“3 Guiding Principles for Using Technology and Media,” Liahona, Mar. 2024.
3 Guiding Principles for Using Technology and Media
As technology continues to evolve, these approaches to media will help us move forward in wisdom.
Technology is constantly changing. And every advance in technology has brought new ways to consume media. The printing press significantly changed who could access written words. Radio and television dramatically changed how we communicate news, information, and entertainment. The internet changed how much content we could access and who could create it. Social media changed our ability to find, communicate with, and connect with people. As artificial intelligence emerges, we are faced with new questions.
New technology is never all good or all bad. Instead, it is often like a magnifying glass that can magnify new opportunities and new concerns. As we strive to be more Christlike, our response to new technology and the media it can bring into our lives is what matters.
A Principle-Based Approach
Of course, there is no list of rules to guide every decision we make about technology and media. Instead, we can learn principles to help guide us as we make choices. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “Principles are eternal and universal. Specific rules or applications of those principles work well in some places but not in others. What unites us is Jesus Christ and the eternal truths He taught, even if specific applications vary over time and across cultures.”1
Following principles based on gospel truths will help us stay on the covenant path. The Spirit will guide us as we strive to make choices based on those principles. So what principles can help guide our choices about technology and media?
1. I can use my moral agency to make choices to control technology. It doesn’t control me.
It may sometimes feel like technology is overtaking your life. It is important to remember that you can make choices to control technology. It doesn’t control you. You can be intentional in choosing to use technology and media to accomplish good and to seek after things that are “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy” (Articles of Faith 1:13).
The Lord said, “I, the Lord, have a great work for thee to do” (Doctrine and Covenants 112:6). Consider how you can use technology to accomplish that great work and remain “anxiously engaged in a good cause” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27). You might need to use technology in your work. You might use it to find wholesome forms of entertainment. It may help you connect with others. And it can help you learn, grow, and accomplish the Lord’s work. However, other uses can be distracting, inappropriate, or harmful. Rather than allow technology to control you, use wisdom and the guidance of the Spirit to make choices that put you in control.
2. When I use my moral agency to plan ahead, I feel better and make better choices.
Perhaps you had an experience when you made a choice regarding technology that did not feel right. It may have involved media you consumed or time spent on a certain activity. Instead of obsessing about mistakes you have made, it is healthier to focus on continued growth. If you plan ahead, you will make better choices than you will if you make all your decisions in the moment. You can set up personal guidelines in line with gospel standards to help you make good choices.
If you find yourself misusing or overusing media, have the courage to strive for change. For example, if certain forms of media do not inspire or bring a good feeling, adjust your habits. If you are using technology to consume media or engage in behavior you know is not right, have the courage to change—and have patience with yourself as you strive to make those changes. Think of some practical things you can do to change. For example, if you find it more difficult to make good decisions at certain times of the day, you might plan times you will use technology and times you won’t.
Likewise, if you are using technology to strengthen yourself, connect with others, and accomplish the Lord’s work, and you feel the Spirit, keep doing those things. As you are truly honest with yourself about your choices, your faith in the Lord can help you use your agency in ways that lead you to feel better and continue to make better choices.
3. I can use my moral agency to pause and take a break.
You may feel that questions about technology and media are constant. How much is too much? Should I increase or decrease my use of media and technology? Am I using my time wisely? Try not to let thoughts like these overwhelm you. Remember that it is OK to pause and take a break from media. A break can be choosing to do activities other than stare at a screen for a few hours or even not using certain technology, such as social media, for an extended period.
Technology provides great blessings to help us remain connected with others; however, just because we can be connected at any time does not mean we need to be connected at any time. The Lord reminds us, “Be still and know that I am God” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:16). Make sure you are taking time to connect with Him.
Be Wise
As technology continues to evolve, we will all face many decisions. Instead of looking to the Church for specific rules and lists, we can turn to Heavenly Father, the Savior, the scriptures, and the words of modern prophets for principles to help guide our choices. The Spirit will help us know if our choices are right. The words of Jacob are as applicable today as they were when he first taught them: “O be wise; what can I say more?” (Jacob 6:12).