Everyone is talking about smart phone addiction, how it’s ruining people’s ability to truly connect and have real relationships…yada, yada, yada. I agree with this on some level, but is it possible that our lives have also been enriched by this technology in some way?
I personally love social networking, smart phones, and most of what comes with it. So I started asking myself why I enjoy it so much, and how it has improved the quality of my life.
1. Smart phones are a window into the entire world.
I can communicate to someone on the other side of the globe with literally no effort. In fact, I can even see their face in real time. This means my sphere of influence has increased from a few thousand people to billions.
2. Social networking allows me to share my insights
with millions of people every day and get their feedback, all from the comfort of my own home. And because revelation is a community garden, other people often add to my insights, which opens up new ways of thinking.
3. Social networking helps feed my need for significance.
I mean, what was I doing in my spare time 20 years ago? I can tell you, it wasn’t influencing the way thousands of people think!
4. Social networking gives me (and others) the platform we need
to help a lot of people overcome their fears, pain, and problems so they can thrive in life.
5. Social networking helps me see blind spots in my thinking
on any given subject. For example, when I wrote my book Fashioned to Reign
(it’s a book about empowering women), I tested certain new concepts and ideas on my social platform. I wanted to see what questions I needed to answer, were there flaws in my thinking, or were there other ways to look at the subject? It worked beautifully! The input from thousands of people really improved the book a ton.
6. My smart phone gives me the tools I need
to learn, to investigate and to grow my understanding of a million subjects. In fact, 30 years ago, people who had a passion to learn and grow had encyclopedias stacked to the ceiling in their homes. Now days we can Google anything and in seconds get a thousand perspectives on any subject.
7. Social networking is entertaining.
I get bored so easily, but now my mind is always occupied with something to watch, listen to, or read. If I have an hour break with nothing to do, I can have fun, learn, or communicate with other people.
8. I can build and manage friendships
with people via Skype, FaceTime, phone, etc. that would have been nearly impossible just a decade ago.
9. I can get educated
through web classes, TED talks and even YouTube, etc. In fact, before I tackle a project I have never done before, I watch a few YouTube videos about it.
10. I can grow spiritually
by listening to streamed messages, webcasts, and/or podcasts. I can join in worship with people from all over the world, or bask in worship in the privacy of my own home.
11. I can make better purchases on line.
I can read people’s comments and reviews on products before I buy them, and compare prices in several different locations without leaving my house.
12. I can manage many more people and departments
because I can multitask through my smart phone, and stay in touch while I am away. Texting takes less time than talking, so it’s a much more efficient way to communicate tasks or information to people. I get twice as much done as was possible 15 years ago. Ultimately, I will accomplish a lot more in my lifetime than I would have a decade ago.
13. I am a better dad, husband and grandfather
because I can communicate more often and with greater clarity with my family. I can send them videos of my exploits, text them, and talk with them even when I am traveling.
To sum it up, despite the fact that there are inherent dangers in technology and there’s a temptation to become a virtual person with a virtual life, my life has greatly been enriched by technology. I love the Internet, social networking, smart phones, and computers. I feel like Christopher Columbus in that 10 years ago I discovered a new world. But like Christopher’s detractors who said he would sail off the end of the world, many are convinced that technology is flat and we are all surfing the net to our virtual end.
But they are wrong and I am living proof it.
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Do you agree? Tell me about it in the comments below.
