Odita Sunday 
By Ewere Okonta
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eobnewsmedia@gmail.com
www.ewereokontablog.org.ng
Today’s world is loud, very loud. And the loudest voice in the room is not politics, not religion, not even money. The loudest voice is technology. It whispers, it shouts, it commands, it seduces, it distracts, and sometimes… it destroys. Yet we can’t let go. Why? Because, truth be told, we love it. We crave it. We depend on it like air. But the big question, the one we pretend not to hear is simple: Are we still in charge, or have we quietly handed over the steering wheel of our lives?
Let’s take a deep breath and face this without fear or pretense.
THE CONCEPT OF TECHNOLOGY: MORE THAN GADGETS AND GIGABYTES
Technology is not just AI, smartphones, TikTok, or smart TVs. No. At its core, technology is the weapon humanity invented to conquer limitations. It is innovation with a purpose. It is the mind refusing to bow to nature. From the first stone tool used by early humans to ChatGPT, robots, drones, and blockchain; technology is the story of mankind saying, “I can do better.”
Technology is not evil. Technology is not good.
Technology is power, and power; depending on who holds it, can build or break.
THE CONCEPT OF LIFESTYLE: HOW WE LIVE, BREATHE, ACT, AND REACT
Lifestyle is the theatre of our daily existence. It is the sum of our habits, what we eat, how we talk, what we consume online, how we sleep, how we love, and what we believe. Lifestyle shapes our identity. It paints the picture of who we are and how we show up in the world.
When technology enters lifestyle, the result is explosive; sometimes sweet, sometimes chaotic.
WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND LIFESTYLE COLLIDE: THE NEW REALITY
Technology has entered every corner of our existence. It no longer knocks; it barges in.
It is in our bedrooms, our cars, our workplaces, our relationships, our churches, our schools, even our emotions. Technology has become the modern-day “Holy Spirit” – omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. Except, unlike the real Holy Spirit, tech does not always lead to truth; sometimes, it leads to confusion, addiction, and dysfunction.
Let’s stop pretending: we are living inside technology, and technology is living inside us.
THE BRIGHT SIDE: WHEN TECHNOLOGY IS A BLESSING
Let’s give technology its flowers. Without it, many lives today would be empty, slow, or even lost.
– Communication is instant and global. The world has become a village square where distance is now a lazy excuse.
– Education is democratized. Anyone with data can learn anything. Degrees are no longer the only route to knowledge.
– Health care is smarter and faster. Technology is saving lives that would have been buried long ago.
– Business is borderless. An idea can turn into wealth without owning a shop, a suit, or a secretary.
– Love survives distance. Long-distance relationships now have a fighting chance, thanks to video calls and daily check-ins.
– Entertainment is endless. Movies, music, memes, reels; technology has made boredom an outdated concept.
Technology has taken us from survival mode to opportunity mode. It has elevated our possibilities.
BUT HERE IS THE DARK TRUTH: TECHNOLOGY IS ALSO A THIEF
Yes, a thief. And it steals the things we value the most.
– It steals our attention. Many can’t pray for 10 minutes without checking their phone.
– It steals our relationships. People now communicate more with screens than with spouses.
– It steals our peace. Anxiety, depression, and comparison syndrome are now digital epidemics.
– It steals our discipline. Many youths prefer scrolling to studying.
– It steals our innocence. Exposure to sexual content, violence, fraud, and fake lifestyles is now a click away.
– It steals our privacy. We post everything, even things that should remain sacred.
– It steals our values. Morality is gradually becoming an option, not a standard.
The irony is painful:
Technology has connected the world and disconnected families.
It has given us information but stolen our wisdom.
It has made us more social but less human.
THE CONTROVERSIAL PART: TECHNOLOGY IS NOT NEUTRAL
Let’s be honest, it’s not neutral.
It has an agenda: to keep you online, addicted, predictable, and profitable.
Apps are designed to trigger dopamine.
Algorithms are built to manipulate emotions.
Platforms reward controversy, lust, conflict, and vanity; because it sells.
And guess what? We are the product.
The question is no longer “Is technology affecting us?”
The question is “How deeply?”
Because at this point, technology has become the remote control, and we are the television.
THE MEETING POINT: HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY WITHOUT LOSING YOURSELF
We can’t reject technology. We can’t run from it. We can’t escape it.
But we can master it instead of allowing it to master us.
Here’s the way forward:
– Be intentional, not impulsive. Don’t use technology out of boredom, use it for purpose.
– Disconnect sometimes. Not because the world will crash, but because your mind needs fresh air.
– Let tech enhance relationships, not replace them.
– Use tech to build skills, not to compare yourself with strangers.
– Protect your mental space. Curate what you watch. Curate what you follow.
– Guard your privacy. Not everything is content.
– Create more than you consume. Builders rule the world; consumers obey it.
– Make technology your ladder, not your cage.
You must be the master.
Technology must be the servant.
Anything outside that order is slavery, with data as the chains.
FINAL WORD: BE WISE IN A DIGITAL WORLD
Technology will keep evolving, becoming smarter, faster, more seductive, and more intrusive. But the human mind, the greatest technology ever created, must stay in control.
So, ask yourself today:
Am I using technology, or is technology using me?
Your answer will determine the quality of your life in this digital age.
Use technology.
Love technology.
Enjoy technology.
But never allow it to steal your humanity.
Because in the end, the greatest machines ever built are still you and your mind.
This is the Sunday sermon, from my holy pulpit.
Ewere Okonta is the CEO of EOB Media. He is a family values advocate. He writes from the Department of Business Administration, University of Delta, Agbor.
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