Technology, Culture, and Change

A change in technology always results in a change in our culture.

In my blog we’ve been looking at what I call the “truths of technology.” At Camp Infinity, we use these nine truths to help young people develop a biblical worldview about technology.

Last time we saw that:

God is working through the tools of the day to accomplish His redemptive plan for mankind.

The second technology truth is: A change in technology always results in a change in our culture.

A cursory look at history shows that as technology changes, so does the culture. The Industrial Revolution, and all that has quickly followed, has allowed for those in the first world to have more free time than ever before. Instead of taking hours to wash laundry, it can be done at the touch of a button and throwing a detergent pod into the machine. Farmers can grow acres of crops with just a fraction of the effort it used to take to grow one field. Meals can be made in the microwave in minutes and water just pours out of a tap. Increased free time must be filled with something so television, theaters, shopping malls, and social media fill that time. Advances like these have radically changed our culture and there’s no going back. How should the Christian respond to these inevitable changes? Well, there are three choices.

1. Become Amish. The Amish are a group of people who have largely eschewed technology for a quieter, simpler way of life. They still use the horse and buggy to get around, grow crops using old-fashioned plows, and have electricity free homes. It certainly is a simpler way of life, but it has put them completely out of touch with the rest of the culture and they are a culture unto themselves.
2. Do whatever everyone else does. Our culture is obsessed with technology. Every nose seems to be buried deep in a smartphone, gamers spend hours parked in front of their gaming system, and people are preoccupied with the “next big thing” in the tech world. Now, technology is a wonderful tool but it can take over our lives and distract us from serving the Lord and others or forging new and strong relationships.
3. Strike a balance. We don’t need to hide from technology—God invented the principles behind it, we’ve simply discovered them and technology can do us great good. But we also shouldn’t allow ourselves to become obsessed with it to the point where we are hurting our relationships or failing to look for opportunities to serve. We need to consciously strike a balance between these two extremes.

We want young people to be able to use technology to serve the Lord and others—not to be controlled by it. As technology inevitably continues to change the culture, these young people need to be equipped to think biblically about how to approach and use technology for the glory of God.

Read about all nine truths of technology here.

Learn more about Camp Infinity at CampInfinity.com.

Camp Infinity

Where Science & Technology Meet Truth