[Darris McNeely] So I’ve got my latest iPhone here. No, wait a
minute. It’s not the latest iPhone. Just a few months after I bought
this iPhone, the next one came out, and then another one. You know, the
gadget game is one that when you get into, there’s always going to be
something newer even after you’ve spent hundreds of dollars on what is,
you think at that moment the latest. I was reading an article about
Apple computer, and recently people have been complaining that Apple
hasn’t come out with anything in recent years, or recent months that’s
new and a whole game changer when it comes to electronics. And the
article is saying it’s as if people want Apple to unveil a happiness
device, and otherwise they won’t be happy until it does, which raised
the question do things make us happy?
[Steve Myers] There’s always the latest, the greatest, the next
thing. Same thing with computers, whatever it may be. Buy one and it
seems the day you walk out of the store it’s already obsolete. The next
one is coming. And so if that’s what makes us happy, then there’s always
something else just beyond our reach that we can never quite get to.
[Darris McNeely] I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a gadget freak and I
do like new gadgets. And I am sold on Apple and I usually buy, try to
buy the latest that I can or keep up fairly current with their products.
But it’s also caused me over the years to step back and realize, hey,
these things don’t really make me completely happy. I enjoy them and
they make life very convenient in many ways, but happiness deep down,
that’s another issue.
[Steve Myers] Absolutely, and Jesus Christ Himself taught that very things. Now He didn’t mention iPhones, but over in Luke 12:23
He said, “Life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.” And
you could substitute iPhones or computers or gadgets or videogames or
whatever it might be. Those things do not make life happier. We can get
some enjoyment out of them, that sort of thing. But if we’re counting on
them to make us happy, Christ says we’ve got our priorities out
of line.
[Darris McNeely] A good way to look at what Christ said in this
statement is to ask yourself the question, how many things do you need
to be happy? That’s probably the most important question to answer, and
then you will know what and where true happiness comes from.
[Steve Myers] Absolutely. In fact He concludes, “Seek the Kingdom of
God.” Seek the Kingdom of God because that’s really where the true
happiness lies - in a spiritual relationship with God.
[Darris McNeely] That’s BT Daily . Join us next time.
While E-readers and tablets offer a convenient alternative to carrying around stacks of books… a new study finds that for certain aspects of comprehension, you may be better off with a paper book.
Source: Amanda Stiver
A recent study, which included the participation of Stavanger University in Norway, found that when reading using a tablet type E-reader, like a Kindle or an iPad, participants in the study had increased difficulty putting elements of the plot in the right order. Other elements of comprehension were less impacted, such as emotional response to the story and setting, although a previous study showed that this was also an issue.
The study gave fifty participants a short story of twenty-eight pages with half of the group reading a paperback book and half reading on a digital reading device. After reading, the groups were given comprehension tests. Researchers believe that the “tactile feedback” of a paper book, being able to see how far along you are and how much you have left to read by the feel and weight of the book and pages, provides an important part of the reading comprehension process.
Scientists working on the study were eager to pursue more inquiries into the differences between various technologies and their previous counterparts to see what combination might be best for studying or teaching various topics, such as reading fiction vs. studying a topic in depth (Alison Flood, “Readers Absorb Less on Kindles Than on Paper, Study Finds,” The Guardian at the guardian.com, August 19, 2014).
Know your needs…
While technology may appear, based on marketing, to be a seamless progression into the future, the reality is that various stages of technology co-exist and are useful for various purposes. Choosing an E-reader for some light reading or for travel may be a great option. However, if you want to get the most focused study on a topic and be clear about the order of events, such as in a book of the Bible, it might be more effective to use a paper book to re-enforce that aspect of your study rather than a tablet or smartphone edition of the Bible.
Learning to use technology, old or new, responsibly and effectively is a key aspect of character development as we strive to make the most of our relationship with God and his word, the Bible.
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