When Josh Harris applies Proverbs 24:33-34 to new media it makes me want to stop blogging and ask God for wisdom. I'll finish this post so you can join me there.
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Thanks Candice! As someone who is sitting at work and browsing Boundless… this link is very convicting!
Where do I waste time is an excellent question for me. I spend a lot of time on my computer (granted, I'm an engineering major) but beyond that do I spend too much? It's food for thought.
and what does one do after watching a video in a blog that talks about wasting time online? why, post it as a link on facebook, of course! and then write a comment about the irony of it on that blog...
obviously, that would never be me (cough, cough)
this definitely applies to me. i think being on the computer is addicting because it is so easy and convenient to be mindless. i do tend to spend too much time on it, when i would also like to spend more time with things i enjoy, but take more effort and focus, like practicing on my keyboard, drawing and even reading a novel.
Yep, this is me too. I find that I have enough willpower to 'fast' the internet completely for a few days, but to actually limit the time I spend generally without cutting it out completely, I find really hard. I do the exact thing he describes on this clip, going from one thing to another for no real reason and literally just wasting time.
And Rebekah: thinking of posting the link on Facebook was totally my first reaction, although I haven't actually done it yet. :)
On another topic, I find myself wondering how long I have to wait before the Boundless post about Barack getting the peace prize appears... Surely someone must be on it?!
Jo (8) -- Because it has to do with the US President, I think commenting on the Nobel Prize might be considered "political" in a way that Boundless' status as a tax-free entity would not allow them to do. Though I could be wrong.
Re #8, 10 and 11
While there's a lot of politics involved in the Nobel Peace Price (specifically leftist politics), the ban on political discussion applies to candidates for Federal office in the 60 days before a Federal election.
And, the U.S. Supreme Court took the extrordinary step of re-hearing the case against the law in September, they don't usually start their term until October. This is in part because the makeup of the Court has changed. There is speculation that the unusual circumstances are because the Court has a majority of justices ready to remove the restrictions on political speech. If they strike down the law, Boundless and FOTF can talk about politics whenever they want.
There is an anti-technology trend coming from a number of pastors recently - including my own.
I see part of the problem relating to learning styles. Verbal people love to talk, talk talk. The telephone was a GREAT technological improvement - much lower cost of communication vs. travelling to visit people. Facebook and e-mail appeal to Visual learners - those who primarily learn by reading make effective use of the new technology - technology which has reduced the cost of communication to near zero.
The spiritual aspects of disciplining the use of time are of course not new. Face-to-face time can be spent getting plastered at a bar. Count me skeptical that such time is well-invested in "relationships" compared to written communications via technology. I'm similarly skeptical that those who are talking to their friends on the cell phone while, say, at the grocery store, are really building much of a relationship by narrating their life verbally. I'm not saying Twitter is an improvement because it is in writing.
Maybe some part of the church will soon be talking about how going to Vegas to drink and gamble is better spiritually because it "builds relationships." If someone is already talking this way, e-mail me...
Is it wrong that after watching that all I want to do is go do the facebook quiz and see what Princess Bride character I am? :P Seriously though, self control is the issue for me. I don't have internet at my flat but I can find other things to waste time when I need to be studying. Saying that, I must go and finish my assignment!
This being Josh Harris, I expected him to say something along the lines of, "Don't check your e-mail at home alone, do it in a group at a Christian Cyber Café or something. There's too much temptation when you are in private."
Haha, cool. Not a surprise coming from the "Do Hard Things" family. A timely reminder for a happy Facebooker.
Ok, so I'm browsing through Boundless articles & blog posts instead of reading the piles & piles of material that I have to get through to finish this semester in my graduate archaeology program here at seminary (because Boundless is interesting, and applicable, right?). And I've already checked both my e-mail and my facebook this morning. And I happen upon the title of this post, and I think, "Ok, God, bring on the scathing conviction. I can't take this time wasting any more! Make me get off of here!" So what could be more surprising than that when I opened up this post, I found that Candice has posted to her blog the same clip that I had already posted to my facebook links LAST WEEK!? Is God trying to tell me something? I've got to start listening. Yeah, I think that guy's talking about me. Or God is using him to talk to me. Ok, it's time to go to archaeology class now. I'll see you after my work's DONE, Boundless!
in my dorm, i have two desks -one chair is at my keyboard in the bedroom- so for my work desk and computer desk, i share one chair. i moved my work desk to the opposite side of the room, although i liked the convenience of having them close to just turn my chair around depending on where i wanted to sit, but i was getting way too distracted with playing on the internet while i was supposed to be working. it really has helped my focus better on stuff. i'm doing just fine in school, but i have still really been struggling with discipline in this area of my life lately, to finish work first, and play later. i'm glad that a simple, practical solution helped me out a lot. i got a lot dome today. :)
If you'd like to leave a comment, click here. I couldn't get the commenting feature to work correctly here, but it is available on that less user-friendly mobile version of the blog. Yeah, it's kludgy. Sorry. ~Ted.
1. Jeremiah said the following at 10:06 AM on Oct 9:
1
Thanks Candice! As someone who is sitting at work and browsing Boundless… this link is very convicting!
2. Nathaniel said the following at 10:20 AM on Oct 9:
2
Where do I waste time is an excellent question for me. I spend a lot of time on my computer (granted, I'm an engineering major) but beyond that do I spend too much? It's food for thought.
3. rebekah said the following at 11:46 AM on Oct 9:
3
and what does one do after watching a video in a blog that talks about wasting time online? why, post it as a link on facebook, of course! and then write a comment about the irony of it on that blog...
obviously, that would never be me (cough, cough)
4. Rael said the following at 11:48 AM on Oct 9:
4
Wow. True. Convicted. Goodbye.
5. Myr said the following at 1:59 PM on Oct 9:
5
*reads title of post*
I do not think the word means what you think it means.
6. Lis said the following at 2:30 PM on Oct 9:
6
this definitely applies to me. i think being on the computer is addicting because it is so easy and convenient to be mindless. i do tend to spend too much time on it, when i would also like to spend more time with things i enjoy, but take more effort and focus, like practicing on my keyboard, drawing and even reading a novel.
7. Elizabeth said the following at 2:58 PM on Oct 9:
7
Before it even finished, I had tweeted it out to the world.....
8. Jo said the following at 3:06 PM on Oct 9:
8
Yep, this is me too. I find that I have enough willpower to 'fast' the internet completely for a few days, but to actually limit the time I spend generally without cutting it out completely, I find really hard. I do the exact thing he describes on this clip, going from one thing to another for no real reason and literally just wasting time.
And Rebekah: thinking of posting the link on Facebook was totally my first reaction, although I haven't actually done it yet. :)
On another topic, I find myself wondering how long I have to wait before the Boundless post about Barack getting the peace prize appears... Surely someone must be on it?!
9. Ambrosia said the following at 3:23 PM on Oct 9:
9
Ouch....Ouch...Can I pretend I didn't see/hear this? Too late....conviction's already setting in.
10. Tami said the following at 3:59 PM on Oct 9:
10
Jo (8) -- Because it has to do with the US President, I think commenting on the Nobel Prize might be considered "political" in a way that Boundless' status as a tax-free entity would not allow them to do. Though I could be wrong.
11. Tami said the following at 4:00 PM on Oct 9:
11
Sorry. Not "tax free." I meant... "tax exempt"? "non-profit"?
12. BDB said the following at 6:10 PM on Oct 9:
12
Re #8, 10 and 11
While there's a lot of politics involved in the Nobel Peace Price (specifically leftist politics), the ban on political discussion applies to candidates for Federal office in the 60 days before a Federal election.
And, the U.S. Supreme Court took the extrordinary step of re-hearing the case against the law in September, they don't usually start their term until October. This is in part because the makeup of the Court has changed. There is speculation that the unusual circumstances are because the Court has a majority of justices ready to remove the restrictions on political speech. If they strike down the law, Boundless and FOTF can talk about politics whenever they want.
13. BDB said the following at 6:19 PM on Oct 9:
13
There is an anti-technology trend coming from a number of pastors recently - including my own.
I see part of the problem relating to learning styles. Verbal people love to talk, talk talk. The telephone was a GREAT technological improvement - much lower cost of communication vs. travelling to visit people. Facebook and e-mail appeal to Visual learners - those who primarily learn by reading make effective use of the new technology - technology which has reduced the cost of communication to near zero.
The spiritual aspects of disciplining the use of time are of course not new. Face-to-face time can be spent getting plastered at a bar. Count me skeptical that such time is well-invested in "relationships" compared to written communications via technology. I'm similarly skeptical that those who are talking to their friends on the cell phone while, say, at the grocery store, are really building much of a relationship by narrating their life verbally. I'm not saying Twitter is an improvement because it is in writing.
Maybe some part of the church will soon be talking about how going to Vegas to drink and gamble is better spiritually because it "builds relationships." If someone is already talking this way, e-mail me...
14. Leish said the following at 9:03 PM on Oct 9:
14
Is it wrong that after watching that all I want to do is go do the facebook quiz and see what Princess Bride character I am? :P Seriously though, self control is the issue for me. I don't have internet at my flat but I can find other things to waste time when I need to be studying. Saying that, I must go and finish my assignment!
15. BDB said the following at 9:10 PM on Oct 9:
15
This being Josh Harris, I expected him to say something along the lines of, "Don't check your e-mail at home alone, do it in a group at a Christian Cyber Café or something. There's too much temptation when you are in private."
16. Courtney said the following at 11:17 PM on Oct 9:
16
Haha, cool. Not a surprise coming from the "Do Hard Things" family. A timely reminder for a happy Facebooker.
17. The G said the following at 11:48 PM on Oct 11:
17
@ #5 Myr: I don't think ROUS' exist ...
:D
18. BDB said the following at 12:16 AM on Oct 12:
18
An interesting article the today's Wall Street Journal explores how e-mail has been replaced by other forms of communication.
19. Jaye B. said the following at 7:04 AM on Oct 14:
19
Ok, so I'm browsing through Boundless articles & blog posts instead of reading the piles & piles of material that I have to get through to finish this semester in my graduate archaeology program here at seminary (because Boundless is interesting, and applicable, right?). And I've already checked both my e-mail and my facebook this morning. And I happen upon the title of this post, and I think, "Ok, God, bring on the scathing conviction. I can't take this time wasting any more! Make me get off of here!" So what could be more surprising than that when I opened up this post, I found that Candice has posted to her blog the same clip that I had already posted to my facebook links LAST WEEK!? Is God trying to tell me something? I've got to start listening. Yeah, I think that guy's talking about me. Or God is using him to talk to me. Ok, it's time to go to archaeology class now. I'll see you after my work's DONE, Boundless!
20. Lis said the following at 4:03 PM on Oct 15:
20
in my dorm, i have two desks -one chair is at my keyboard in the bedroom- so for my work desk and computer desk, i share one chair. i moved my work desk to the opposite side of the room, although i liked the convenience of having them close to just turn my chair around depending on where i wanted to sit, but i was getting way too distracted with playing on the internet while i was supposed to be working. it really has helped my focus better on stuff. i'm doing just fine in school, but i have still really been struggling with discipline in this area of my life lately, to finish work first, and play later. i'm glad that a simple, practical solution helped me out a lot. i got a lot dome today. :)