The Screwtape “Text Messages” #4: Digital Distractions Away From God
AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is the fourth of The Screwtape “Text Messages” in Today’s AI World. Although the basic C.S. Lewis Screwtape Letters vehicle of communications of a senior demon to an apprentice is retained, I made a few changes:
The method of communication is text messages instead of letters. The apprentice demon, Wormwood, has been replaced by Phishhook and Screwtape has been replaced by Mephisto, named after a demon from German folklore and Faust. The target to be tempted by the demons is referred to as “The Lostling.” The demons refer to hell as Meta-Dystopia. Finally, there are observations about the text messages from a “good team” fact checker and analyst, Clarion Veridiel.
Following are Mephisto’s text messages to and from Phishhook and Clarion Veridiel’s response.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
TO: Phishhook (101-001-1010) URGENT
FROM: Mephisto
LOSTLING DOSSIER: Your temptation target is a young, recently married member of the “LDS” Church which, in our demonic ingroup, stands for the “League of Doting Sheep”. He served a full-time mission, is a regular attender on Sunday, and considers himself to be a solid saint who studies his scriptures, says his prayers, and even meditates a bit. Like most of his generation, he is an ardent technophile and uses all the latest gadgets. He prides himself on his ability to multi-task with his digital devices.
Dear Phishhook:
The Lostling’s dossier reads like an indictment of your failures. You have been assigned his corruption for years and have nothing to show for your efforts. If anything, he has become more devout under your incompetent tutelage. We need to try a radically different approach if we are to taint his soul.
Remember, the second principle from the Demon’s Handbook is “Determine and exploit the weaknesses of the Lostling.” If we can’t weaken his faith directly, perhaps we can use his fascination with all things digital to re-allocate his use of time, divert his attention, and “corrupt” his perspective. Our goal should be to create a tendency for spiritual neglect and to sow seeds of distrust about his testimony. He thinks of himself as a highly proficient multi-tasker, so let’s use his vanity to our advantage.
Phishhook, it’s time for you to demonstrate some initiative and understanding. I can’t lead you by the talons for another millennia. Your task is to provide me a ten-point plan for using digital distractions to subtly weaken the Lostling’s spirituality and his church commitment. Ideally, he won’t realize the change until he has been significantly affected. Consider this clever analogy I thought of– Develop your plan so it is as if you are leading him with a flaxen cord until we can bind him with strong cords forever. Are you impressed by my original insight?
Your impatient file leader: Mephisto
TO: Mephisto (666-911-1313)
FROM: Phishhook
Dear Mephisto:
I know you hate verbiage, so I will be concise. After careful and extended observation of the Lostling, I suggest the following temptation strategies to take advantage of his enthusiasm for all things digital.
- Create digital clutter in his life—Encourage him to fill his time with noise, such as raucous music, podcasts, and notifications. If we make his online life chaotic, it will be more difficult for him to hear and respond to the so-called still, small voice.
- Encourage him to fill his time using his digital devices. Even if his uses are appropriate and productive, there will be a crowding out effect. He will have less time for gospel study, prayer and meditation, and church and community service. Our goal should be at least six hours a day of phone and tablet time.
- Suggest that he rely on the Internet to find answers to pressing gospel questions. Convince him that the authorized websites of his church provide only sanitized answers. Direct him to more enlightened and progressive websites. As he reads misinformation and false teachings, he will become confused.
- Impress on him the stunning capabilities of artificial intelligence. Focus on the idea that the abilities of AI BOTS far exceed his own and that their potential is unlimited and will soon transcend finite human understanding and ability to control them. Make artificial intelligence seem mystical and supernatural.
- Keep him on his devices and in his house so that he doesn’t experience the awe of nature and feel the presence of God and the beauty of creation. The goal is to make him a digital couch potato.
- 6. Tempt him to visit sites that show unrealistic views of life, such as the perfect body and the wonderful lives of the rich and famous. Cause him to compare these to his life so that he will be less likely to feel gratitude for his blessings.
- Create an emotional dependence on his digital life so that he feels withdrawal symptoms when he is not online. Get him involved in a sophisticated multi-player video game he can master and immerse him in its increasingly complex and addictive storyline that becomes his preferred reality.
- Urge him to view controversial sites that are argumentative and promote conspiracy theories. Our objectives are furthered when he feels division and animosity. Ideally, he should develop a feeling of contempt for others he encounters online who have different points of view.
- Take advantage of his pride in multi-tasking and use it to shorten his attention span. His ability to deepen and retain his spiritual inclinations will be undermined by a more haphazard approach to life.
- Immerse him so deeply in his digital pursuits that he loses track of time and sometimes misses church and family activities. It would be especially effective if he starts missing family meal times because he is digitally diverted.
Your trusty peon: Phishhook
_____________________________________________________________________________________
TO: Phishhook (101-001-1010)
FROM: Mephisto
Dear Phishhook:
There may be a future for you. Your plan probably won’t make the Handbook, but it shows promise and is much better than your previous futile efforts. I find it delicious to the taste. Each one of your ten temptations can be a single flaxen cord which, together, will weaken his resolve and crowd out his spiritual efforts. You should implement them immediately.
Your slightly hopeful file leader: Mephisto
_____________________________________________________________________________________
TO: CK (110-111-1000)
FROM: Clarion Veridiel
Phishook’s ten-point plan will be effective in diluting and diverting the spirituality of some. Building and maintaining spirituality requires time and effort. Spirituality flourishes in an environment of stillness and contemplation. It can easily be crowded out by the time demands of everyday activities and the still, small voice can be masked by the cacophony of digital noises.
What makes these temptations so subtly dangerous is that most of them don’t involve inherently sinful activities. Many online activities enhance our productivity and enrich our lives. It’s when they consume excessive amounts of time and create conflict and confusion that they are detrimental to spiritual health.
I am continually impressed by the ability of church leaders to anticipate the future implications of technology. In October 2007, Dallin H. Oaks gave a general conference talk entitled, “Good, Better, Best.” That was the same year smartphones were first introduced to the public. Coincidence or not? He counseled:
As we consider various choices, we should remember that it is not enough that something is good. Other choices are better, and still others are best.
Consider how we use our time in the choices we make in viewing television, playing video games, surfing the Internet, or reading books or magazines. Of course, it is good to view wholesome entertainment or to obtain interesting information. But not everything of that sort is worth the portion of our life we give to obtain it.
Some uses of individual and family time are better, and others are best. We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.
Your loving servant: Clarion Veridiel
_____________________________________________________________________________________
AUTHOR’S CONFESSION. Phishhok may soon be coming to tempt me with digital distractions because I am vulnerable. Taking my IPAD to church is convenient, but my wife is not convinced and often scolds me. When things are slow, I sometimes find it hard to resist the temptation to engage in “extramural research.” Usually, my searches relate to the sermon or the lesson, but it is easy to get diverted to topics that are far afield.
For example, I was sitting in a Gospel Doctrine class years ago and the teacher mentioned the Book of Mormon DNA Gospel Topics Essay found on the church website. These essays had just been made available, and I was not aware of them. I switched my IPAD from the Sunday School lesson to the essay and happily spent the rest of the hour fascinated to learn about DNA.
I learned a lot from the essay but was oblivious to the rest of the excellent lesson. This probably wasn’t a mortal sin, but it does fall into the category of President Oaks’ “Good, Better, Best” concept mentioned by Clarion Veridiel. I had plenty of time to read the essay later and should have listened and contributed to the lesson. That has happened to me more than once. A couple of weeks ago, the teacher mentioned a Google site that analyzes how frequently specific words have been used over time. I couldn’t resist trying it out right then and there and missed several important lesson points.
AUTHOR’S REVEAL: Phishhook’s phone number is 666 in binary—the number of the beast in the Book of Revelation. Clarion’s number is also binary and converts to 888. Each Greek letter has a numerical equivalent. If you add the numerical equivalents of the Greek letters in the name Jesus Christ, they total 888. So, Clarion is sending her findings and recommendations to a heavenly location.
Next week’s Screwtape “Text Messages” temptation will focus on “Instant Online Gratification.” With technology, we no longer must wait to have our wants fulfilled and to find relationships. They are literally at our fingertips on our touch screens.
The post The Screwtape “Text Messages” #4: Digital Distractions Away From God first appeared on Meridian Magazine.
Meridian Magazine