Is There Life Outside the Four-Inch Screen?
Description
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It’s amazing how dramatically technology has changed in recent years and how profoundly it has changed our life experiences in general and in the church. The constant flow of information, opinions and distractions are ubiquitous. Other than temples and a few other choice locations there is almost no place to really find a little space from hand-helds, laptops and Siri. A recent poll found that 92% of teens are on the internet daily and 24% report that they are “almost constantly” online.1 Nearly three quarter of teens have access to a smart phone, and with it now being the phone, the scheduler, the library, the navigation system, and the social gathering place, who needs more than a device like that?
Adults sometimes pride themselves on being not as consumed with devices as their kids are, but likely the facts don’t bear out. The honest mom and dad will recognize a lot more time on their devices than they would like to admit. British Daily Mail reported last year that adults were spending an average of 20 minutes more online per day than they spent sleeping.2 You could call it an epidemic.
Oh how times have changed. I’m barely started into my forties but in my humble beginnings our family had a black and white TV with three channels. And three was at its best when the bunny ears were positioned just right. One day the TV died and we didn’t replace it for three years – we found more interesting things to do. We didn’t have our own computer but my cousin got the new Commodore Vic 20. Most people these days don’t even remember when the letters on the screen couldn’t keep up to even an average typist. And my home phone (yes, connected with a coil cord) rang one long ring for our house and two rings for the neighbors down the road.
Even in my early university days digital pictures appeared on the screen line by line, sometimes taking minutes to be fully visible when accessed through the internet. Now images come instantaneously. Today songs are playing in people’s ears by wireless Bluetooth and computers are worn on wrists and constantly uploading and downloading data through the cloud.
In 2014 Elder David A. Bednar delivered a speech to Campus Education Week participants at BYU. He gave the following caution; “Too much time can be wasted, too many relationships can be harmed or destroyed, and precious patterns of righteousness can be disrupted when technology is used improperly. We should not allow even good applications of social media to overrule the better and best uses of our time, energy, and resources.”3 He encouraged a number of positive ways to impact the world through technology as well, but we should always remember that some opportunities can’t be seized with a hand-held device.
I attended a concert a year ago and noted an amazing number of people busy on their phones, not even watching or focused on the music or the performers. They took moments to clap or briefly look up but almost couldn’t be compelled to pry their thumbs away from the screens. It almost seemed some were communicating on their phones with even those sitting right next to them. Sure it was loud and hard to have a conversation, but this was clearly a learned pattern that had been developed.
Is there any question that we are too distracted and that the blessings of new technology have come at a cost to genuine face to face and heart to heart relationships? When we fail to complete our home or visiting teaching or pass up taking a friend to the fireside we often claim we are just “too busy”. As busy as we are, isn’t a good portion of our load self-inflicted through time “wasted” checking Facebook updates and “liking” Instagram or Pinterest offerings? Nobody wants to be told they are devoting too many hours to online life – but most of us need to come to a realization, hopefully sooner than later.
Early into my new album project “By the Voice of My Servants”, a collection of songs inspired by General Conference quotes, I was impressed by a timely message from Elder José A. Teixeira. He taught: “It is refreshing to put aside our electronic devices for a while and instead turn the pages of the scriptures or take time to converse with family and friends. Especially on the Lord’s day, experience the peace of participating in a sacrament meeting without the constant urge to see if you have a new message or a new post. The habit of setting aside your mobile device for a time will enrich and broaden your view of life…”4 He then finished the thought with:
“Life is not confined to a four-inch screen”5
Hopefully like in my own experience, it was a wake up call for people around the world to really look at their online versus personal interactions. This got my lyrical mind going…
Maybe it’s time to trade this virtual obsession
For a real life connection, yeah maybe it’s time
And maybe it’s true that my best hand-held option
Is to lend a hand more often, yeah maybe it’s true
So I’m gonna unplug for a moment
Get up and get going
The point of General Conference inspiration is to get us thinking, get us motivated with the help of the Spirit, and then get us to act. My mission mom Sister Carole Walch used to teach us to blossom where we are planted. The online experience opens a world of connections and possibilities and we should use them to flood the earth with the gospel, but we also have people right in our own back yards and in our own congregations, that we are meant to bless and we need clear heads and open hearts to receive the spiritual directions to make it happen.
Tyler Castleton and I put a lot of time and thought into the song “Four Inch Screen”. As songwriters we try not to “preach” in our songs, but we all need a direct reminder just as Elder Teixeira provided us. Deseret Book artist and The Voice contestant Madilyn Paige helped to bring this fun message to life.
Lets test this one out and “unplug for a moment – get up and get going.” The experience might turn out just like taking out the ear buds and hearing a great musical performance acoustically – right there in the room. There’s something authentic about speaking spirit to spirit, and communicating face to face.
Wayne Burton
FOUR INCH SCREEN
Wayne Burton / Tyler Castleton
Maybe it’s time
To trade this virtual obsession
For a real life connection
Yeah maybe it’s time
And maybe it’s true
That my best hand-held option
Is to lend a hand more often
Yeah maybe it’s true
So I’m gonna unplug for a moment
Get up and get going – ‘cause I believe
There’s a great big world that’s meant for me to see
Some people who could use some face to face time – if I make time
Gotta take a break or take the chance I’ll miss the one who’s waiting for me
Out there, outside of this 4-inch screen
Hard to believe
The second I update my status
Someone’s seeing it in Paris
So hard to believe
So easy to do
So why’s it so much harder
To reach just around the corner
To someone who
Is living and breathing and
Desperately needing – my time – yeah it’s time
Chorus
I’ve got a thousand friends and followers – endless distractions across my screen
But are they drowning out the quiet messages He’s sending me
Chorus
United States
