Nathaniel Peters names as a sin the “small desire to know more when we have no good reason for knowing it.” (“Saving Silence; Unlearning the Sin of Curiosity,” Plough Quarterly, Summer, 2017)

We don’t have to let the internet waylay us with juicy tidbits when we are merely checking the weather.

Peters quotes Rod Dreher in using the term “technological asceticism” to define the process of weaning ourselves from our devices.

Technological discipline (a term I prefer) requires more than lip service to our need for inward journeys and for building up our communities. Finding more time for these pursuits requires a positive act of limiting our time with technical gizmos.

We can hold as sacrosanct the ritual of meals and times with family and friends. We can limit our digital devices to certain times of the day.

Technology retreats can include weekends of silence and meditation. Another version is a time of dedicated face-to-face sharing with friends.

Weigh the value of following the latest scandal compared to needs for personal growth and community.