Thoughts after reading The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman

"When the world is flat, whatever can be done will be done. The only question is whether it will be done by you or to you" (p.442). Friedman was speaking specifically of how companies can survive in the flat world we now live in when he said this, but this statement caused me to ponder not just what companies need to do, but what we as individuals must do to survive in this flat world. Advances in technology have brought us many new opportunities, and with these new opportunities comes new responsibility.

Remember that life is still about people
As life becomes more virtual and wireless we must remember that it is still about people. Technology allows us to communicate in so many new ways: text messaging, instant messenger, email, and even what I'm doing right now--blogging. These ways of communicating can be very convenient, but we should not allow them to take precedence over meeting with people face to face. Let your mouth do the talking instead of your fingers.

Increased access to good also brings increased access to evil
Satan would use any good thing for his own evil purposes. Technology gives us access to so many good and uplifting things, but the adversary would pollute our world with filth. We need to be on guard. If we are cautious of the things we allow past our filters (digital and moral), then we can harness the good from technology and avoid the evil.

Not all knowledge is necessary knowledge
The amount of information available to us in this flat world can be overwhelming. Even though the information we access may not be blatantly evil, it may not be necessary. Elder Oaks in his October 2007 Conference talk said, "just because something is good is not a sufficient reason for doing it." He later continues, "Make sure that the essential needs are met, but do not go overboard in creating so many good things to do that the essential ones are not accomplished." Spending time with family and friends, selfless service, and striving to become more Christlike are among the most important things we can do with our time.

"The world is being flattened. I didn't start it and you can't stop it...but we can tilt it, and shape it, for better or for worse" (p.635).