Faith Over Technology: A Digital Crisis

By J.A. Thomas

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." -- Romans 12:2

Does God want me to use social media? Is it ethical for me to use a cell phone app, like Tik Tok, Twitter, or Facebook, that can potentially harm other people?

In this revolutionary follow-up to the parent and law enforcement-acclaimed social media addiction book Delete Me, technology addiction specialist and Christian therapist J.A. Thomas offers the loving parents and grandparents of teens and tweens a powerful new approach to preventing video game overexposure, social media abuse, and cell phone addiction.

In an age where over 50% of the population is addicted to one behavior or another and the average teenager spends 4 hours a day wasting time alone on their cellular devices and struggles to interact IRL (In Real Life) with real, live humans, the power of Christian faith or other religious morality can be a valuable lifeline that parents and teens can use to set boundaries, reduce anxiety and improve in-person communication skills.

In this potentially life-changing technology addiction book great for all walks of life, you will learn:

• How to use the power of faith in setting boundaries with technology, popular online apps and guide social media usage by teens and tweens.
• How to use your faith in God to answer questions such as: "Is TikTok evil?" and "Should we post about our faith on social media platforms?"
• How to heal your inner child, overcome tech addictions & seasonal depression, foster healthy relationships, reduce anxiety and stress, and nurture your holy spirit.
• How teenagers can let go of toxic relationships with cell phones, video games, and social media apps and turn to positive influences like God, loving families, and strong friendships.
• How to examine your own intersection with technology in ways that will help you re-establish your connection with Jesus Christ.
• Why social media is ruining your kids' lives… but they are still using it!

By reverse-engineering behavioral addiction, we can negate the negative mental health outcomes of technology abuse and cell phone addiction for good—to improve how we communicate and set boundaries between work and play. Faith Over Technology is the perfect tool to prepare parents and high school students for excelling during another challenging year of peer pressure, social media abuse, and the societal thought control that exists in many schools and colleges!
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.A. Thomas
• Release date: Aug 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215737705

J.A. Thomas

Free resources available at: DRUGFR33.ORG --- J.A. Thomas is a crisis intervention counselor, award winning writer, author of The Dinner 4_1 series, and founder of DrugFr33.org . As a computer scientist, former Fortune 500 IT consultant, and clinical mental health researcher & clinician (TBI, BT, VT, PTSD), J.A.'s works feature a distinctive lens on the technology landscape and human-computer interaction. J.A. Thomas holds a bachelors degree from U.C.L.A. and masters degree in social work from Fordham University. A mental health parity advocate, J.A. Thomas spent over seven years interviewing active duty & retired law enforcement and veterans to inform and shape the narrative and tactical scope of her works. Her books place a focal lens on the intersection of faith and technology. Thomas hosts the nonpartisan late night national podcast program "Unfollow," which focuses on mental health parity for the digital native and media accountability. Thomas was a platform engineer and business analyst for notable companies such as Sony, Cleopatra Records, Timex, McKesson, United Water, SecureFleet, and ATCC Global. Thomas has helped expose the deep astroturf network of mass marketing and special interests that influence and control the digital landscape, social media and much of what people consume every day on the Internet. Other books in J.A. Thomas' portfolio deal with institutions & technology. The Dinner 4_1 and 27 Series explore the dangers of automation and digital immersion in the lovelorn Free Cities of a society decimated and reconfigured by technology corporations and the pharmaceutical industry. J.A. Thomas' fictional works belong to the realm of psychological thriller and convey how every act of kindness and cruelty, no matter how small, echo and reverberate throughout time and space.

Book preview

Faith Over Technology

Copyright © J.A. Thomas, 2023

Illustrations copyright © 2020 by J.A. Thomas / DRUGFR33.ORG

Replication Illustrations of SubZero and Chun Li as in ‘Delete Me’ copyright of Midway Games® & Capcom respectively®

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form on by an electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

This book does not replace the advice of a medical professional. Consult your physician before making any changes to your regular health plan.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact:

DRUGFR33.ORG

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that neither the author nor the publisher is engaged in rendering legal, investment, accounting or other professional services. While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional when appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, personal, or other damages.

ISBN ‎ 979-8783-33468-9 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1737-87221-4 (hardcover)

First Edition

First Edition: June 2023

This paperback edition first published in 2023.

Cover Original Artwork by J.A. Thomas, 2023

THIS BOOK AND THE SCENARIOS, research, and methodologies within are intended for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for acute care and/or clinical mental health & addictions treatment. Addictions are real. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Helpline provides 24-hour free and confidential referrals and information about mental and/or substance use disorders, prevention, treatment, and recovery in English and Spanish. Additional resources for international mental health services and resources are listed after the conclusion of this book. 

SAMHSA's National Helpline

800-662-HELP (4357)

TTY: 800-487-4889

If you are in a mental health crisis, please contact or go to your nearest emergency department for assistance. You are never alone. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) if you’re thinking about suicide.

Other works by J.A. Thomas, MSW

Delete Me: 7 Steps to Social Media Abstinence

Dinner 4_1: Alcatraz 2020

Dinner 4_1: Telephone

Dinner 4_1: A Police Story

27: A Love Story & Other Tales (Illustrated)

Thank you for reading and sharing this book. Drugfr33.org is independently operated independently operated and made possible by the volunteer efforts of law enforcement and clinical mental health researchers. As an indie author, I rely on your reviews alone to make my writing possible. If you learned anything or enjoyed the contents of these pages, please leave a review on this book and share with friends.

Contents

Faith Over Technology

Contents..........................................................................

1 Preface........................................................................

2 Catching Up....................................................................

3 Your Intersection

4 User Discretion Is Advised

5 Digital Human Rights

6 Video Games and Historical Critique..............................................

7 A Social Issue

8 Behavioral Addictions, Technology, & The Concept of Abstinence

9 Censorship.....................................................................

10 Blind Faith in Technology

11 Discernment & Technology......................................................

12 Gambling

13 Coping Strategies in An Increasingly Online World...............................

14 Online Dating

15 Faith In Technology: The Digital Native

16 Forever is a long, long time....................................................

17 Automation..................................................................

18 Examining Faith and Your Intersection with Technology Use......................

19 Defining Social Media Addictions: What are the symptoms?

20 Making the Best of Tech.......................................................

21 Conclusion...................................................................

22 Prayers For Navigating Your Intersection With Faith & Technology.................

22.1 Prayers for Kindness...................................................

22.2 Prayers for Modesty....................................................

22.3 Prayers for Discernment................................................

22.4 Prayers for Counseling (Technology Addictions, Relationship Concerns).....

22.5 Prayers for Self-Control (Internet Based Mental Health Conditions, Compulsions, Social Media Addictions & Abuse, Online Gambling) 

22.6  Prayers for Social Media Abuse (Technology Addictions, Social Isolation, Exploitation, Trauma, Relationship & Self-Esteem Concerns Related to Tech Abuse)........

1 Bibliography...................................................................

2 Preview: Delete Me - Why Social Media Applications Have No Place In Education

INSIDE COVER NOTE:

J.A. Thomas is a crisis intervention counselor, award-winning writer, author of The Dinner 4_1 series, and founder of DrugFr33.org. As a computer scientist, former Fortune 500 IT consultant, and clinical mental health researcher and clinician (TBI, BT, VT, PTSD), J.A.'s works feature a distinctive lens on the technology landscape and human-computer interaction. J.A. Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree from U.C.L.A. and master’s degree in social work from Fordham University.

A mental health parity advocate, J.A. Thomas spent over seven years interviewing active duty and retired law enforcement and veterans to inform and shape the narrative and tactical scope of her works. As a crisis intervention counselor and Christian therapist, her research places a focal lens on the intersection of faith and technology. Thomas hosts the nonpartisan late-night national podcast program Unfollow, which focuses on mental health parity for the digital native and media accountability. Thomas was a platform engineer and business analyst for notable companies such as Sony, Cleopatra Records, Timex, McKesson, United Water, SecureFleet, and ATCC Global.

Thomas has helped expose the deep astroturf network of mass marketing and special interests that influence and control the digital landscape, social media and much of what people consume every day on the Internet. Other books in her portfolio deal with institutions and technology. The Dinner 4_1 and 27 series explore the dangers of automation and digital immersion in the lovelorn Free Cities of a society decimated and reconfigured by technology corporations and the pharmaceutical industry. J.A. Thomas' fictional works belong to the realm of psychological thriller and convey how every act of kindness and cruelty, no matter how small, echo and reverberate throughout time and space.

With every temptation, there will be a will to escape.

-F.B. Meyer

God has plans for you. He creates imperfect people to enact His perfect plans.

For four years leading up to March 2020, I knew God wanted me to halt usage of all social media and stay offline. But I struggled to do so even after founding DrugFr33.org, an organization dedicated to disseminating critical public health information about the dangers of technology addictions. I felt that internal surge, the silent yet persistent surge that only comes from the Holy Spirit.

It was only after much reluctance and inner turmoil that I agreed. There was more to it than just feeling like I couldn’t leave social media. I was experiencing many of the same symptomatology of social media addiction and compulsions that I investigated in Delete Me. And this wasn’t the first time. With tendencies toward overextending and overworking myself, my brain is a tornado barreling over minute by minute that whirls my mind and my heart into utter exhaustion—the scrolling and preoccupation with witnessing other journeys and events online seems to tame it. But the relief is sheerly temporary, and I find myself engaging in the numbing ‘doom scroll’ that I warned people about in the pages of Delete Me. I felt ashamed.

And all my plans to resist from abstinence were utterly pointless, for if there is one thing I’ve learned in my journey as a crisis intervention counselor and Christian therapist, it is not my plan. It is Jesus’ plan and Jesus sticks to His plan. God has a plan for each and every one of us and God had a plan for me to quiet my screen and listen to Him. In the wake of the first morning after abstinence started, He placed a vital revelation into my heart that lifted my Holy Spirit.

God has a plan to share with you. It’s a restoring revelation. While this introspection into your own personal intersection of faith and technology might at first feel like a tremendous undertaking on your behalf, discernment is a huge gift from Him. Remember to trust God’s timing for you. Trust His perfect plans for you.

1 Preface

The internet and handheld devices have an immense impact on our lives, providing immediate access to the cyber world. With the ability to automatically connect to any social media platform or website and endless social options, the internet has become a powerful instant escape mechanism. It has become a primary emotional outlet for people of all ages, who may constantly feel the need to be plugged into their phone, computer, or social cyber network. This need for constant connection can feed into an endless shame cycle, where people feel the pressure to present a false self to the world.

The public image of having many friends, lots of attention, traveling, socializing, and partying can all be elaborate forms of self-deception. The self-perceived power of social status and cyber friends around the world can be very addictive and overwhelming. People seek to feel important, valuable, and connected as a reaction to their nagging inner negative self-dialogue. However, this addiction to social media and cyber validation can have devastating consequences, including cyberbullying, stalking, and instant gratification.

The emotional craving for self-acceptance is only momentarily met through social media, and it is lost in the next second. Shame keeps covered up and stays secret, hiding the wounded child deep within the adult or young adult. People may present a false self on social media, using it as an excellent cover-up for the real person within, the one who is terrified to be revealed or exposed in a negative light. The constant need to be seen and acknowledged can be relentless and offers no lasting peace of mind or self-acceptance.

The wounded self and shame work together to keep the real self-buried in the shadows of a person’s online appearance. The addictive nature of social media is widespread and shows no signs of slowing down. Shame and social media are best friends, and being aware of their impact on mental health and well-being can help prevent serious damage/mitigate some of the damage.

The author of this book recognizes that seeking professional treatment for internet and social media addiction can be pricey and difficult to access for those who need it the most. While this guide is not a substitute for comprehensive care, it offers strategies for combating social media addiction using techniques commonly employed by clinicians, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy, in a more condensed and tailored format to fit an individual's needs.

Despite overwhelming evidence linking social media addiction to severe mental health challenges, such as anxiety and depression, there is resistance to including social media addiction in clinical reference guides like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5). This is because the process of revising the DSM is slow and can take many years to include new disorders. For example, it took over 30 years after the initial version of the DSM to include Pathological Gambling as a diagnosable disorder.

The lack of a formal diagnosis for social media addiction means that individuals experiencing symptoms may be misdiagnosed and treated incorrectly, leading to potentially harmful consequences. In this book and its predecessor, I aim to inform the public about the dangers of social media addiction and provide tools to prevent harm from social media use, such as falling victim to predators or experiencing overwhelming anxiety and depression.

In my last book, Delete Me: 7 Steps to Social Media Abstinence, we explored the dangers of social media through a clinical lens. Although social media represents a subset of technology, it will again be the major focus of this book, as it represents a vastly important juncture for technology due to its prolific nature. 

For a refresher course on why abstinence is a valuable strategy to eliminate social media addiction, I recommend reading Delete Me before this book. And although the two are largely mutually exclusive, they do share one core concept for the alleviation of social media mental health conditions, ailments and dangers resultant from social media abuse —abstinence. This is total abstinence from popular social media applications (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Meta, Facebook, and any and all photo / quick video sharing app). Abstinence doesn’t mean ‘checking in’ on the social media application(s) occasionally. Abstinence doesn’t mean ‘passively’ using the social media application(s) without interaction. Abstinence means going off all social media applications and staying off.

It’s easy to confuse the notion of whether technology makes us more connected or more alone. We’re certainly more networked. And more isolated. The generation that was all but born with a device in their hand, A.K.A. ‘the digital native’— 18–24-year-olds — are four times as likely to feel lonely most of the time compared to those over 70.

While there are certain intersections between Delete Me and Faith In Technology, this book is not meant to preach, but places a focal lens on a new way of participating in a rapidly evolving online world from an In Real Life (I.R.L.) perspective.  The purpose of this book, like that in the pages of Delete Me, is to keep you in your real life—physically, spiritually, and psychologically.

I am not a theologian, and I cannot attest to the usefulness of these pages in arguing for any kind of religious stance on the nature of technology, whether it be bad or good. I am, however, a Christian who is a therapist and a subject matter expert in technology. As a former technical engineer and analyst for some of the biggest names in the global digital landscape, I have a unique lens on the interaction between humans and computers. The purpose of this book is to share experiences and data on the intersection of faith and technology, and the opinions within are purely my own. Scripture is offered within this book only as a means of allowing the reader to examine their own thoughts about their intersection with technology.

From businesses to learning, construction to therapy, technology has become an integral part of our daily lives. But as we marvel at the advancements and convenience it brings, we must also question its moral and ethical implications. Are these dilemmas caused by the technology itself, or is it in how we use it? Nuclear, biotech, and information technology are among the game-changing innovations that bring ethical issues to the forefront. Think of the competing goods and evils, like the sharing of private information in organizations. Is it moral or immoral? And the move toward automation and artificial intelligence: will it improve or destroy lives? These are just some of the ethical dilemmas we face.

And what about the impact on health? Many technologies have devastating effects on both people and the environment. Prolonged computer use can lead to repetitive stress injuries. Moreover, technology can lead to job displacement, forcing people to take on different roles or face work-related stress. Gender discrimination is yet another ethical issue in technology. Women are often discriminated against in the manufacturing sector, with men being considered more productive. The male-dominated computer field also presents challenges for women, who may shy away from engineering and mathematics due to environmental setups.

With all these ethical concerns, it's important to question the moral implications of science and technology. Should we have an ethics of technology? How can we address these challenges?

Faith-based technology refers to technological innovations and advancements that are inspired by or rooted in religious faith or belief systems. It involves the usage of technology to support or enhance religious practices, rituals, and experiences. Faith-based technology can be used in a variety of religious contexts, including worship services, spiritual guidance, religious education, and community outreach. An instance of technology influenced by faith is the utilization of applications and websites that facilitate the dissemination of religious content and resources. These digital platforms grant individuals access to sacred texts, instructional materials, and motivational content, while also furnishing tools to support prayer and meditation practices. Numerous faith-based institutions have taken the initiative to develop their own bespoke applications and websites, aiming to establish connectivity and foster engagement with their members and broader communities.

Another manifestation of faith-based technology is the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in religious settings. These technologies can be used to create immersive experiences that allow individuals to explore religious sites and artifacts, participate in religious ceremonies, and interact with religious figures and teachings in a virtual environment. Faith-based technology can also be used to support social and humanitarian causes. For example, some faith-based organizations have developed apps and websites that connect volunteers with opportunities to serve their communities and promote social justice and advocacy efforts. Faith-based technology is the application of technological innovations and advancements to support and enhance religious practices, rituals, and experiences. It is a rapidly growing field that has the potential to transform the way people engage with and experience their religious beliefs and communities.

Religion is thriving online, especially on social media. People often share their faith or engage with religious content, especially on Facebook, which makes it easy to communicate religious ideas and activities on a large scale. Religious leaders even encourage the use of social media as a conversion tool. A study from 2014 from Pew Research Center called

Reviews for Faith Over Technology

[Kevin Hains · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

J.A. Thomas provides amazing insights regarding the impact of social media and technology addiction on our youth. In addition to providing strong evidence of the negative impacts of these technologies, she provides practical suggestions to help parents and others address the many challenges they face when trying to explain the negative effects of social media addiction to young people. Thomas has assembled a vast number of highly credible resources that support her conclusions and advice that offer additional information and suggestions. Her faith based approach to the subject is quite interesting considering her overall highly scientific approach and presentation. This is a valuable resource for use in addressing a dangerous problem.