Spirituality in the Technology Age
by Rakibul Islam
In the times when the major religions were first growing, it was easy to be spiritually active. There weren't many distractions, and religion was a dominant part of a person's education. Today? Computers, television, movies, MP3 players, and other advances have made life easier overall, but have created a barrier between ourselves and our spiritual side. Instead of looking inward and reflecting on life and our connection with our beliefs, we fill our days with AIM chats, reality shows and cell phone conversations. Heck, I'm typing this while watching a New York Mets baseball game on TV. But does the continuing wave of technology have to keep us from believing? Don't worry; our lives aren't doomed to be shallow wastes yet.
Many people today work with a computer and use the Internet. These two technologies have allowed us to be more productive, but they can help us get closer to our spiritual side as well. Many programmers have written small applications that can display various verses from everything from the Old Testament to the Holy Qur'an, and everything in between. I have a gadget on my computer that calls the Azan (Islamic call to prayer) at the exact time of each prayer of each day. You can find and download recitations for any religion, playing them on your computer as you work. You can even put them on your MP3 player, so instead of listening to that latest hit song that will mean nothing in 2 weeks, you can hear a spiritual voice that could change your outlook on life. For the professionals out there, you can put those verses on your Blackberry or cell phone as well. It's not limited to the major religions either. Literally any spiritual release you want can be found using a simple Google search.
You can find a simple program to recite a different spiritual verse every day. You can download a sound file that plays soft, soothing music to calm your nerves after a long day in the office. So just because you don't follow a specific religion doesn't mean you are left to fend for yourself. Spirituality isn't limited to the computer either. Various TV programs and channels are dedicated to religion and spirituality, with the major religions well represented. You can spend a Saturday morning watching cartoons or sleeping in, or you can watch local priests or imams teach you how to be a better person. Various videos teach people of all ages about religion and spirituality, and are especially popular with families and small children.
Many radio channels are also dedicated to spiritual and religious discussion as well as soothing music, and are great tools for spiritual advancement and release while on that long drive to work. They are more geared towards spiritual advancement as opposed to strictly religion; so many people who aren't tied to one religion would be especially interested in those.
Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives, from the Internet to the portable music player, and many believe that this technology has pushed people away from their spiritual lives. However, spirituality can take on a new medium with this technology. People around the world are using their computers and televisions to experience spirituality and religion in a whole new way. While many people have lost their spiritual touch due to increasing workload, it is simply a matter of teaching them that they don't have to sacrifice their spirituality for their job. Hopefully, this is just a small step towards rediscovering what we truly believe in, whatever that may be.
