Technology: A Blessing, Or A Curse???

My life is consumed with technology. I seriously could not survive a day without it! Not by choice, but by the demand that is placed on everyone everyday to use technology. For example, ALL of my classes have some sort of online submission system, whether it is tests, quizzes, assignments, reading, ect. Not to mention the countless hours I personally spend every.single.day on Facebook, Pinterest, or other time-consuming websites. And the countless hours I spend texting. So I have been thinking a lot about technology and its function in my life, and I am asking myself a very important question (and subsequently, you too!): Does technology consume your life??? Do you have control over how much time you spend using technology??? Are you addicted to technology???

So many wonderful things are being done that could not have otherwise been done because of technology. Every time I submit a paper online, I am saving paper, trees, and helping our environment. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is able to reach out to those with questions about the church through technology. Members of the church are able to do family history and work for their decease relatives. I am able to keep in contact with my friends and family using technology. People are able to be more informed about their world because of technology. In many, many ways, technology is a blessing.

Now to the other side of the coin: I'm sure many of us can name many aspects of the negative side of technology. It consumes people's lives, distracting them form their duties, whatever those may be. It destroys relationships, whether through addictions to technology itself, or through using it to become addicted to destructive things, such as pornography. It allows lies to be spread on a world-wide level. If we do not use technology correctly, it ultimately allows the adversary to infiltrate our minds and homes.

This topic really hit me last night when someone pointed out to me that I spend so much of my time on my computer when I should be spending time with them... That really hurt me, because I know it is true :( So, maybe, just maybe, I can help to spread awareness of just how consuming technology can be... Yes, in many ways, we need it to further our schooling, careers, and social life, but we are not and should not become slaves to technology. It is a blessing, but if we do not use it right and make sure we constantly stay in control of how much time we spend using technology, it will become a nasty curse.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a member of the First Presidency of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, gave a talk in the April 2008 General Conference. {For those of you who do not know what General Conference is, it is a bi-annual conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah. This conference is put on by the church. During General Conference, leaders of the church assemble and give talks inspired by God to members of the church throughout the world. To find out more, I encourage you to visit http://lds.org/ to find out more!!} His talk is titled "A Matter of A Few Degrees". In it, he says this...

"This conference is being translated into 92 languages and broadcast to 96 countries by the miracle of modern technology. Many of you... attend general conference by means of the Internet. New technologies such as this make it possible for the gospel message to be spread throughout the world. The Church Web sites are good examples of how you can use this technology as a wonderful resource of inspiration, help, and learning. They can be a blessing for you priesthood holders, your families, and the Church.

But be cautious. These same technologies can allow evil influences to cross the threshold of your homes. These dangerous traps are only a mouse click away. Pornography, violence, intolerance, and ungodliness destroy families, marriages, and individual lives. These dangers are distributed through many media, including magazines, books, television, movies, and music, as well as the Internet. The Lord will help you to recognize and avoid those evils. It is the early recognition of danger and a clear course correction that will keep you in the light of the gospel. Minor decisions can lead to major consequences.

Entering a strange and risky chat room on the Internet could lead you into the center of a raging storm. Putting a computer in a private room that the rest of the family cannot access could be the starting point for a deceitful and dangerous journey.

But the Lord requires not only outward acts but also your inner thoughts and feelings to be close to the spirit of the law. God “require[s] the heart and a willing mind.”

Remember: the heavens will not be filled with those who never made mistakes but with those who recognized that they were off course and who corrected their ways to get back in the light of gospel truth."

To read the entire talk, click here. You will not be sorry if you do, I promise :)

Time to study! Until next time :)