Thank you for this, John. I learned a lot from watching The Social Dilemma and the research made available by the Center for Humane Technology. I also read everything that L.M. Sacasas writes (The Convivial Society). I was once very active on Twitter, Facebook, and (to a lesser extent) Instagram. As a writer, I was convinced for a while that being active on these sites were vital for cultivating a reader base. But over time, I sensed it was doing something to me, conforming me to something other than Christ, even if my posts were generally about following Him. And while I could identify many benefits to being present and active on those sites, including whatever good things I gave and received from others, it became obvious that those benefits were inextricably linked to the corrosive characteristics of the platforms themselves. In spring of 2021, I made the difficult decision to retreat from social media and publish my thoughts and ideas exclusively in long form and on sites that didn’t use manipulative algorithms. I still have a Twitter account and publish links to my long-form work, but I don’t otherwise engage. Now that I’ve been away from it all for over a year, I’m convinced that active participation on those sites pulls us into the sphere/dominion of spiritual principalities that most modern Christians -- so profoundly shaped by post-enlightenment, rationalist, and materialist presuppositions -- haven’t learned out how to identify yet.
While I am not an academic, it appears to me the dynamics you outline in this article are demonstrably true. Where we go from here seems like a painful path, and yet necessary for the preservation of democracy, and the shared benefit that democracy makes possible.
Thank you for this, John. I learned a lot from watching The Social Dilemma and the research made available by the Center for Humane Technology. I also read everything that L.M. Sacasas writes (The Convivial Society). I was once very active on Twitter, Facebook, and (to a lesser extent) Instagram. As a writer, I was convinced for a while that being active on these sites were vital for cultivating a reader base. But over time, I sensed it was doing something to me, conforming me to something other than Christ, even if my posts were generally about following Him. And while I could identify many benefits to being present and active on those sites, including whatever good things I gave and received from others, it became obvious that those benefits were inextricably linked to the corrosive characteristics of the platforms themselves. In spring of 2021, I made the difficult decision to retreat from social media and publish my thoughts and ideas exclusively in long form and on sites that didn’t use manipulative algorithms. I still have a Twitter account and publish links to my long-form work, but I don’t otherwise engage. Now that I’ve been away from it all for over a year, I’m convinced that active participation on those sites pulls us into the sphere/dominion of spiritual principalities that most modern Christians -- so profoundly shaped by post-enlightenment, rationalist, and materialist presuppositions -- haven’t learned out how to identify yet.
While I am not an academic, it appears to me the dynamics you outline in this article are demonstrably true. Where we go from here seems like a painful path, and yet necessary for the preservation of democracy, and the shared benefit that democracy makes possible.