internet for business, education, listening, discussion, recreation, and even worship. As a result of the radical uniqueness andShouldn't we frequently be asking, What type of media is this? given the immense impact that this technology has on almost every aspect of our lives? Is there something here that might be affecting me just imperceptibly?
In fact, we might be upset by the answers to these questions.
Our Electronic Dreamworld
Cultural critic Nicholas Carr released his manifesto The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains the same year that Christopher Nolan created a fictionalised version of a world where people may escape into their dreams. Carr's argument, which is clearly stated but has astounding ramifications, holds that the Internet is an intellectual technology that is fundamentally changing the way that we read, think, and communicate. While many technological advancements (like the plough or microscope) "stretch our physical strength" into theIntellectual technology from the outside, like a clock, a map, or the Internet, immediately alters the way we think. Intellectual technologies alter our beliefs and values in a more profound and long-lasting way as a result. Carr claims,
every technological innovation. . . embodies a collection of presumptions about how the human mind should or can function, as well as an intellectual ethic. . . . The message that a media or other technology communicates into the minds and cultures of its users is known as the intellectual ethic. The Shallows, pages 45–46
Carr continues by demonstrating the specific ways in which the Web manifests its intellectual ethic. Reading a physical book teaches the human brain to sit still and to concentrate, but the Web's use of hypertext and distraction teaches us to be active and distracted.reading quickly, understanding only the surface, and giving impressionistic interpretation. Because of the Web's emphasis on constant novelty and varied information (producing what Carr refers to as "the juggler's brain"), it is particularly challenging to follow one line of reasoning deeply or to be fully present for one experience or moment online.
Carr's analysis clarifies a difficulty that many of us face. We believe that using our phones, using applications, and accessing the internet somehow interferes with our capacity to read for longer periods of time. Even in genuine joyous moments, we feel that our ability to forget oneself has lessened. Even within the church, we can sense an angrier, more defensive tone in many talks as people tend to talk over one another and defend themselves more frequently.retreat into rival communities that support their viewpoints. However, we frequently struggle to identify this issue, leaving us mired in a mess of regret and guilt.
Unfortunately, Christian solutions to this conundrum sometimes resort to generalisations. Christians who spend a lot of time online frequently only want the bare minimum that can look to "balance" screen time with personal devotions or the weekly Sunday service. This is similar to the young couple who merely wants to know how far is too far. But this is insufficient. Not figuring out how to add a little bit of Jesus to our virtual fantasy worlds is the challenge we face. It is to awaken.
The Wake-Up Call of Wisdom
Proverbs is a particularly powerful wake-up call.call:
Wisdom, does not it call?
Does she become angry when she doesn't understand?
She takes a position on the ridges next to the road, at the fork in the road, and shouts out loudly, "To you, O men, and my scream is to the children of man, by the gates in front of the town.
Learn discretion from the simpletons; from the foolish, sense. Prophecy 8:1–5
Every intelligent statement or deed shares a profound resonance with reality that is centred on God.
While it may be tempting to believe that the biblical authors' experience is so far removed from the intellectual ethic of the Internet that they have nothing to teach us, this would be a grave error. Lady Wisdom screamsShe extended an invitation to feast at her home to digital sleepers. We require this invitation because the wisdom it offers is precisely what our screen-obsessed age lacks. After all, living in harmony with reality is nothing less than the habit of wisdom. Some theologians have said that in order for us to "live with the grain of reality" rather than against it, we must "live with the God who actually exists and the world he genuinely created." While there are many distinct aspects to living intelligently, every wise word or deed shares a strong resonance with God-centered reality.
In Proverbs 3:19–20, the relationship between wisdom and the actual physical world is made explicit.
The Lord created the heavens, the earth, and the deeps with his understanding, wisdom, and comprehension.clouds have broken open, letting the dew fall from them. Proverbs 3:19–21
Additionally, Lady Wisdom sings wonderfully in Proverbs 8:27–31 about how her creation bears a permanent imprint of her labours:
I was there when he created the heavens; I was there when he drew a circle on the surface of the deep; I was there when he made the skies above firm; I was there when he established the deep fountains; I was there when he gave the sea its limit so that the waters would not defy his command; and I was there when he marked out the foundations of the earth. I was by his side like a master workman, and I was his daily delight, Prophecy 8:27–31
Sense is notmerely a collection of wise sayings or witty observations. The "master craftsman" who created the entire (actual!) cosmos is wisdom. Wisdom takes pleasure in the inhabited word of the Creator as well as in the beings who serve as cosmic mirrors for the Creator's majesty. In other words, wisdom is acutely aware of the incredible wonder of both the world and the people that God has created.
Wisdom is a keen awareness of the incredible wonder of both the world and the people that God has created.
I have come to think of the disembodied nature of the Web as a collection of "digital liturgies" in light of Carr's observations regarding "the intellectual ethic" of the Internet and the biblical teaching on wisdom. The Internet is a spiritual environment similar to a church session thatworks on our brains and hearts to influence how we feel, think, and believe. Why is clear thinking so difficult? Because our ability to understand broad, un-Instagramable reality is being crippled by the digital liturgies of distraction and novelty. Why is it so much easier to feel more connected to online personalities than to our own family or church members? Because we should only be able to be what we choose to be, according to the digital liturgies of personalised identities and well controlled timelines. Our tendency is to turn the dream into reality when we are immersed in these technology narratives.
Resistance Paths
How can we withstand this via wisdom?
First, we can intentionally plan our life to give weight to the people,Experiences and tangible things are real. Although the practise of morning devotions may appear archaic, saints who have known its power have passed it down. God has provided us with eternal words to anchor, convict, and soothe us in a world filled with endless detritus.
We may consciously free our connections from the digital cage. We are considerably more connected to one another through a phone conversation or lunch date than we are over a direct message or "Like." After spending the day in front of a screen, a good book or active hobby will rejuvenate us more than hours of streaming or browsing. Going outside without planning to use the experience to gain attention on social media afterwards puts us on the right track towards knowledge.to serve as a reminder that God's world is much larger than our own.
Second, we may actively work to restore the habits of thoughtful discourse and deliberation that the Web erodes. Consider devoting a few weeks to working through a book or lengthy article that can actually inform you, rather than relying on the most recent news story or theological argument to drive you to Google in search of quick reads you can use to join the debate. Being the quickest, brightest, or most snarky online critic is tempting, but resist it. Instead, focus your energy on gaining the kind of understanding that John's elevated Christology or Paul's exact theology require.
Finally, we can think about practical methods that keep the Internet's world from taking precedence over the regular rhythms of our lives.
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