Paul VanderKlay's Podcast What is the Internet For? Can it Bless Us?
6 snips
Nov 4, 2025 Sam Tiedemann, a community-building enthusiast, and Annie Crawford, an Anglican church leader and homeschooling mother, dive into the internet's complex role. They discuss whether online spaces can genuinely foster community and guide people to church life. Annie shares how digital platforms have helped her break isolation and build a richer family culture. They also debate the risks of celebrity culture in online engagement, advocating for meaningful online connections that promote genuine vocations.
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Internet's True Purpose
- The internet's purpose should be to produce better people, not more viewers or content consumers.
- Paul argues platforms aim to maximize attention while our goal should be human formation and virtue.
Visiting Freddie In Nursing Care
- Paul describes visiting Freddie in a nursing home and the hard reality of care staff being overwhelmed and patients vegetating.
- He uses this experience to reflect on technology's role in isolating and numbing vulnerable people.
Break Online Habits After Joining Church
- If you find a parish, break online habits and trust local pastoral guidance instead of endless internet mining.
- Seek community, obedience, and simpler practices to undo addictive online patterns.
