You might be a digital immigrant if…

 

 

Some of us digital immigrants could be accused of having an eight-track mind, he-he!

You might be a digital immigrant if…

Someone starts talking about the TikTok they just posted and you ask them what kind of clock they have.

You interrupt a conversation with someone younger so you can Google what they just said. 

You tell a grandchild to “dial” a phone number. 

You try to join in conversation with millennials about Batman, but you start talking about Robin and receive only blank stares. 

You look for a pencil and paper to write down someone’s phone number and they reply “just text my phone.”

You go out to Starbucks with your millennial coworkers but need someone to translate the menu board for you.

You order a meal online and see that meats are called “proteins.”

You remember word-for-word a Beatles tune but you can’t remember what you bought your wife as an anniversary present a month ago. 

Your bladder tyrannically controls your plans for the day. 

You spend a lot of time frantically searching for your glasses when they’re on top of your head. 

You frantically search for your iPhone when it’s in your hands. (Okay that’s when you raise the white flag of surrender.)

Your idea of a great Friday night involves sitting at home watching the classic movie channel. 

Okay, what are some of yours? PLEASE SHARE! 

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If you’re lonely...

My last blog post just before Christmas was about disconnecting. 

As I reflect on that post, I am also thinking about many people who find themselves isolated due to this pandemic — likely many who are reading this post. 

For those who are shut off from loved ones or just plain alone, going online represents a lifeline. It’s a window to the world outside. Mindful of this, I want this blog to be more than just about sounding warnings about things I feel my readers should be aware of; I also want to be an encourager. 

For me personally, it’s about hope in God through Jesus Christ. If we take Him at His Word, we realize that we are never alone. Reflect on Jesus’ words “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27 ESV)

We seek affirmation and approval in social media, checking Facebook for “likes” or comments from others that make us feel good. We might experience fleeting feelings of satisfaction from others. Taken to an extreme, our habits of frequently checking our social media can rouse the sort of chemicals in our brain that encourage addictive behavior. 

Further exacerbating matters is how we react to negative comments to our posts, whether about politics or something personal. We feel a gnawing in our gut as we try to reason with others who disagree with our opinion or become embarrassed when we say something we realize we shouldn’t have put in a post. 

Yes, we can find encouragement and a form of fellowship online, but we should be careful and know when to disconnect. 

Pursue prayer or just take time to be quiet, and allow your soul to settle down. Even secular  psychologists admit positive outcomes relating to wellbeing and reducing feelings of isolation when people seek a higher power. 

In conclusion, please realize that, in all this, you’re not alone. 

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