<overload>
losing face-to-face relationships in a virtual world

The Dark Overload

What Overloads You?
• Mobile Phones • Web Sites
• Texting • News/Blogs
• Sexting • Status Updates
• Instant Messaging • Advertising
• Social Networks • Games
• Email • iPods/MP3s

There’s No Letting Up

The Monster We Created
• Our informations was “mass” media
• Advertising in free entertainment
• We consume more
• We want advertising out
• We individualized it
• We want it to be free

Information Wants
To Own You...

The Communication Shift
• We have never had this much information
• We have never had these abilities
• Our communication rate goes up
• Our ability to relate goes down

The Cycle Continues...

I’m An Informationaholic
• Information is a drug
• There’s scientific proof of this
• It limits creativity and focus
• It causes attention span problems
• It creates severe mood swings
• It can be very hard to live without

Here But, Not Here
• We need a “hit” of information
• We text, IM and talk all the time
• We can be physically present, but...
• We are mentally absent
• We are becoming zombies
• We are controlled by the drug

Meaningful and Close
Relationships Implode

Into Meaningless
Electronic Connections

3 John 1.13,14

I have much to
write you, but I do
not want to do so
with pen and ink.
I hope to see you
soon, and we will
talk face to face.
Peace to you.
The friends
here send their
greetings.
Greet the friends
there by name.

In Writing
• John was a disciple
• John was a writer of letters
• In John 3, he realizes that some
things cannot be communicated in writing
• The rest of John 3 is a conversation
about trust, love and reputation of friends
• They were “tight” and because of that,
they could do the work set out for them

1 Corinthians 10.23-24

“Everything is
permissible”
but not everything
is beneficial.
“Everything is
permissible”
but not everything
is constructive.
Nobody should seek
his own good, but
the good of others.

Old School
• Real life communication is good
• It is good for your health and soul
• It is good for your job and career
• It communicates more meaning
• It aligns your body, mind and spirit

3 John 1.2

Dear friend,
I pray that
you may
enjoy good
health and
that all may
go well with
you, even as
your soul
is getting
along well.

Good Habits To Start
• Prioritize face-to-face meetings over anything else
• Stand up when you meet new people
• Greet with a handshake or a hug
• Pay attention to names
• Look people in the eye
• Truly love people

3 John 1.5,6

Dear friend,
you are faithful
in what you are
doing for the
brothers, even
though they
are strangers
to you. They
have told the
church about
your love.

Bad Habits To Break
• Taking phone calls during a meal or when “out”
• Texting while others are with you or talking
• Staying up late with “dates”
• Constantly having IM
and email open
• Breaking your online
word in real life

To Make Time
To Focus On God