About

Technology is a wonderful thing…or at least it can be.  It can also be frustrating when it crashes, doesn’t work properly or is less intuitive than we are smart.  It can also be a complete waste of time as we sift through mildly entertaining YouTube clips, follow facebook links, and skim through entertaining yet irrelevant data for a “few minutes” that somehow turns into hours.  It’s a bit like turning on the TV skimming the channels in search of just the right show…but not watching anything for more than a few minutes… then realizing WOW, 3 hours has gone by.

The studies recently published on the amount of time kids spend texting and on facebook tell us that far more time is being spent on far less depth than ever before… culminating in the nurturing of a narcissistic culture that emotionally stunts the development of real character.   In short technology acting as culture accelerant moving us towards a “Shallow Hal” society.  Far too many people, spending far to much time with far too little purpose, depth and meaning on the internet.  One could easily write a book entitled 10,000 Keystrokes to Nowhere!  (On Twitter – it could be only 140 strokes).

Still the potential of technology is too great to abandon, the possibilities to do great things and improve life with it are too numerous to count, and to infinite to imagine.  So what is one to do?  It’s a question whose answer is greater than I have the time or talent to answer in full.  But in part I would simply suggest a mindful and deliberate focus… for “the Purposeful Use of Technology.”  

FOR EXAMPLE – I wanted to have my own kids spend less time on facebook, but still continue to keystroke on their computers.  So for us, the “Purposeful Use of Technology,’ is focused on using technology to aid in the telling of stories and the sharing of insights and inspiration that may help others to realize more of their own potential as parents, peers, pals, or just as everyday people.

I’ve asked our 3 oldest children… Brittany Age 14.5 , Jacob age 13, and Joshua age 10, to write weekly content for 3 separate blogs.  Two of these blogs are, in my opinion, ready enough to share with you.  I invite you to check them out… if inclined please offer feedback, if not – just enjoy the content.  The sites will improve and get better as they do.  It is my hope that this purposeful use of technology will inspire other adults both young and old to spend less time wastefully and more time thoughtfully.