Get This Book: “12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You”
[Note: All Amazon links in this post are affiliate links. We receive a very small kickback for you using the link, but we were not asked to write this review in any way. This is our personal review of the book.]
It has been quite a long time since I reviewed a book on our site, but this book has to be one of the most helpful and practical books I have read in a long, long time.
12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You is practical because it does not simply say, “you’re spending too much time on your phone–now stop it!” Instead, Tony Reinke uses a tremendous amount of research–both Biblical and technological/psychological–to show even more subtle ways our phones are changing our behavior, our interactions, and our thinking.
Personally, I know I use my phone too much, so I wanted something more than just “it takes a lot of time away.” Reinke skillfully weaves together Biblical principles that will have you realizing that our smartphones are totally changing the ways we view the world and other people. Not only are we simply distracted, we are distracted from what is truly most important: the glory of God and the wonderful people He has placed in our lives.
One subtle point that hit me strongly had to do with texting while driving. Of course, that is illegal in most states now, but people still do it (and I am tempted to do so regularly). But, when we do, Reinke asks, are we showing compassion and love for the “neighbor” is on “the other side of the road” (bringing in the import of the parable of the Good Samaritan)? This is just one among dozens of points that are written in such a way that they hit me between the eyes.
(And chapter 12, “We Lose Our Place in Time,” is one that every parent needs to read very carefully before they even consider giving their child/teen a smartphone. What a powerful chapter!)
Practically speaking, this book has already caused me to make some changes, especially in social media. During the time I was reading this book, I unsubscribed from a couple of podcasts, unfollowed about 70% of the people I was following on Twitter (going from following about 230 people to less than 70), and am in the process of unfollowing hundreds of people on Facebook (as of this writing, I have unfollowed about 200, and am still going). I also have been better about putting my phone out of reach during the day so I don’t feel the need to reach for it every single time it so much as makes a little buzz.
More than that, though, my prayer is that this book helps me realize some of the subtle ways that the phone and its related technologies has been taking something away from my life, and I pray I can gain more mastery over it, with God’s help and to His glory.
Even if you do not think you have some problem with your smartphone (or social media), you will find this book challenging. It will cause you to think far more deeply about these devices and will cause you to reconsider how you use them. I can’t recommend this book enough.
Get a copy from Amazon here. Then read it…and see if you don’t agree that this is a needed and helpful book!
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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
