Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:8–9 (NIV)
The Bible is peppered with encouragements and directions about how to live in community with one another.
Yet the biblical vision for community marked by love, hospitality, accountability, and presence, often stands in tension with the shifting norms of a digital age. As technology mediates more of our interactions, our understanding of connection is being reshaped. Screens offer immediacy and access, but not necessarily depth, accountability or transformation. For young people especially, whose identities are still forming, this brings both opportunity and risk. The challenge for Christian families, schools, and churches is to help re-anchor students in a vision of community that reflects God’s design: one that prioritises presence over performance, relationship over reach, and formation over followers.
While debate around the role of social media and gaming in youth wellbeing is not new, what distinguishes the current discourse is the growing body of empirical research that supports claims of digital overexposure and its psychological, relational, and behavioural consequences. The long-held assumption that online behaviour exists in isolation from real-world conduct is becoming obsolete. Evidence suggests that the norms and messages young people encounter in digital environments are increasingly shaping their offline identities, social interactions, and value systems.
Recent headlines have drawn attention to concerning manifestations of this shift, such as The Vape Dilemma which discusses the way online influencers push a narrative of the positives of vaping in the face of research and the law. Sunday night’s, 60 Minutes episode discussed the influence of online personalities like Andrew Tate on our young men and impact on young women. And there are countless other examples of how the online, is at times driving the offline realms.
Jonathan Haidt in his powerful and evidence-driven book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, notes that there has been a “great re-wiring of childhood”. The sentiments of the book are echoed by Australian Psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, and further corroborated by Dr Justin Coulsonwhen he visited earlier this year. All advocate for reduced screen time, unstructured play and moments of connectedness. Unsurprisingly they also acknowledge the importance of “spirituality”, and in recognising there is something bigger than us.
Koinonia is Greek for fellowship and occurs 20 times in the New Testament. It personifies authentic connection beyond the superficial and grounded in faith. It acknowledges God in the centre of community. Communities of faith are recognised for their positive influence on resilience and emotional connection, not only in Christian spheres, but also in secular. It is a counter to the negative and strengthens networks of people to ensure a sense of security and belonging.
The paradox of the online world is such that it often offers connection without true community, presence without accountability, and expression without formation. The Gospel however, calls young people into embodied community, where identity is shaped not by algorithms, but through love, truth, and belonging. As a school grounded in faith, we affirm the call to nurture students in environments where their whole selves can flourish in authentic relationship with God and others.
If you would like to read or listen to some of the resources used when pondering this topic, a list is provided below:
ABC Radio National. (2025, April 3). Supporting teenagers to thrive online [Radio broadcast]. Big Ideas. https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/bigideas/supporting-teenagers-to-thrive-online/105055396
BibleInfo.com. (n.d.). What does koinonia mean? https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/what-does-koinonia-mean
Carr-Gregg, M. (n.d.). Needs & challenges growing up in the 21st century [Video]. M3CS Seminar Series, Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5AvrcX__sw
Davidson, A. (Host). (2022, October 13). Digitally detoxing your kids for clearer thinking (Ep. 74) [Audio podcast episode]. In Mama Bear Apologetics. https://mamabearapologetics.com/podcast/
Haidt, J. (2024). The anxious generation: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness. Penguin Press.
Lipton, B. (n.d.). Moral imagination in a digital world: Holding space for childhood. ABC Religion & Ethics. https://www.abc.net.au/religion/childhood-moral-imagination-in-a-digital-world/105440248
Valentish, J. (2025, July 20). Do new vape laws work? How regulations aim to reduce smoking. ABC News – The Long Read. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-20/nicotine-laws-regulate-vapes-do-reforms-work-to-stop-smoking/105545906
Candice Thornton
Director of Teaching and Learning
Maranatha Christian School
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