Positive Values
In what sense are the Internet and social media potentially valuable for wisdom? We know the many downsides to online life. What are the upsides? In my view there are at least three.
1. Access
The Internet has removed barriers to accessing knowledge and education. If the idea of a public library (free access to books) was one small step in the direction of democratizing knowledge, the Internet was a giant leap. Today, if you have Internet access on your phone or computer, you have history’s most potent library card. You have access to all the wise sages of the past from Plato to Proust to Plantinga. On YouTube you can gain the knowledge you would get at a university. An uneducated pastor in rural India who might never be able to attend seminary can, through the Internet, access all man ner of theological resources essays, sermons, book reviews, video lectures to help him better handle Scripture and care for his flock.
Brett McCracken
Crossway. 192 pp.
In an effort to help us consume a more balanced, healthy diet of information, Brett McCracken has created the “Wisdom Pyramid.” Inspired by the food pyramid model, the Wisdom Pyramid challenges us to increase our intake of enduring, trustworthy sources (like the Bible) while moderating our consumption of less reliable sources (like the internet and social media). At a time when so much of our daily media diet is toxic and making us spiritually sick,
The Wisdom Pyramid suggests that we become healthy and wise when we reorient our lives around God the foundation of truth and the eternal source of wisdom.
How to Weather the Worsening Trust Crisis
For decades in Western culture (especially since the 1960s), we’ve seen a slow deterioration of trust and a brewing epistemological crisis. We’ve increasingly not known how to know, whose authority to trust, and where we can look for truth.
In recent years, the internet’s toxic buffet of fake news, conspiracy theories, echo chambers, and confirmation bias deepened the crisis. But 2020 took it to another level entirely.
The recently released 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer shows that 2020 saw precipitous trust declines. The fascinating report describes “an epidemic of misinformation and widespread mistrust of societal institutions and leaders around the world” that has been accelerated by COVID-19:
By Seth Satterlee | Jan 15, 2021
This season, religious publishers turn to the ways spirituality can uplift those suffering from depression or anxiety. They also continue to confront systemic issues at the heart of abuse scandals and propose grassroots strategies to overcome social inequalities.
Top 10
Yvonne Orji. Worthy, May 25 ($26, ISBN 978-1-5460-1267-2)
Emmy-nominated comic actor Orji shares 25 life lessons infused with the wisdom of the Bible and aimed at helping readers pursue ambitious goals.
Checking In: How Getting Real about Depression Saved My Life and Can Save Yours
Michelle Williams. Thomas Nelson, May 25 ($26.99, ISBN 978-1-4002-2333-6)
Williams, a member of Destiny’s Child, details her struggles with depression and her decision to check into a treatment facility in 2018. There, she found power in God’s unpredictable plan for her life.
16.19
In the wake of last year’s election season, many of us have been asking difficult questions about our nation and ourselves. Can we restore a sense of shared American identity despite our differences? Is it possible for the church to engage in politics without getting stuck in familiar partisan ruts?
Underneath these larger issues are questions about the kind of people we’ve become in the internet age. Thinking back on all the tweets, videos, articles, comments, and memes I consumed as the election drew near, I’ve begun asking myself: “Was it worth it?” Once I had decided on my preferred candidate and done what I could to advocate for my neighbor, did all the time and energy I devoted to reading, watching, and responding online benefit me personally? Did it make me a better citizen of heaven (or Texas)?