This may be a strange way to begin this post, but eventually you’ll see where I’m going. I want to begin by talking about the female brain—in particular, the teenage female brain. Everyone knows that guys and girls tend to experience puberty differently—dah. But often we are unaware of the scientific realities behind these differences. Without facts, it becomes easy to simply stereotype or generalize, in which case mistakes and myths easily flair up. This is why I enjoy research—I like to find the truth behind the myths.
Anyway! One of the most recent books that my research has unearthed is The Female Brain by Dr. Louanna Brizendine. In it she explains all sorts of biological phenomena which define what makes us feminine, specifically neurologically and hormonally, and what that looks like in day-to-day life. In her first chapter she explains why, according to the most up-to-date research, there are less women pursuing careers in mathematics and science. It is not because of a lack of aptitude in these areas; rather, it is because of the hormonal changes that occur in puberty. During the high school years, when men and women begin to choose their career paths, the female brain is flooded with estrogen in such a way that its emotional and communication circuits grow, creating a strong desire for human interaction. On the other hand, male brains, during puberty, are flooded with testosterone, causing them to become less communicative and more interested in scoring points. Thus, secluding themselves in order to drill away at formulas becomes more difficult for women during this time, but easier for men. Both sexes are completely able to perform the task, but women are less inclined to have a desire to do so (Brizendine 7–8). Thus, women usually end up choosing professions which will facilitate more human interaction, while men have no problem thriving in less social environments. Similar hormonal processes occur in post-puberty/young adulthood, reinforcing these patterns.
What does any of this have to do with thinking Biblically about the internet? In our generation, the internet has been transformed by the invention of web 2.0, that is, by internet that is no longer “read-only,” but based on user participation and connection. Examples of web 2.0 include social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, mashups, folksonomies, and world-wide gaming like WOW. In other words, while the computer was originally no more than a gigantic calculator, processing numbers and formulas, now the computer and the internet is a portable gateway into an endless world of interpersonal communication—a woman’s paradise! I told you I’d get to the point :).
There are so many fun and fantastic features of the internet which women can enjoy. This blog, I hope, is a good example. It’s great to catch up with old friends, to stay in the loop with current social events, to chat with people you don’t get to see very often—even to send out mass prayer requests or scripture versus for encouragement. I personally love to look at and comment on my friends’ pictures. So there are a lot of great things we can do with the internet. And, we should also be aware that because our flesh is ever present and because our Enemy desires to use every opportunity to ensnare and harm us, there are also many common temptations and dangers with regard to the internet—specifically as women. In my opinion, and from personal experience, I believe that most of these temptations stem out of our good, but ever pervasive love for relationship.
Since the invention of IM, teenage women have been notorious for making some pretty serious mistakes on the internet. We’ve all heard the bed-time horror stories of what comes of giving your address to strangers. A more recent phenomena has been Myspace. Even college students were shocked when they first saw some of the things that younger girls were posting on their profiles—didn’t they realize how dangerous such behavior was? Yet who hasn’t experienced the temptation to post something a little too risky on their profile? Who hasn’t gone through the mental gymnastics of calculating who would see it, when, and how? It is a common temptation. On a more innocent level, who hasn’t simply desired to post details of their daily life through their status, hoping that a certain someone would care about how they were doing. Wow, we ladies some serious thinkers! You probably know what it’s like to log onto a chatting forum, just to see who’s there to talk to—maybe just to see if someone specific is there to talk to. Dr. Brizendine also explains in her book how during puberty, hormones increase a woman’s sexual drive. So in addition to looking for communication in general, we also desire someone to notice and admire us sexually. Wow, so many desires and cravings! Add to those cravings a sinful nature which does not always fear God or reverence the wisdom we’ve been given. No wonder we feel like we’re going crazy sometimes. No wonder the internet can become a mine-field of temptation many days.
The most important thing to remember as we think through all of this, though, is the fact that as women, GOD made us the way that we are. He created our bodies and our brains to function the way that they do—he made us relational; he gave us the desire to be loved; and he created the process of adolescent development. He also created us to be completely fulfilled and satisfied in Him, which means that no person, no event, no relationship, no conversation, no chatting and no networking can ever fulfill us to the point that we will be happy. Only He can. The root of sin is the lie that it something besides God can fulfill us.
Who can identify with this scenario: You’ve just spent hours on the internet, it’s late, you didn’t finish the work you were planning on accomplishing, and you feel like crap; yet for some reason, you still feel as if staying on the computer for a few more minutes just might make you happy. What is with that!? I’ll be honest—I’ve experienced this downfall a hundred times. By God’s grace I’ve come to realize that the reason I behave this way is because I’m so craving social interaction, so craving relationship, that I’m willing to search for it, even through a digital flat-screen. And yet, the truth is that the only place I will find deep and fulfilling relationship won’t be through people—digital or not—but in Jesus, my best friend, and my Father God. His love for me, his interest in my life, his care for my emotions, his desire to make me truly happy, are genuine and powerful. His ability to fill up every corner of my gasping heart with his Spirit is the salvation of my soul. Jesus died for my idolatry and sin, and he did it so that I could enjoy and benefit from an uninhibited, eternal relationship with Him. Remember what Jesus said?
“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:1-3
Guys, that’s what it all comes down to. Life. In him we live, and breath, and have our being. Jesus experienced death and separation from God so that we could be fully united to him in eternal life. Jesus has grafted us into him, so that we now dwell in him and are made one with him as we relate to him.
So, when we’re on the internet, let’s have a blast enjoying all the ways that we can indulge in and enjoy our friendships. Let’s laugh and smile and be goofy, coating everything with love and encouragement and wisdom. But let’s make sure that we never look to the internet for the fulfillment of our deepest desires, or hope in people to fulfill our need for relationship. When we’re tempted to log-on to a site because we feel lonely, sad, attention hungry, or hurt, let’s make a commitment to stop and look to our Father first: to wait for Him, to pray to Him, to make our requests known to Him believing for His gracious answer, to read His word, to simply enjoy His company and rest in His Love. Then, once we have done that, let’s pursue our friendships with people. People can even help us to seek out and become more satisfied in God; those are the best kinds of friendships—and hey, who said we couldn’t have them over facebook? :)
~Jess
Works Cited
Brizendine, Louann. The Female Brain. New York: Broadway Books, 2006.
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