POD 036 | Embracing our Humanity in a Tech-Driven World with Dr. Felicia Wu Song

theFormed.life

Have you ever wondered how technology impacts your faith and daily life? In today's episode, we press into this question alongside Dr. Felicia Wu Song, a sociology professor and author of "Restless Devices." Expect to hear an in-depth discussion on our human tendency to humanize AI, the crucial need to question who benefits from our data, and how sensory experiences and imperfections ground human relationships. We'll also explore the "Freedom Project," a set of experiments encouraging healthier digital habits, and reflect on balancing our tech uses with a faith-based perspective. Join us for a compelling conversation that promises practical insights and spiritual guidance on navigating our tech-driven world.

Bio

In 1995, Dr. Felicia Wu Song discovered Marshall McLuhan’s The Medium is the Massage, sparking a lifelong interest in the influence of media and technology on modern life. With a BA in History from Yale, an MA in Communication Studies from Northwestern, and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Virginia, Dr. Song embarked on a career exploring the societal impacts of communication technologies. Her early research focused on online communities and digital motherhood, and she spent over a decade teaching Sociology at Westmont College, where she mentored students and developed the ideas that shaped her book Restless Devices (2021). This work has since led Dr. Song to numerous opportunities to consult and speak to Christian communities, colleges, and seminaries on navigating the digital age.

Quotes

"I think what's interesting about thinking about our relationship with technology as analogous to our relationship with food, is that food is something we have to eat, and many of us would argue, well, technology isn't something that I can just throw out the window."

— Dr. Felicia Wu Song

"We spend so much time talking about FOMO, like, missing out on what's happening online, but I think there's so much missing out on other things. Right? Like, we're actually cutting ourselves off with so many other things that we just kinda forgot."

— Dr. Felicia Wu Song

"Once we take some time to reflect and realize how dependent we might be on our devices, and perhaps we aren't terribly happy about that, then we can try to experiment with what we can change."

— Dr. Felicia Wu Song

3 Main Takeaways

1. Critical Examination of AI and Technology: It is important to scrutinize who creates and profits from AI and how our data is used. The discussion highlights the need to value and preserve human qualities and experiences that AI cannot replicate, such as sensory interactions and the inherent imperfections in human relationships.

2. Healthy Digital Habits: The episode introduces the "Freedom Project," which involves a series of experiments to foster healthier relationships with technology. These include tasks like a 24-hour digital fast and exercises to alter daily digital habits, such as starting the day without a phone or eating without looking at a screen. These practices aim to help individuals reflect on their dependence on technology and discover more balanced ways of engaging with it.

3. Technology's Impact on Spiritual Formation: There's a strong emphasis on the intersection of technology with faith and spiritual practices. The discussions explore how digital technology often aligns with cultural values of efficiency and productivity, which can conflict with spiritual values that cherish human limitations and the "friction" in relationships. Reflective living, as opposed to unreflective adoption of tech practices, is encouraged to better align one's life with faith-based principles.

Resources

Restless Devices - Felicia Wu Song
Dignity and Destiny: Humanity in the Image of God - John F. Kilner
Food Rules: An Eater's Manual - Michael Pollan

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

04:03 Feeling stuck due to technology.

07:54 Sociology and technology.

11:07 Efficiency worship.

15:19 Conformity vs transformation.

18:52 Relationship with technology vs food.

23:37 Left technology, found true connection.

24:42 How are AI tools changing technology?

30:56 Embrace humanity; cultivate empathy.

32:22 Jesus’ divine humility.

36:26 Reflection on technology dependency.

39:20 Experiment with different habits.

43:46 Final question.

46:26 Join theFormed.life for more resources!

Hashtags

#TechImpact #DigitalAwareness #HumanExperience #TheologicalPerspectives #FaithAndAI #DigitalFasting #RestlessDevices #HumanConnection #SpiritualFormation #theFormedLifePodcast

Keywords

AI human-like qualities, AI profit motives, human sensory experiences, AI versus human interaction, human limitations in relationships, technology and humanity, image of God and technology, Freedom Project, digital fast, technology dependence, tech industry influence, sociological perspective on technology, historical context of technology, cultural values and technology, human worth and productivity, digital technology and faith, theological navigation of technology, sociology of technology, Felicia Wu Song, Restless Devices book, tech design motives, attention economy, technology self-regulation, Michael Pollan food analogy, mindful technology consumption, student tech experiments, non-digital activities, fear of missing out (FOMO), life beyond technology, church leaders technology guidance