Four Books I Recommend & One I Don't
Kids, technology & screen time is one of the hottest cultural topics. Here are books worth reading and one you should avoid at all costs.
Take a peek at my office bookshelf and you will see dozens of books on kids, screen time, Biblical theology, cultural issues, and parenting. I am excited to get my hands on some new releases over the coming months even though my to-be-read pile is getting a little out of control!! Here are four books you should read, and one you shouldn’t waste your time on.
Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman
Certainly, technology has changed in myriad ways since this book was published in the early 1980’s, but good books help us ask good questions. Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman gives us a helpful framework for thinking critically about the modern digital world. For example, Postman writes,
Sesame Street appeared to justify allowing a four- or five-year old to sit transfixed in front of a television screen for unnatural periods of time.... As a television show, and a good one, 'Sesame Street' does not encourage children to love school or anything about school. It encourages them to love television.
Fast forward to 2024, and the increased frequency of toddlers riding around in the grocery store shopping cart watching cartoons on an iPad is mind boggling. If we apply Postman’s observation to our current culture, it is fair to say that tablets and smartphones encourage kids to love personal devices and on-demand entertainment, not community, books or playing.
Next up, consider what Postman says on how we receive the news of the day:
What is happening here is that television is altering the meaning of ‘being informed’ by creating a species of information that might properly be called disinformation. I am using this world almost in the precise sense in which it is used by spies in the CIA or KGB. Disinformation does not mean false information. It means misleading information - misplaced, irrelevant, fragmented or superficial information - information that creates the illusion of knowing something but which in fact leads one away from knowing.
Read that again, this time replacing the word “television” with TikTok, CNN, FoxNews, Presidential debates, memes, X, Instagram reels, etc. Sounds familiar, yes?
Of note, Postman has an insightful chapter on using mass media to convey the sacred (think TV evangelists) and a thought provoking analysis of the Second Commandment from the days of Moses. It’s no wonder Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death is one of the most referenced books on digital media in our culture. This is a great read for older high school students!
God, Technology, and the Christian Life by Tony Reinke
If you are going to read only one book on technology, let it be this one. It has single handedly framed much of the way I view technology, digital media, and Biblical teaching on these topics. This is not a book that will make you want to hide under a rock. It is a careful, gospel-centered view of technology with a keen eye to human history. From David’s primitive sling and stones, to Goliath’s meticulously crafted armor, Reinke, a self described “tech optimist” says this:
The point of the story is that in a clash between the gods of the Philistine giant and the living God of David, David’s God wins. God’s strength is made clear in David’s weakness. That’s the point. Whatever role human power and innovation play in this story, those roles are footnotes.
We can all be guilty of talking so much about technology and digital media, that we forget what it means to be human, and made in the image of God. Reinke expertly weaves all of this together without loosing sight of the spiritual.
Did you know that the same technology, bitumen (aka - tar) was used to build Noah’s ark AND the Tower of Babel? This book will have you asking the question, “Just because we can, does that mean we should?” God gave humans dominion over the earth, and yet we are fallen, sinful beings. Holding these two things in tension is vital to a Biblical view of the digital age. Reinke offers an awe-inspiring reverence for the Creator and the gift that technology can be when he writes,
The same God who planted the first pinecone-laden redwoods also taught the innovator how to pulp trees so that Scripture could be printed and held in our hands.
Tony Reinke’s God, Technology and the Christian Life will give you a broad view, a discerning eye, and a great hope for this technological age without discounting the sinfulness of the human heart.
[Un]Intentional by Doug Smith
Through shared advocacy efforts, I’ve peripherally known
for a few years now, but reading his book has given me a depth of insight into his character that I am incredibly thankful for. Doug works as a web developer and describes himself as a “lifelong admirer of new technology.” He doesn’t come to this space because of a fear of technology, but because of immense amounts of experience with it. He shares a bit of his personal story along the way, how he used digital media wrongly and was brought to repentance. It’s a story millions of people can relate to, but his telling of it is never sensationalist or dramatic. Doug writes that after purchasing his first smartphone in 2010,The power of constant connection was intoxicating… Soon, I felt habitually compelled to check the device for something, anything new. Before I realized it, I was reading email from my bed as my first half-dazed action of the day, and I ended every night falling asleep on Twitter.
He noticed the same thing was happening to friends, family, and colleagues and so he began to ask a lot of questions, such as, “What if our very ability to think clearly, and therefore, to be ourselves, was at stake?”
Doug takes the reader through a quick history of digital media, examining the business model of tech companies, the “habit-forming triggers built into our devices,” and society’s quick rush into the digital age. He does all of this with an eye toward Biblical truth. Pastors, if you want to preach a sermon series on technology and digital media, this book is your outline. There are no platitudes or shaming in [Un]Intentional. It is approachable, well researched, and oozes wisdom.
God of All Things by Andrew Wilson
This is not a book about digital media, the internet or smartphones. This is a book about being human and is one of my absolute favorite books when it comes to living in the digital age. Wilson writes,
Things exist not for their own sakes but to draw us back to God…. We describe God as “the Rock” not just because rocks exist and they provide a good picture of safety and stability. Rocks exist because God is the Rock: the Rock of our salvation, the Rock who provides water in the desert, the Rock whose work is perfect and all his ways are just. When we flip things around like this, we get a very different picture of the purpose of creation, of physical stuff, of things.
Bit by bit, chapter by chapter, Wilson unveils how the physical stuff of creation echoes who God is. Reading it reminds me that cultivating a life of awe and wonder is where joy, contentment, and stability are found. In a world of scrolling, we need more of Wilson’s approach. God of All Things: Rediscovering the Sacred in an Everyday World is not a book to rush through. It’s a book to savor. Covering topics such as Mountains, Salt, Galaxies, Horns, and Viruses, each chapter is essentially a stand alone essay
I keep this book in my car to read whenever I find myself with a few extra minutes of downtime. Instead of scrolling while you wait for your son’s basketball practice to end, read a chapter of God of All Things. You won’t regret it.
Don’t Read This Book by Multiple Authors
To be frank, when it comes to books on kids, technology, social media, parenting, and Christianity there are a lot of awful ones out there. The books that I don’t recommend are any that tell you to “teach your kids how to use technology safely.” This phrase, which has been repeated over and over, is one of the biggest lies of our day. I’m not aware of a single author who has laid out an actual plan for how to teach your kids to use technology safely/wisely/carefully/appropriately/fill in the blank. Much less do I know of any “method” that boasts a high success rate.
Parental controls? Teenagers constantly tell me they know how to get around them. Time limit apps? That’s not building maturity, that’s digital babysitting. Instead, I recommend the book of Proverbs. Raising kids to know and love Jesus and walk in truth is hard, but some guidebooks are better than others. If you can read Proverbs and still make a case for giving your kids Instagram and Fortnite, please let me know. (Seriously. I actually want somebody to explain this to me from a well-researched, thoughtful, Biblical viewpoint. I won’t get angsty. I just want to hear from you.)
Dear Christian Parent, I hope you find these book recommendations helpful. It is okay to tell your kids no to screen time and yes to something better. As my mom used to say, “If everyone else jumps off a bridge, are you going to jump too?” Moms and dads, don’t jump. Keep your feet firmly planted and teach your kids how to do the same.
For Podcast Fans:
I was featured on the BaseCamp Live podcast this week talking about three challenges faced by Christian parents in the digital world. I think you will find it encouraging!
Further Reading:
Want to build a community of families approaching digital media in a counter-cultural way but still have a lot of questions? Check out this resource:
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Emily, thank you for your gracious and generous review!