Screens; Good or Bad?

Screen Time 1

          In 1895, the first commercially successful moving pictures were developed. In 1905, the first commercially successful movie theatre, the Nickelodeon, was built in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1927, the first feature length talkie film, The Jazz Singer, was released. In 1938, the first commercially available television was produced. In 1961, the first entertainment video game, Spacewar, was built at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1971, the first coin operated arcade video game, a version of Spacewar, came out. It immediately transitioned to desktop computers when those arrived. Currently, 66% of the America population plays video games. In 1977, the first commercially available home desktop computers were released by three different manufacturers, led by the Apple II. In 1983, the first commercially available cell phone was put on sale by Motorola. In 1989, the first company was launched to sell internet access to the general public. Previously, it had been limited to defense and university purposes. In 1996, the first cell phone with internet access was launched in Finland, the Nokia 9000. In 2005, the first video was uploaded to YouTube by Jawed Karim, Me at the Zoo. It is still up. Now five billion videos are watched every day just on that platform. In 2006, the first television livestream service, Justin.tv launched. Now, every minute, 97,000 hours of Netflix alone are streamed around the world. In 2007, the first iPhone appeared, with all of its ancillary world of apps. Now, approximately 2.5 billion smart phones are in use every day around the world.

          It is difficult to put into words just how revolutionary this paragraph is in world history, and how impactful it is sociologically speaking. To illustrate, I lived through the second half of the above paragraph. I remember the first desktop computers and their limited capabilities. My Dad had a RadioShack Tandy one that I played Connect Four on as a kid. We did not own a television as a child, but, of course, all of my friends did and watched theirs often. I remember the first time I saw a cell phone being used in public. It was at my college graduation in 1995. I remember the first time I logged onto the internet, listening while AOL tried to connect with that weird screeching sound. It was 1998. Email became a part of my life that year for the first time. I remember my first smart phone. I was in my mid-30s. Now then, not counting writing or sermon prep, I spend more hours a week on a screen than I care to admit.

          Screens have changed me. They have made me more efficient. They have educated me. They have allowed my ministry to expand exponentially. They have also stolen my time, tempted me, and addicted me. In none of this am I alone. Our entire society is in some real sense being radically shifted as a result of screens. Our politics, education, entertainment, work, dating, growing up, spending patterns, and a host of other things are being influenced by screens. Nor is our religion exempt. The whole concept of a church service and of church itself is being shifted.

          Is all of this use bad or wrong or wicked? Of course not. Is all of this use good and right and edifying? Of course not. Two things are factual, however. Screens occupy a larger and larger part of our life. And since they are not right or wrong intrinsically discernment in that usage is required, in some cases desperately required.

          God could, if He so chose, have listed everything that will ever be right or wrong in the Bible. For several reasons, He chose not to do so. He does list some specifics in the Word of God, but for the most part He offers us biblical principle and calls on us to use it to discern the specifics of right and wrong in each generation. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word or righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5.12-14). In fact, as we mature, we are supposed to exercise this discernment in line with biblical principle so often that we actually become very good at it. Mature Christians use these muscles a lot.

          From time to time, I meet with those who insist if something is not spelled out in black and white in the Bible, I am not allowed to preach that it is right or wrong. That is utter nonsense. Paul told the Thessalonian church to prove all things; hold fast to that which is good (I Thessalonians 5.21). To prove here is to test something. It is to assay the ore in order to determine whether it is genuine or not. Why? Because with many things we do not automatically know. There is not a specific chapter or verse that speaks to it. So we must test it against biblical example and biblical principle, and carefully make a sound judgment call.

          In addition to this truth, just because something is not wrong does not mean it is good for you. A concept or practice may not be sinful but that does not necessarily mean it is edifying for the Christian. Paul instructs us in Philippians 1.10 to approve things that are excellent. This word “approve” is similar to his word “prove” above. It is to stamp “pass” on an idea or practice rather than “fail”. But the bar here is not ok or even good; the bar is raised to the standard of excellent.

          While I cannot deal with all of the issues at play here, between now and Thanksgiving on this blog I do intend to deal with some of the larger ones. I might also add that I found two books particularly helpful along this line. I will use some of their content in this series, though you would glean much more if you picked them up yourself. The first is a secular book by the experienced child psychologist Nicholas Kardaras. It is Glow Kids: Screen Addiction is Hijacking Our Kids and How to Break the Trance. The second is an evangelical Christian book, Tony Reinke’s 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You. To the illustrations and facts and thoughts I found here I will add some additional biblical principles, principles designed to help to prove all things, to help you discern both good and evil.

          I hope it will be a blessing and a practical help to you and your family. We will begin next week with nine questions to ask yourself in relation to your screen use.

          See you then.