"Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out"

Lesson of the day: Don't write an abbreviated version of the syllabus to figure out assignments.

Definitely read the wrong book for class discussion today. But, I did find a fascinating chapter in A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a world of Constant Change, by Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown (http://www.newcultureoflearning.com). In chapter 8, they discuss how social media has changed the ways people interact with one another, calling the three phases of the framework "hanging out, messing around, and geeking out." These three phases directly correlate with fundamental development building blocks in a persons life: identity, embodiment, and indwelling.

Prior to the digital revolution (and my experience here is limited), identity was formed by the people one spent time with, embodiment was how they lived out the social role that was constructed, and indwelling were lessons along the way. In high school, a person could be highly influenced by peer groups and that could have a radical impact on the person's life. For better, or for worse, the social media craze has changed who people interact with and how they interact.

So, people seek out these social constructs; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, Pinterest, etc. seeking identity, community, and the opportunity to be "in the know."It allows people to find their passions and follow them, even if their passion includes pictures of cats in tights (http://www.boredpanda.org/cats-wearing-tights-meowtfit/).

It makes me curious about how the world that I will teach and preach in is changing. What will be the best ways to share the gospel message in a digital culture? How can we access the benefits of technology without breaking the bank? Where do we draw the boundary between deep exploration and a waste of time?