Seth Mitchell offers a thought-provoking essay here pontificating on the foolish tendency to believe technological innovation will save us.

“What I call the Daedalus delusion now comes into view: an endless quest for technological solutions to technological problems, animated by the belief that the next invention will bring harmony rather than continue the cycle of devastation. A common description of insanity is, “trying the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result.” Despite all evidence to the contrary, Daedalus implicitly believes that his inventions will eventually prove themselves worthy of his sacrifices. Why does he cling to this belief when all evidence demonstrates that his technologies continually bring chaos, isolation, and death?

Technological developments are only increasing in frequency and scope, and the promise of their salvific capacities grows vaster. And we believe. We believe wholeheartedly in our mechanical solutions: technological remedies for technological ills. Underneath this belief lies a spiritual pathology.

In 1993, the World Wide Web promised increased communication. For the first five years of its existence, eighty percent of it was devoted to pornography. Many of the developments in video production and download speed were for the purpose of transmitting pornography with greater convenience and anonymity. In 2006, Facebook was introduced to the public, promising closer relationships with friends and family. What social media has given us is isolation, depression, and anxiety. In 2007, the iPhone promised to provide greater connectivity. It has destroyed our capacity to be present to others.

Depression, anxiety, pornography addiction, eating disorders, psychopathologies, and suicide are rampant across the “developed” world. Reading levels are declining. Studies over the last decade show that academic performance is inversely proportional to internet use. The average American spends seven hours a day online. In 2021, 31 percent of Americans reported being online “almost constantly.” In 2024, 42 percent of ten-year-olds owned a smartphone, with that number increasing to 91 percent by age 14. Emotional instability, psychological distress, and addiction define the Technological Age.“

While I am not a luddite – one who is opposed to technological change for I hold a degree in Aerospace Engineering and am a licensed pilot for both manned aircraft and drones – I recognize the dangerous tendency to misuse technological innovation to satisfy our fallen nature. Isaiah 53:6 warns, “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way,” highlighting the inevitable tendency of fallen man to seek salvation in the wrong places. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that true salvation is found only through Jesus Christ.

While technology can be a wonderful blessing, don’t underestimate our fallen tendency to misuse it.