Nearly every week, I hear from pastors, ministry leaders, or parents about the ethical challenges they face as they encourage those under their care to love God and love neighbor (Matt. 22:37–39). Many of these questions center on the digital advances of our day—especially social media.
As we enter another year, here are three truths to equip yourself and your people to wisely follow Jesus in a digital age.
1. The Christian ethic is more than sufficient for our day.
We tend to believe we’re facing novel issues the writers of the Bible didn’t foresee and couldn’t address. While it’s true these writers never talked about social media, algorithms, or ChatGPT, the assumption that the Bible is insufficient for the challenges of our day is misplaced. It’s driven by thinking of the Christian ethic as a set of rules rather than as a rich framework for pursuing wisdom no matter what comes our way.
Many, if not all, of our current ethical issues are rooted in deeper questions of what it means to be human and from where we derive our ethical norms. For those underlying theological and philosophical questions, the Bible is more than sufficient. God’s Word is true and profitable (2 Tim. 3:16–17). It’s a steadfast guide to living in an increasingly digital society in light of who God is and what he’s accomplished through Christ on the cross.
The Rundown
Internet’s short video creativity crisis by Sara Fischer | Axios
A new era of short-form video is sweeping the internet, forcing every kind of creator — from podcasters to photographers and publishers — to adjust their media strategies. There have never been so many opportunities to create content online, but business incentives are driving all kinds of creative individuals and enterprises to chase the same viral trends.
I Was Preaching to My Twitter Feed by Brandon Cooper
I noticed the problem when my joke didn’t land. I thought it was a witty take on a major cultural issue, but no one had any idea what I was talking about. My wife, who usually laughs politely at my humor, stared blankly. I was astonished, because this issue was all anyone had talked about for days . . . on Twitter.
Don’t Ban ChatGPT in Schools. Teach With It. by Kevin Roose | New York Times
Recently, I gave a talk to a group of K-12 teachers and public school administrators in New York. The topic was artificial intelligence, and how schools would need to adapt to prepare students for a future filled with all kinds of capable A.I. tools.
AI-powered “robot” lawyer will be first of its kind to represent defendant in court by Megan Cerulo | CBS
A “robot” lawyer powered by artificial intelligence will be the first of its kind to help a defendant fight a traffic ticket in court next month.
Marketing agency enlists AI “interns” by Eleanor Hawkins | Axios
Instead of hiring human interns, Codeword — a tech-marketing agency within WE Communications — is leaning on artificial intelligence technology to complete menial yet necessary tasks.
Meta’s Ad Practices Ruled Illegal Under E.U. Law by Adam Satariano | New York Times
Meta suffered a major defeat on Wednesday that could severely undercut its Facebook and Instagram advertising business after European Union regulators found it had illegally forced users to effectively accept personalized ads.