Life on the screen
Yes, I know that's the title of a book by Sherry Turkle --and one worth reading if you're curious about contemporary concepts of the self (her subtitle: "Identity in the Age of the Internet").But I'm not referencing her work; I'm pointing to a study released today by the Pew Internet and American Life Project (found via a post on Deckchairs on the Titanic).
The study says an amazing 44 percent of U.S. internet users have contributed thoughts and files to the online world--words, images, websites, chat entries, blogs, etc. The study breaks these creative users into three categories:
Power creators are those "most enthusiastic about content-creating activities. They are young--their average age is 25--and they are more likely than other kinds of creators do things like use instant messaging, play games, and download music. And they are the most likely group to be blogging." [What you're reading right now is a blog.]
Older creators "have an average age of 58 and are experienced Internet users. They are highly educated, like sharing pictures, and are the most likely of the creator groups to have built their own Web sites. They are also the most likely to have used the Internet for genealogical research."
Content omnivores are the "heaviest overall users of the Internet. Most are employed. Most log on frequently and spend considerable time online doing a variety of activities. They are likely to have broadband connections at home. The average age of this group is 40."
As someone with a strong imago anthropology, I begin to wonder how the creation of digital content mirrors--or perhaps distorts?--the creative power of God. Does such activity lead one to wonder at the way the Holy Spirit appropriates technology? Or does it contribute to an idolatry of self ("look at the cool online world I created")?
These sorts of questions are, of course, beyond the scope of the Pew study. But entering "religion" into the project's search engine pulls up dozens of studies linking the internet and faith, and even a brief surf through "God blogs" and "religion blogs" reveals a whole lot of serious reflection going on about faith, spirituality, the church, and God.
Few of these writers reference pastoral theology, even though many of the themes/memes they write about are dear to practical and pastoral theology. How might we as a field best contribute to these grassroots, online conversations? What are some rudimentary guidelines for caring, pastoral conversation in the context of life on the screen?
.: Posted by Duane Bidwell on Sunday, February 29, 2004
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