The Wise Use of Technology

In President M. Russell Ballard's talk, Precious Gifts from God, he warned us against the overuse of technology. He said that "Too many allow themselves to almost live online with their smart devices—screens illuminating their faces day and night and earbuds in their ears blocking out the still, small voice of the Spirit." However, he followed this up by saying "Now, there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of the advances in the technologies inspired by the Lord, but we must be wise in their use."

It seems that, as with many things, the key to using technology well lies in moderation. Using technology too much is spiritually dangerous. Using technology too little is a waste of opportunities. God gives us many gifts, and He expects us to make good use of them, but it would be unwise to let any of them take over our lives. Even good things, when taken to extremes, can become bad things, and technology isn't always a good thing to begin with.

So, as hard as this advice is to accept or follow, we should be cautious about how much we use technology. And since the consequences of under-utilizing technology are far less severe than the consequences of over-using it, it may be best to err on the side of caution. Technology can be very good, and some of if, according to President Ballard, is inspired by the Lord, but if we use it too much or in the wrong ways, it can be very bad. So let's be cautious with our use of technology and maybe use it a little bit less than we currently do.