The Web’s Dark Side: How the Internet is Shaping Us
In today’s digital age, we’re constantly connected to the internet. We use it for work, education, relationships, and even worship. But have you ever stopped to think about how the web is shaping us? The answer might surprise you.
A Spiritual Habitat
The internet is not just a tool; it’s an epistemological environment – a spiritual and intellectual habitat that creates particular ways of thinking, feeling, and believing. It speaks to us, and we talk back, forming an ever-growing dialogue that constitutes an increasingly large aspect of life in the digital age.
The Web’s Pornographic Nature
The web’s nature is inherently pornographically shaped. This doesn’t mean that everything online is explicit or sinful. Rather, the digital liturgies of endless novelty, constant consumption, and limitless power make pornography more plausible to our hearts and habits. Within the web’s spiritual habitat, looking at pornography makes sense and feels natural.
Three Characteristics of the Web
To understand how the web shapes us, let’s examine three of its key characteristics:
- Novelty: The web is an endless novelty machine, always delivering new content, sights, and sounds. This can lead to aimless immersion in “content” and a spiritual mood that primes the heart to seek out lust.
- Consumption: The web’s ethos is consumption. We “binge” TV shows, “stalk” others on social media, and devour endless streams of information. This consumptive mindset can turn human persons into soulless objects of spectacle.
- Isolation: The web is primarily experienced in isolation. We no longer need to be in a particular place or with specific people to access the web. This individualism has led to stunning levels of loneliness and an inability to meaningfully relate to others.
Implications for Discipleship
Understanding the web’s spiritual habitat and its effects on our hearts and habits has significant implications for discipleship. We must recognize that the fight against lust is not just about avoiding explicit content but also about cultivating healthy habits and relationships in the digital age.
A Call to Action
As Christians, we must be aware of the web’s dark side and take steps to mitigate its effects. We must cultivate mindfulness, self-control, and meaningful relationships in the digital age. By doing so, we can harness the web’s power for good and create a healthier, more balanced online culture.
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