There are two articles you should carve out time to read this weekend:
- Paul Miller spent a year with no Internet (no email, so smartphone, nothing) and here is what he learned
- Thomas Friedman discusses the role of the Internet in the radicalization of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects
The conclusion of each? The Internet is not to blame for our downfall, our boredom, our isolation, or our regret. We are.
The human values and principles we've always needed to thrive in community are still needed; we just have to learn to apply them in a world where information and connection travel differently than before.
After you read these articles this weekend, I hope you make time for the thing you should always make time for: personal connection, whether it's through texting or over tea.
There is a fine line between utility and idolatry. Make the Internet work for you, and not an excuse or distraction that takes precedence over the people that matter most.