The power of technology, its problems, and its potential deserve our deliberate consideration. Technology can be a help or a hindrance to our personal and community spiritual education, directing our wishes and influencing our experience of time. Technology is often characterized by speed and efficiency, with the promise that our lives will be made easier because we can move and communicate faster and more efficiently. These promises are precious and assume that convenience is better than effort, and speed is better than slow. Technologies that emphasize speed and efficiency can prevent us from valuing experiences that take time and energy, which are only rewarding if done slowly and with difficulty. Romantic relationships and the type of community that Christ promotes do not fit this emphasis on ease and speed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The speed of technology runs counter to the patience necessary for the Christian faith, in a way not unlike the way whose emphasis on efficiency can get in the way of obedience. We need to encourage each other to slow down and disconnect from technology to invest time in people. What we find in Christian community is a depth and richness that stands in stark contrast to the fragmentation and decoupling we risk when we seek fulfillment in technology. The Church must remember that technology itself is not a place to find meaning and fulfillment. Technology may or may not be helpful, and we won't always know immediately whether it is helpful or harmful. We must ensure that technology does not become another idol or other unhealthy means to the ends of empire. Our attention span has been redefined and redefined by the speed of our digital technology and our immediate access to information. The Greek term pharmakon means both poison and healing, something that helps and hinders. Pharmakon helps us see technology as: it increases the availability of valuable information and also reduces our attention span. The Church must be keenly aware that young people are being formed by aspects of mass culture that are more compelling and command attention more effectively than the formative forces of the Church. A consequence of technology is that people can create calendars and record the passage of time. . As the days, weeks, months, and years pass, technology places us in a way of being in which we run the risk of focusing more on measurement and consistency than on the quality and depth of our experiences over time. Chronos and Kairos are useful here. Where chronos is measured and quantitative time, kairos is immeasurable and qualitative time. We can illustrate the difference by emphasizing the experience of watching the clock as the end of the workday approaches, in contrast to the experience of revered meditation or contemplation. The Church must evaluate the role of technology in training people and then develop approaches to discipleship that counteract the negative influences of technology and at the same time strengthen the positive influences of technology. Specific issues that can be addressed include: bias in the media, pornography addiction, changing definitions of friendship (given Facebook), and the role of technology in worship. A.