Everyone talks about the addictive aspect of Twitter but not its moral effects. Can Twitter lead to sin? Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, R.I. evidently thinks so. In a final tweet, he wrote that the social media platform had become a “distraction” to him, an “obstacle” to his spiritual life and an “occasion of sin.” The … Read more
In a fast-paced world,everyone wants everything instantly and effortlessly. This desire is part of a culture in which happiness and pleasure are expected yet not always delivered. When people inevitably fail to obtain all that they want, they suffer from stress and depression. No one should be surprised that they then also want instant relief … Read more
As I look upon the desolate landscape of sound bites, tweets and other social media, I cannot help but lament what has happened to our culture. Almost all Americans have a high school education. And today more people than ever have college degrees. One would expect reading levels to be increasing. Real culture should be … Read more
There are many books that discuss the harmful effects of cyber distractions upon society and the individual. Such works offer compelling arguments that contribute to the growing skepticism in the general public about our relationships to our machines. Unfortunately, Cal Newport’s Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World is not one of … Read more
Although it may seem that we are more connected than ever on social media, the actual civic involvement of Americans has fallen drastically. It is something that cannot be reduced to some local, ethnic or income-related cause. Rather it affects everyone and is leading to social unrest, polarization and lack of civility. Sociologist Robert Putnam … Read more
There is a social media app popular on campuses nationwide called Yik-Yak. The way it works is that short Twitter-like messages (yaks) can be posted anonymously within a short-radius area. The best yaks are then voted up or down a list by those within a given place. All these short messages, however, disappear into oblivion … Read more
