Anchored in Faith, Courageously Wise in a Digital Age

One of the greatest challenges facing parents and schools today is helping young people navigate a world increasingly shaped by digital technology. Smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence, and constant connectivity offer remarkable opportunities, but they also require wisdom, discernment, and strong foundations if our children are to flourish.

In his book The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt argues that many of the wellbeing challenges facing young people today can be traced to two significant cultural shifts: children have become increasingly overprotected in the real world while being underprotected in the virtual world. He points to research showing rising rates of anxiety and depression among adolescents, alongside dramatic increases in smartphone ownership, social media use, and time spent online.

One of Haidt’s most compelling observations is that many young people are becoming “forever elsewhere.” Even when physically present in a classroom, around a family dinner table, or spending time with friends, a significant portion of their attention remains fixed on what is happening online. As a result, opportunities for genuine face-to-face connection, friendship, play, and emotional growth can be diminished.

Haidt argues that children develop resilience not by avoiding every challenge, but by experiencing manageable risks and setbacks. He uses the illustration of trees grown in a protected biosphere that grew rapidly but eventually collapsed because they had never been exposed to wind. In the same way, young people develop strength when they learn to navigate disappointment, resolve conflicts, take responsibility, and overcome obstacles. These experiences help build what Haidt describes as a “psychological immune system” that prepares them for adult life.

This idea resonates strongly with our Christian understanding of growth and wisdom. Throughout Scripture, wisdom is not simply knowledge. Wisdom is learning to live faithfully and discerningly in God’s world. It is developed through experience, perseverance, and dependence on God. As our 2026 theme reminds us, we seek to be Anchored in Faith, Courageously Wise. Anchored in Christ, our students can approach the opportunities and challenges of the digital world with confidence, discernment, and self-control.

Technology itself is not the enemy. As Christian author Tony Reinke observes, technology is a gift that can help us learn, create, communicate, and even grow in our faith. Yet, like every human invention, it can also shape our habits, relationships, and desires in ways that require careful wisdom. Technology changes how we relate to one another, to the world, and ultimately to God. The question is not whether our children will use technology, but whether they will learn to use it wisely. 

At the College, we are committed to helping students develop this wisdom. Our staff are currently reviewing device use in classrooms, developing guidelines around emerging technologies such as AI, and considering how digital tools can best support learning while protecting student wellbeing. We are also committed to providing rich opportunities for students to engage in activities that foster real-world connection and growth, including sport, music, service opportunities, camps, co-curricular programs, and Bible study groups.

These opportunities matter. Research consistently suggests that young people benefit when they participate in activities that build community, develop resilience, and strengthen relationships beyond the screen.

However, schools cannot do this work alone. Parents remain the most important influence in shaping their children’s habits and attitudes toward technology. We encourage families to establish healthy boundaries around device use, prioritise face-to-face interactions, support opportunities for independence and responsibility, and model wise technology habits themselves. Resources such as Daniel Sih’s Raising Tech-Healthy Humans provide practical guidance for families seeking to establish healthy digital rhythms at home.

As a school community, our prayer is that we would work together to raise young people who are not controlled by technology but use it wisely and purposefully. May our children be anchored in faith, guided by biblical wisdom, and equipped to engage with the opportunities and challenges of the digital age in ways that honour God and serve others well.

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

Suggested Reading List 

Haidt, J. (2024). The anxious generation: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness. Penguin Press.

Reinke, T. (2017). 12 ways your phone is changing you. Crossway.

Driscoll, S. (2024). Made in our image: God, artificial intelligence and you. Matthias Media. 

Matthews, P. (2024). A time to lead: A faithful approach to artificial intelligence in Christian education. Christian Schools International. 

Sih, D., & Matthews, P. (2026). Wise AI: Using powerful technology in a deeply human way. Spacemakers

Sih, D. (2022). Raising tech-healthy humans: How to reset your children's tech-habits and give them a great start to life. Publish Central.