YOUR TECH RULE
SYNOPSIS
To move our intentions into daily life, we must do more than wish. A key tool to help is a personalized Tech Rule in which we express clearly the times, places, and ways we’ll interact with our screens. This intentionality involves drawing clear lines to protect what matters most, including specific spaces (such as shared meal tables or the bedroom), specific times (such as the last and first moments of the day or a digital Sabbath each week), and particular categories of technology and/or content (such as social media, political news, or apps we might use only on a computer). As we articulate these commitments in writing, we decisively stop letting our devices decide for us, which virtually always results in tech taking more of our time and attention. Rather, we begin to choose when and how we’ll harness technology’s gifts and where we’ll say, “Not here!”
DISCUSSION & REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. Medefind describes a Tech Rule as “decisions we make in a time of clarity to help guide our choices the rest of the time.” When you feel most clear-headed and at peace, what is the one tech habit you find yourself most wanting to change?
2. The chapter argues that good intentions alone are rarely enough when set against brilliant tech designers and algorithms. What specific areas of your daily routine currently rely purely on your inthe-moment willpower to resist your phone rather than intentinoal plans, and how is that working?
3. The first moments of our day can set an emotional tone not only for ourselves but also for those around us. What do you notice about your own heart and leadership on days when you plunge first into news or email or start by turning your attention to God in prayer, Scripture, and/or time in His creation?
4. How can a ministry provide accountability and community to help the staff and/or those they serve create and live by their own Tech Rule vision for a flourishing life?
5. What times or places within your weekly rhythm do you sense are most important to make completely free of screens?
6. The chapter mentions the quick look—checking a phone while at a stoplight or waiting for a friend. What do you think might happen to your stress levels or your creativity if you allowed those small gaps in your day to remain open?
7. Creating a Tech Rule is about more than just saying no to screens; it’s about saying yes to better things. If you reclaimed even just 30 minutes each day by setting these boundaries, what one life-giving activity would you love to see fill that time?