Against News-Cycle Christianity

There is a perfect coincidence of ceaseless activity and boredom. Today this fact is easy to miss. The people who talk about the effects of new media lament that the smartphone has done away with boredom, especially for kids, and that we can no longer tolerate being alone with our thoughts. We’ve come to prefer distraction. But while this observation is true enough, it also risks obscuring what is more fundamental and obvious: online “activity” is a decision for boredom and against actual activity.