God-Driven Moments of Analog and Making Friends

Cassidy Van Slyke Blenke reflects on her experiences detached from technology. Time spent living in the moment gave her the courage to detach from devices today. 

An unplugged childhood

The best moments of my childhood and young adult life were spent detached from technology. I was completely unaware that these untethered soul-forming foundational experiences would be what I would long for today, many years later, where I find myself completely plugged into my distracted, parenting-mayhem, technology-infested life.  

Growing up in the wild summers of the 1990s, I entertained myself by exploring random two-tracks, picking weeds, biking, swimming, making random friends, and letting the excitement of activity and smiles guide me. Rarely spending time at home, I found ways to connect with nature and other peers because there was no other option or fancy summer camp to attend.  

In college, I spent a summer backpacking in the Swiss Alps. There was no computer, iPhone, or email. It was just a group of enthusiastic outdoor students exploring and learning about the environment surrounded by mountains, sweaty exercise, and celebrating learning through new experiences in new countries and different surroundings. I was given the gift of no devices, no technological distractions, and the ability to talk to the people trudging beside me, trying to find themselves just as I was. 

Craving detachment

Even though I am still the same person, maybe with a little bit more knowledge and experience, I crave those days when God had his hand on my shoulder, steering me away from the busy, chaotic world, putting me in situations where I needed to lean on others and seek new friendships from a group of peers. He guided me into friendships, encounters, and sunlight that reflected His vast Creation and love for humanity and celebration of life and others.  

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) 

While there was no traditional biblical baseline in my earlier years detached from technology, I wholly believe that God was the heartbeat of all my unplugged encounters in childhood, preteen years, and college, especially as I studied abroad and discovered how vast God’s world really was outside of the nation I had been living in.  

In the land of 2024, where I am no longer an invincible young adult and am responsible for four young children, a dog, and a husband, my circumstances have greatly changed, as well as the hold of technology on our everyday lives. This got me thinking about what Jesus would make of social media and everyone who chooses to get lost in the all-too-easy noise of swiping left, liking, subscribing, and anonymously trolling. I recognize that there are benefits to the internet and social media through the promotion of just causes and the attempt to increase sales for our products and business ventures. But I know how easily I get tangled in the complicated web of ads, influencers, and those targeting me with ill intentions.  

I need to remind myself of my former uncomplicated days when God guided me along in my childhood and young adult adventures in the summer, steering me away from those distractions and into relationships and the beauty of friendships. When we find ourselves in a quiet moment when we are typically pulled to scroll, let’s try to resist the devices and instead turn to a stranger and ask how their day is going or simply close our eyes and acknowledge God’s presence, acknowledge our gratitude, and thank Him for the air we are currently freely breathing. After all, unplugging from technology and plugging into God doesn’t have to be so complicated. 

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Copyright 2024 Cassidy Van Slyke Blenke
Images: Canva