Description

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

Every generation faces new challenges, and the current generation of college-aged young adults has to reckon with how smartphones, social media, and targeted marketing affect their lives – sometimes for better, but often for worse. In this episode, Adam and Jason talk about how technology plays a role in the lives of college students and how the current and previous generations respond to each other.

Through several anecdotes, Jason reveals that college students truly feel “enslaved” to their phones. From the decision fatigue caused by a constant demand for attention to the deliberate manipulation of addictive inclinations, phones (and social media and entertainment apps) generate a host of psychological and spiritual issues for Gen Z (and some Millennials). These two generations are often characterized as phone-addicted industry-ruiners, but as Jason points out, every generation tends to view the next one critically.

Listen in to this episode to hear more about generational tension and how college students are responding to the negative effects of technology. 

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:55] Contributing factors to anxiety and depression in the lives of college students
• [1:57] Story about taking a break from screen time
• [4:13] How we’re impacted by the immoral use of technology 
  • Story about question posed to designers
  • Exploiting addiction
• [7:03] Adam’s observations about smartphone addiction
  • Mark 4:19 and spiritual implications
  • Decision fatigue 
• [12:18] Smartphones and the demand for attention
• [14:32] Gen Z’s response
• [17:54] How Jason teaches about technology and social media
  • Advice to college guys after first dates
  • Delayed gratification, risk, and vulnerability
• [22:47] The cycle of how generations view and respond to each other
• [27:01] How Gen X responded to the major events of the late 20th century
• [29:13] How Millennials have responded to Gen X
• [29:43] The remedial changing of institutions 

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• The House website
• The Fourth Turning by William Strauss and Neil Howe

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.