Stat of the Day:
37% of young people report that their attention fades fastest when reading compared to other activities (gaming, listening to podcasts, etc.)
Why it matters:
Diminished attention spans in an age of ubiquitous media affect our abilities to think, reason, engage, and interact with one another, often in a negative way.
What can we do?
In 1985, Neil Postman argued in Amusing Ourselves to Death that subjecting education, politics, journalism and even religion to the demands of entertainment would degrade our ability to engage in meaningful communal discourse about important matters. The church cannot become a place of deep reflection and considered action if it cannot create the psychological space for such reflection and discussion. This problem, already present among Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, is only growing for Millennials and Gen Z. The church must find ways to engage in meaningful reflection as a community of faith. Only then will we be capable of the deep listening and empathic connection necessary to witness to the love of Christ in the world.
Try It:
Church leaders can combine ancient practices of the church like centering prayer and Lectio Divina with book discussions and Bible studies. Proven tools for more reflective modes of engagement such as these can be (re)introduced to help focus and deepen community discussions, lectures, meetings, and more.