It’s Not the Technology, It’s What We Do With It

A meditation on the Seven Deadly Sins and the uses and misuses of modern technology.

From Catholic Stand

By Charlette Mills

Television and social media are not evil in themselves. However, we need to be wary of the purpose behind what we watch or interact with, the people behind the posts, just like Mr. Lucifer an old Ealing Studio movie called Meet Mr. Lucifer (1953).  In the film, a man is given a television as a retirement gift.  After owning it and watching it for a while, trouble developed and he gave it to someone else. This continued with everyone who owned it, personalities were changed in a bad way, and unhappiness, combined with a few of what used to be called the Seven Deadly Sins filled the households. 

Ultimately, each got rid of the television and returned to a happier life without it.  Thinking about the film the other day, I thought that television and its “offspring” of social media are still bringing deadly sins into our lives.  Now don’t get me wrong, I grew up watching television and have one to this day.  When I was young anyone who did not have a television was considered very strange indeed, and we wondered what on earth they did all evening.   

The Seven Deadly Sins

What are the Seven Deadly Sins? They are pride, greed, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth. Each one has its opposite virtue which leads to happiness within ourselves, within our society, and most of all with God. These Seven Lively Virtues are humility, charity, kindness, self-control, chastity, temperance, and diligence.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13-15).

The common thread connecting all sin is the turning away from God. Conversely, the virtues help us to live in the world as followers of The Way, as Jesus meant us to do. A brief description of the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Lively Virtues is below. 

Pride:  Loving yourself more than other people and even God. Refusing to admit any fault or error. Blaming others instead of yourself, resenting others when you make a mistake. Being a perfectionist when judging others and false humility are signs of pride.

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Humility: Knowing your limits as well as your abilities. Being glad that others have talents and abilities you lack, knowing it takes many to make the Mystical Body of Christ. Being grateful for the ordinary and expected – knowing always that all things come from God.

Greed or Avarice: Wanting more than you need, constantly seeking ‘more’. Buying things you have no room for or will never use. Refusing to share what you have, including talents and time. Taking more than your share, depriving others of their ‘piece of the cake.’

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Charity: Giving of your time, talents and possessions, freely. Taking less so someone else might have more. Giving things you are still willing to wear or use to charity shops instead of things damaged or worn or out of fashion.

Envy: Resenting the good that comes to others and wishing you had what they have earned. Preferring your good to all others. Envy takes away gratitude and closes us off from God.

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Admiration, Kindness: Wishing good for others, being happy when someone has good happen to them or good things.

Wrath:  This is unbridled anger that overrides your conscience, your sense of right, and of fairness.  

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Self-control: Forgiving, not being overwhelmed by your own emotions, self-control. Being patient, calm. Opening oneself to the Holy Spirit for guidance.

Lust: Thinking of others only as objects to use. Relating everything to your own pleasure and comfort.  Focusing always on the sensual experience. 

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Chastity: properly ordering physical appetites according to your vocation. As with lust, this is not only about sex. It is about the programs you watch, the books you read, the jokes you tell or listen to. It is the clothes you wear and the way you behave. It is respecting other people instead of seeing them as objects to use.

Gluttony:  This is not just about eating too much food.  It can be gluttony for anything that seems to satisfy a physical or emotional emptiness.  One can become a glutton for collecting items or for money as well as food. Gluttony for attention or company.  Binge-watching a tv program or binge drinking alcohol is gluttony. There is no balance or moderation. Other actions are left undone or you are not able to do them.

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Temperance: Taking things in moderation rather than excess. Not going beyond the point of reduced returns. Remembering any day might be your last – do you really want it to be spent completely on watching a box set? Isn’t there always something better to do?

Sloth:  Sloth we might think of as extreme laziness, but acedia is worse.  Acedia means not to care, to just give up and turn your back on the things that matter and that would help you Spiritually. Wanting someone else to solve your problems is sloth, as is being satisfied with work that is not as good as you know you can do. Spiritual sloth, physical sloth, emotional sloth… not wanting to find a way to peace after an argument. Sloth is putting yourself first, even if that means hurting others. Throwing trash out your car window instead of taking it home is sloth. Did God really make this beautiful earth to be a garbage can?

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Diligence or Zeal: Doing everything to the best of your ability for God’s sake, even when you may have to give up some of your own time to do it. Doing what you know is right, even when it isn’t the easiest option.

“let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”. (Matthew 5:16)

Human beings are basically the same as we ever were. Things haven’t really changed that much over the centuries, it is the technology we use that has changed. The first axe made could chop wood for warmth and cooking or it could be used to kill or maim another person.  Wine can bring cheer and even be changed into the Blood of our Lord or it can be abused and bring misery and heartbreak.  It is not the tool or the technology, it is what we do with it.  

Same thing with language and our actions, both in-person and online.  The first words of our ancestors could be used to frighten or hurt, the same as today.  And they could be used to soothe and cheer, same as today.  It is after all up to each one of us how we use our technology just as it is up to each one of us how we use our time and talents.  It all depends on your goal – mine is heaven and I hope we all see each other there.