Transcript George Miclea`s Adult Focus

Pine Valley 2012
Sunday Adult Forum
By George Miclea
◦ The world is changing quickly!
◦ In such a gadget rich and super connected
environment
◦ How do we, as believers, adapt, fit in, and ride
the wave of the current technological revolution?
◦ There are SO MANY areas to focus on regarding
living holy lives in the information age
◦ We will be focusing on the social media effect
Regular media is a one-way street (i.e.
listen to radio or watch TV)
 Social media is a two way street that
gives user the ability to take part in
the communication and collaboration

Almost every area of our life has been
affected…
 The media has quite an audience as
well as an influence.
 We need to understand the impact
that it is having on us as well as the
next generation

[2]
[2]
what is the current pattern? How can we tell?
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Referred to as “Digital Natives”
This generation doesn’t use technology,
they live it!
They will never meet many of their friends,
which are spread out all over the world.
This IS the first generation to live their lives
completely on a non-stop diet of media.
◦ Today’s tweens and teens are now jacked
in 24 hours a day
[3]


We immigrants speak with an accent:
◦ Print out e-mails
◦ Call someone to ask if they got your e-mail
◦ Have someone come to your computer to
show them a site rather than send them a
URL
◦ Turn to the internet 2nd instead of 1st
The digital natives were born into a
digital world, who never knew a world
without the internet.
Marc Prensky, (2001) "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1", On the
Horizon, Vol. 9 Iss: 5, pp.1 - 6
Here’s what your kids had to say…
Survey conducted at Pine Valley Weekend Retreat Youth Forum 2012-05-26
5 out of 7 teens have a Facebook Account
85% of
them are
girls
1 in 7 teens feel “alone” despite being
well connected online
4 in 6 said their parents also had a
Facebook account
Average time on the Internet per day:
2 to 3 hours
1 out of 7 teens claimed to have posted a picture or a
video online that they later regretted
1 out of 7 teens also admitted to visiting sites
containing pornographic content
(with frequency ranging from daily to monthly)
Talk
Txt
e-mail
Letter
Over 60% of Teens would still
rather talk face to face over
txt’ing, e-mail, or a hand written
letter
Do you know what they stand for?
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When the concept of social networks came on
the scene more than 20 years ago, there was
a lot of buzz and push to usher in a new age
Some of those same individuals who were
behind the thrust are now part of a growing
group that are taking a step back to raise
awareness of the negative side effects
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Teens who use Facebook more often show
narcissistic tendencies [5]
Daily overuse of media and technology has a
negative effect on the health
◦ More prone to anxiety, depression, and other
psychological disorders
◦ “Facebook Depression” [4]

Can negatively impact learning.
◦ Studies show that students who checked Facebook
at least once during a 15 minute study period
achieved lower grades

“Virtual” Empathy toward others
[5]
◦ Encouraging comments and interaction can
brighten another’s mood

Giving the “shy” and “introverted” a way to
socialize
◦ A virtual social training ground

Development of a self-identity
◦ Choosing profile details, likes/dislikes, favorites,
quotes, etc.
What is your “brand?”
What you say/do online represents
who you are
…and its there for good.
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Project a you that isn’t the real you.
We could consciously project the self that we
“want” to be
◦ Anything and everything could be edited, hacked,
photoshopped, etc.

We could carelessly project the self that we
don’t want to be as well.
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Are we representing Christ with our online
personas?
◦ 2 Cor 5:20a – “We are ambassadors for Christ…”
◦ Phil 1:27 – Let your manner of life be worthy of the
gospel of Christ
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Allows us to re-connect with people we’ve
lost touch with
Instant contact with friends and family across
the globe
International video calls for free via Skype
Share our lives with others at an
unprecedented level

We don’t always choose our connections
◦ Sometimes they find us

Some connections should have never been
made
◦ Old relationships, bad experiences, etc.

Recent article detailed that 1/3 of all divorce
filings last year included the word “Facebook”
[6]
Is social media bringing us closer
together or pushing us farther apart?
Hyper-connectedness = Intimacy diffusion
 How much of you is there to go around?
 Depth of relationships are “thinning out” in
favor of our increased connectivity

We are getting used to a new way of
being “alone together”
 We are glued to our little screens,
despite being physically in the company
with others.
 How much conversation takes place at
the dinner table anymore?

[7]
“If we don’t teach our kids
how to be alone, they will
grow up to be lonely”
[7]

We’re lonely but afraid of intimacy

Being alone feels like a problem that
needs to be solved

[7]
◦ So…we’re creating the illusion of
companionship without the demands of
friendship
◦ “I share therefore I am”
When we lack the capacity for solitude, we turn
to others to feel less anxious or to feel alive
that we are in a problem state that needs a
solution
Your kids
say, “Yes,
it is”
Many kids today say they would
“rather txt than talk”

Have we agreed to accept the
diminishing role of conversation?
◦ Facebook and Twitter have taught us that
it’s ok and accepted to communicate in
short bursts
Post
Tweet
◦ What’s wrong with having a conversation?
 Takes place in real time
 Can’t control what you are going to say very well
[8]
◦ Virtual Conversation allows us to edit,
delete, touch up our conversation before it
goes out
◦ Human relationships are messy, rich, and
demanding…now technology cleans it up
◦ When we sacrifice conversation for mere
connection, we short change ourselves.
◦ Conversation skills are still the bedrock for
proper communication [8]
◦ But…the art of conversation is being traded
in for quicker and more compact bursts of
communication that enable multitaskers to
gobble up multiple sources of input at
blistering rates.
“…someday, someday, but certainly not now,
I would like to learn how to have a
conversation…” 18 yr old male
[8]
Have we
traded in true
relationship
for mere
connection
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How is social media affecting the church?
Technology now allows for church-goers to
“consume” content without being physically
present
◦
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◦
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Live streaming of church services
Blogs
Announcements and schedules
Prayer support
Is this a good/bad thing?
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Barna Research Institute’s findings
[9]
◦ By 2020, 10% of our population will rely on the
Internet for their entire spiritual experience
◦ Translated: Millions will drop out of the physical
church in favor of the cyberchurch
◦ Virtually every dimension of the faith community
will be influenced by online faith developments

Barna Research Institute’s findings
[9]
◦ Born-again Christians already spend twice as much
money on consumer electronics each year as they
donate to their church.
◦ Christian Internet users spend 7X more hours each
week watching TV than they devote to all of their
spiritual ventures combined!
◦ Christian Internet users spend much more time
surfing the Internet than they do communicating
with God through prayer
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Would you replace your physical faith-based
meetings/experiences with net-based?
Are churches defined more by their brickand-mortar locations or their net presence?
What is the church’s role?
◦ Is it primarily for “delivering content” or is it
something more.

Augmentation is okay but replacement is not
“…not neglecting to meet together, as is
the habit of some, but encouraging one
another, and all the more as you see the
Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25
Was asked two questions: [10]
1. What are the dangers of social media?
2. How can young people safeguard themselves from these dangers?
Was asked two questions: [10]
1. What are the dangers of social media?
2. How can young people safeguard themselves from these dangers?
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How can we harness the power of social
media for the good?
◦ Awareness of events and initiatives that
further the gospel
◦ Active involvement in support ministries
◦ Connect with those in different countries
unto the furtherance of the gospel
◦ Tweeting/posting good/meaningful things
rather than nonsense.
•Use Bible apps on your smart phone?
•Allow them to threaten the use of the other
apps that steal your time
•Fight fire with fire.
•Don’t simply fast from media but replace your
diet with good spiritually nourishing food
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There is no turning back from the digital
revolution
What is your response?
This information serves as an undeniable
warning that America’s young people are
literally drowning in an ocean of media
consumption
Parents, we bare a responsibility that many
are clearly forfeiting…and we should be
concerned
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Dr. Michael Rich, pediatrician at Children’s
Hospital Boston and director of the Center on
Media and Child Health, told New York Times
that the media use of America’s young people
is so pervasive, we should simply accept
media as a constant part of children’s
development, “like the air they breathe, the
water they drink and the food they eat.”
Do you agree with the “experts”?
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Constant media saturation is NOT a fact of
nature nor is it a matter of constant need
Technology has it’s place but the role of
parents is unchanged.
◦ Establish rules that protect children and teenagers
from being dominated by technology
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At the end of the day, parents must find the
courage and wisdom to know when to
disconnect.
Questions / Discussion
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“Social Media Revolution 2012” Video URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eUeL3n7fDs
“How Web 2.0 Works” - http://www.howstuffworks.com/web-20.htm
Marc Prensky, (2001) "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1", On the Horizon, Vol. 9 Iss: 5, pp.1 – 6
A new malady called “Facebook Depression” Manila Bulletin Publishing Corp, May 22, 2012
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/360145/a-new-malady-called-facebook-depression
American Psychological Association, 7-28-2011 “Social Networking’s good and bad effects on kids”
http://newswise.com/articles/social-networking-s-good-and-bad-impacts-on-kids
Fottrell, Quentin, May 21, 2012 “Does Facebook Wreck Marriages?”
http://blogs.smartmoney.com/advice/2012/05/21/does-facebook-wreck-marriages/
Turkle, Sherry Feb 2012, TEDTalks: Connected, but alone?
http://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together.html
Turkle, Sherry, April 21, 2012, “The Flight from Conversation
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/the-flight-fromconversation.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all
Barna Group, May 2011, More Americans Are Seeking Net-Based Faith Experiences
http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/48-more-americans-are-seeking-netbased-faith-experiences
Zacharias, Ravi via 4Regeneration Youtube video, Feb 6, 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiJDGkY_SUA
AlbertMohler.com – “Like the Air They Breathe” — The Online Life of Kids – Jan 21, 2010
http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/01/21/like-the-air-they-breathe-the-online-life-of-kids/
“How Facebook Works” - http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/socialnetworking/networks/facebook.htm
“How Net Generation Students Work” - http://people.howstuffworks.com/how-net-generationstudents-work.htm