Can We Follow Jesus While Scrolling Endlessly?
I rarely pre-order books purely based on the title, cover art, and publisher, but Scrolling Ourselves to Death is different. It comes from names like Joe Carter, Brett McCracken, Samuel James, etc. These authors have consistently written compelling articles on social matters from a Christian worldview, and Scrolling Ourselves to Death shines brightly among Christian books on the topic of technology and the Christian life. This book fits nicely among The Tech-Wise Family, 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You, Digital Liturgies, and others in the Christian publishing arena.
Scrolling Ourselves to Death is a unique book because it’s a reflection on Neil Postman’s prescient Amusing Ourselves to Death. This is not a rewrite of Postman’s book. Rather, it’s a reflection—and expansion—on his thoughts and ideas from a Christian worldview in the age of the smartphone. The contributors of this volume do a fantastic job of interacting with Postman’s ideas without flattening, disparaging, or dismissing his insights when they conflict with the Christian worldview.
A Weighty Argument
As I read (and re-read) this book, I couldn’t help but feel the weightiness of the arguments from both Postman and the TGC contributors. Barely an ’80s baby (born in 1989), I’ve personally felt the negative impacts of unwittingly embracing technology over the past three decades. I grew up in the era of knob TVs, dial-up internet, and cordless phones. Before the days of unlimited internet, I used to wait until 7 p.m. to make use of free night and weekend minutes on my mom’s cell phone. We’ve come a long way since middle school!
I walked away from Scrolling Ourselves to Death with a healthy dose of conviction and necessary soul-searching. I can see why Postman viewed technology more like Aldous Huxley than George Orwell. Orwell, in 1984, warned us that technology would control us through fear, coercion, and surveillance. While we certainly see traces of this today, Huxley saw something very different—and alarmingly more sinister. In A Brave New World, he foresaw that technology would control us by constantly entertaining us. We will give up our freedom and security for bite-sized nuggets of pleasure hundreds and thousands of times per day—hence why TikTok was banned in America!
In reflection on this book, I’ve got many questions to answer. Why do I use my phone? How has technology shaped the way I think? The way I worship? The way I fellowship with other believers? I am convinced that I have wasted precious years of my life passively allowing media and technology to shape my way of thinking and interacting with God, my family, my local church, and my neighbor. As a writer, musician, and content creator, I’ve even felt the pull to contribute to content that teeters on amusing entertainment for the sake of getting clicks and views. Yet, as I ponder the seriousness of the Christian faith and the present age we live in, I can’t continue following the trends and perspectives of this world. Technology Can Help Or Harm Us
Technology is not neutral. It doesn’t merely have the potential to harm—it actually does hurt people. From increasing rates of depression and anxiety in teens to shortened attention spans among adults, we are watching smartphones and unlimited internet access dominate our lives. But we don’t have to sit back aimlessly and watch. Scrolling Ourselves to Death reminds us very poignantly that we don’t have the option to carelessly embrace every new technology thrown at us. If Postman’s thoughts in 1985 seem prescient now, a mere 40 years later, imagine how terrifying they will be in another 15–20 years if the Lord tarries. 2007—the year we saw the first smartphone—seems so distant and yet so close. It’s tough to fathom what technology will look like in 2040 if we live to see it.
Scrolling Ourselves to Death is not a doom-and-gloom book at all. It’s not a call to throw away smartphones or toss our routers out the window. Rather, it’s a call to “count the cost” of discipleship (Luke 14:28). It’s a call to reflect on gospel hope and bring the gospel to our unbelieving friends and neighbors who are quite literally scrolling themselves to death. It’s a clarion call for the church to be reinvigorated with flesh-and-blood ministry that doesn’t flow through text messages, video cameras, screens, or glowing metal boxes. Will we use our phones like the world and become like the world? Or will we live otherworldly lives that point people away from the screens toward a glorious Savior?
Scrolling Ourselves to Death is a book every Christian should read—especially Christian leaders. The mission hasn’t changed. We are called to make disciples of all nations. But we have unique challenges in this technopoly we live in. We will either control our technology, or our technology will control us. The choice is ours. By God’s providence, Christians are uniquely suited to bring the gospel and God’s Kingdom to bear in these technology conversations. Grab yourself a copy and be ready to share these powerful insights with other saints! I received a free copy of this book. I was not compensated nor was I required to leave a positive review.
