Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence, and Place in the Digital Age
- Downloads：5869
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-12-02 16:21:26
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Felicia Wu Song
- ISBN：0830851135
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
We're being formed by our devices。 Today's digital technologies are designed to captivate our attention and encroach on our boundaries， shaping how we relate to time and space， to ourselves and others， even to God。 Our natural longing for relationship makes us vulnerable to the industrializing effects of social media。 While we enjoy the benefits of digital tech， many of us feel troubled with its power and exhausted by its demands for permanent connectivity。 Yet even as we grow disenchanted， attempting to resist the digital powers that be might seem like a losing battle。 Sociologist Felicia Wu Song has spent years considering the personal and collective dynamics of living in digital ecosystems。 In this book she combines psychological， neurological， and sociological insights with theological reflection to explore two major questions:
What kind of people are we becoming with personal technologies in hand？ And who do we really want to be？ Song unpacks the soft tyranny of the digital age， including the values embedded in our apps and the economic systems that drive our habits and their subtle yet pervasive effects。 She then explores pathways of meaningful resistance that can be found in Christian tradition， especially counter-narratives about human worth， embodiment， relationality， and time。 Considering digital practices through the lens of liturgy and formation， she offers practical experiments for individual and communal change。 In our current digital ecologies， small behavioral shifts are not enough to give us freedom。 We need a sober and motivating vision of our prospects to help us imagine what kind of life we hope to live--and how we can get there。
What kind of people are we becoming with personal technologies in hand？ And who do we really want to be？ Song unpacks the soft tyranny of the digital age， including the values embedded in our apps and the economic systems that drive our habits and their subtle yet pervasive effects。 She then explores pathways of meaningful resistance that can be found in Christian tradition， especially counter-narratives about human worth， embodiment， relationality， and time。 Considering digital practices through the lens of liturgy and formation， she offers practical experiments for individual and communal change。 In our current digital ecologies， small behavioral shifts are not enough to give us freedom。 We need a sober and motivating vision of our prospects to help us imagine what kind of life we hope to live--and how we can get there。
Reviews
Sarah
，
It is truly a “Wow” book。 Felicia addresses our phones， social media and the digital world in a way that avoids shaming and invites us to take a deep dive into understanding the power of this new life that has spread across the globe。 She then offers practical and beautiful tools for reflecting and taking actions that are liberating。This would be powerful for small groups， book clubs and small and large communities of reflection and faith。 Note- Felicia’s audience balances between intellectuals It is truly a “Wow” book。 Felicia addresses our phones， social media and the digital world in a way that avoids shaming and invites us to take a deep dive into understanding the power of this new life that has spread across the globe。 She then offers practical and beautiful tools for reflecting and taking actions that are liberating。This would be powerful for small groups， book clubs and small and large communities of reflection and faith。 Note- Felicia’s audience balances between intellectuals in higher education and those of us who prefer an easier read:） Although it is not a “trade press” book， it is accessible。 Can you tell？ I’m a big fan of this book。 I’m guessing you will be， too。 。。。more
Douglas Ranck
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This book had me at the title。 The conviction of knowing how restless I am with my own devices immediately began but Felicia Wu Song brought hope。 It is easy to find writings taking the easy road by categorizing our relationship with devices as all or nothing。 Anybody can tell us to dump our social media platforms and move back to a flip phone with no bells or whistles。Dr。 Song is upfront in admitting， “The visual effects of these tools is undoubtedly impressive。 Our social media feeds take on t This book had me at the title。 The conviction of knowing how restless I am with my own devices immediately began but Felicia Wu Song brought hope。 It is easy to find writings taking the easy road by categorizing our relationship with devices as all or nothing。 Anybody can tell us to dump our social media platforms and move back to a flip phone with no bells or whistles。Dr。 Song is upfront in admitting， “The visual effects of these tools is undoubtedly impressive。 Our social media feeds take on the likeness of fashion runways where we all become consumers of each other’s curated collection 。 。 。” This is followed， later in the book with， “The more we seek control through the powerful tools and allure of digital media， the less we exercise and growing our capacity to negotiate those real-life relationships that are so often not in our control。”Dr。 Song took the narrow path of helping us manage well。 Her work to bring science into balance with theology and practical application move us toward a healthy view of how we handle the ever-present clarion call of those so easily transportable devices。 Her data and research lead us to move more toward communion and creating counter-liturgies。As a pastor of youth， children and families I see firsthand the best and worst effects when devices are out of control。 Felicia Wu Song offers tools for pastors， community leaders， teachers， parents， and anyone who manages （or doesn’t manage） devices。 The short section of “Commitments to Ordered Digital Life” is worth the price of the book。 Find a comfortable chair and rest in the “restlessness” and hope of this book。 。。。more
Ashley Ochi
，
Though a self-professed late adopter of tech， it’s apparent that Dr。 Song has been onto this for years。 This book is one significant culmination of careful attention to the ever-evolving and embedded nature of technology， lived experience as both a parent and professor， and well-integrated insights of sociology and theology—on the way to a healthier situation of tech in our lives。 It has arrived at exactly the right moment， as we reimagine what proximal， embodied connectedness will be as we emer Though a self-professed late adopter of tech， it’s apparent that Dr。 Song has been onto this for years。 This book is one significant culmination of careful attention to the ever-evolving and embedded nature of technology， lived experience as both a parent and professor， and well-integrated insights of sociology and theology—on the way to a healthier situation of tech in our lives。 It has arrived at exactly the right moment， as we reimagine what proximal， embodied connectedness will be as we emerge from the most stringent pandemic-related constraints。 Beyond a wise criticism of the “soft tyranny” that is wrought on us by unrelenting digital connectedness， this book offers praxes for resistance， reparative “counterliturgies，” and a moving case for embodied presence and sabbath rest。 As acknowledged in the final pages， we all remain in the trenches of navigating the digital， but this offering is a warm invitation to hope and an urging toward evaluation and change that is gentle， sustainable and effective。 If we find ourselves in the trenches now， this book is a major signpost marking our path out。 。。。more
Eddie LaRow
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