Reclaiming Wonder and Awe

As we soar through the digital age where artificial intelligence, chatbots, and autonomous machines become the norm, things of the past seem to be jettisoned to make way for our digital encounters. Orbiting this discussion of our new digital world is the question - how is it affecting children? Children today have unprecedented access to technology like smartphones and the internet, which heavily shapes their social interactions and learning experiences compared to previous eras. Parents frequently reminisce back to their childhood of hours of outdoor play with neighborhood friends only to wonder why their kids get bored after twenty minutes outside.

Many psychologists have been studying how this new digital phenomenon affects the childhood experience. In his book, “The Anxious Generation” Jonathan Haidt articulates how children have been pulled out of the natural childhood setting of innocence, exploration, wonder and have been implanted into an isolated world full of screens with artificial stimuli that negatively rewire their brain development. His conclusion is that when a child is removed from their natural environment to a more artificial setting, their maturity is stunted, leading to a slow mental downfall.

There has been a surge in mental health complications in children recently. In the last ten years feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness—as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors—increased by about 40% among young people according to the CDC. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) declared a national emergency in children's mental health.

We are now coming to the sad conclusion that God’s children are suffering from an internal trauma while living a seemingly normal life. Therefore it behooves us to take a cursory view of this epidemic while providing a God-infused antidote to this bleak picture.

In The Anxious Generation, psychologist Jonathan Haidt offers an explanation on the childhood mental health crisis by telling two stories. The first is about the decline of play-based childhood. In the book, he asserts that all mammals need free play, and lots of it, to wire up their brains during childhood in preparation for adulthood. But many parents in the U.S. began to reduce children’s access to unsupervised outdoor free play out of media-fueled fears for their safety. The loss of free play and the rise of continual adult supervision deprived children of what they needed most to overcome normal anxieties - the chance to explore, test, expand their limits, build close friendships through shared adventure, and learn how to judge risks for themselves. 

Now that kids have moved from the outdoors to the indoors, the second problem that ensues is the rise of the screen-based childhood, which began in the late 2000s and accelerated in the early 2010s. In this setting, children were introduced to the screen world full of tablets, and smartphones, which were loaded with fast-paced stimuli, social media platforms supported by high-speed internet. What Haidt does in his book is show how this world of technology fragments children’s brains causing what he refers to as “the great rewiring of childhood.” This rewiring acts as a brain drain that takes kids from an eager explorer in nature to a zombie-like trance in front of screens. At school, kids become easily bored and have lost the motivation to engage in the learning process. As one educator told me, "The sparkle is gone in students' eyes."

This mental collapse happens because at a young age, excessive sensory stimuli in screens produces attention fragmentation in a child's developing brains. Attention fragmentation occurs when kids absorb fast-paced stimuli and a constant stream of notifications and messages. These messages make it almost impossible for children to focus on a single activity for too long as their sensory input gets overloaded causing their focus to become fragmented. Haidt argues (along with many other psychologist) that constant exposure to the screen world is one of the leading reasons kids have seen an uptick in attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  

As Haidt summed up the transition of a childhood outside to a childhood on screens, “We ended up overprotecting children in the real world while under protecting them in the virtual world.” Given the rise of mental health issues in our youth Haidt’s refers to Gen Z as “the anxious generation.”

While screen world stunts childhood development for kids ages 4-11, social media world erodes teens' cognitive health. To supposedly succeed socially, teens of the anxious generation have to dedicate time to creating and managing their online brands in which their experiences and “performances” in life result in an increase to the “like” button response. Therefore, kids generally spend less time socializing or exploring the outside world resulting in the great rewiring of their childhood. 

The normal, healthy way to mold the child’s brain mapping is what psychologists dub “discovery mode.” In discovery mode, a child engages in unsupervised play to study the world that lies outside them. Discovery mode is when children are engaged in intellectual exploration as their brain begins to map to reach full maturity in the frontal cortex.

Children have an  innate curiosity that motivates them to understand how things work. Essentially, kids are natural explores given their desire to find out new information and experiences through adventure and experimentation. In the natural setting, children use all their senses to uncover things through touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, and hearing as part of their information gathering system. In fact, research shows that babies are born with a natural curiosity to learn and explore, which, in turn, fuels their desire to discern new things.

Our ancestors' basic survival was dependent on discovery mode. If they lacked the drive to explore, hunt, build, and engage in nature, then they would cease to exist. Discovery mode also confers a healthy dose of the chemical dopamine to your brain. The behavioral activation system (or BAS) triggers positive emotions when you encounter new opportunities and new discoveries -  such as a cherry tree.

When children operate in play and exploration mode, they invoke crucial human growth such as thinking, imagination, problem-solving, and honing in on the disposition to search and probe beyond one’s current state. However, the digital world stunts this exploration and transfers the child over to mere “entertainment mode.” In entertainment mode the child sits idly by and rather than explore the outside world, he or she has others amuse their emotions. Entertainment mode trains children to remain stagnant and to constantly have their emotions massaged for comfort. Whereas discovery mode challenges your comfort and allows healthy stresses to build critical thinking and confidence, entertainment mode views any stressor as an emotional trauma. 

To thrive, young people need to encounter stress in discovery mode because these struggles offer them growth intellectually as well as an avenue to craft the virtues of discipline, resilience, dedication, perseverance, and courage. In fact, psychologists note that stress is necessary in childhood because this training allows children to absorb the trials of life with relative ease. Therefore, to limit discovery mode is to construct a fragile disposition on children as they inevitably confront hardships in life. To avoid the taxing moments in discovery parents opt to raise kids in a “bubble of satisfaction” where there’s no frustration, consequences, or negative emotions. Yet, overprotecting children turns them into emotionally fragile individuals the moment they confront any setbacks. Psychologist Leanoard Sax notes that not being able to absorb emotional stress has led to our mental health trauma we find ourselves in today. 

In previous decades psychologists saw that the screen world was safer than the harsh real world. However, today’s psychologists show the opposite is true. The online world can’t replace first-hand experience. You can watch how someone suffers defeat on a screen, but that doesn’t replicate you suffering a setback in life - you actually have to do it and learn to master your emotions not have your emotions master you. 

In his book, Haidt illuminates that the opposite of discovery mode is defensive mode. If discovery mode is the ideal that is rarely seen, defensive mode is the broken path that represents the norm. In defensive mode, the behavioral inhibition system (or BIS) is triggered when you encounter threats, such as a wild animal or perceived mental struggles. When this happens, fear becomes so intense that any other emotion is suppressed. In defensive mode, discovery is curtailed, and rather than explore the child is conditioned to shut down any outside seeking that would pose potential threats. Think of a child trying a new sport or a new activity. In discovery mode, they are eager to try and explore the new phenomenon but in defensive mode, they fear failure. Here, their anxiety buries any exploration because of the potential emotional response from pitfalls they may encounter. Haidt goes on to illustrate that defensive mode is brought about by excessive screen-based entertainment. In this sense, defensive mode is the negative fruit of putting a child in front of screens away from their natural setting of discovery.

The person who is in discovery mode sits as one who is ready to climb the mountain of truth. In his quest up the mountain of truth he is sure to experience moments of frustration and trials, but these setbacks stand to build his character, his grit, his learning so he can readily experience all the mountain of truth has to offer. The person in entertainment mode refuses to climb the mountain of truth for exploration scares him. When he sees the mountain, his defensive mode kicks in. He sees that he will miss his comfort at the base of the mountain and instead of seeing obstacles as challenges for growth, he fears the obstacles. So, he sits in this lethargic state only to go back to his addictive toy. His mindset is one of wishing he could climb the mountain but sacred to. Here, he sits as a little boy afraid to be a man. 

Reconfigured into a consumer that demands entertainment and pleasure, both adults and kids alike become bored with learning. Their natural desire to seek out the truth has been gutted only to find them staring like a zombie in front of an artificial screen. 

Presented with this dismal situation, Haidt and other psychologists offer practical parenting tips on off-setting this reset of children’s natural development. But, instead of looking for a secular solution, to get to the root of the problem and reclaim the sense of wonder, we must recognize that we are dealing with a spiritual conflict. In the spiritual realm, there is a battle over the right to our souls, and children being in a stage of relative innocence, are thus more ideal to corrupt in the eyes of the demonic. In his masterpiece, The Screwtape Letters, CS Lewis articulates how demons create an abundance of noise in a society to distract people away from God’s natural environment. Here, we must  grasp that moving kids from discovery mode to entertainment and defensive mode is really a demonic ploy to rupture children from their divine trajectory. Because God embedded children with a sacred seal at the moment of their baptism, their sense of the supernatural never goes away. While the culture has buried discovery mode under layers of superficial entertainment, it can surely resurface given the right recipe.  

As screen world has turned kids into intellectual zombies, their God-given  “senses” can be awoken to reclaim their natural discovery mode. God infused children with an innate perception of wonder and awe that stands as a powerful agent in their development. Wonder is a natural curiosity that allows children to be fascinated by the world around them. As one writer observed, “Wonder can help children develop a clear-eyed vision, and can lead to curiosity, questioning, appreciation, respect, imagination, and creativity.” From a larger perspective, wonder is the process of discovering those sacred signs that lie above you. 

Awe is a feeling of amazement or reverence in the face of something that's bigger, more powerful than oneself. Awe kicks in after one discovers a sacred truth. Awe can be triggered by many things, including nature, the arts, music, architecture, and other people. Experiencing a natural awe boasts many neurological benefits but most importantly awe places the child back to discovery mode. If we take discovery and awe and allow it to organically flourish, it situates us in the spiritual world. For children’s discovery in the material world points to the larger encounter in the spiritual realm. 

Awe and wonder are associated with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. These are grouped into the larger bracket of our higher faculties. But the higher faculties are largely subdued when there is an obsession with our lower faculties - a.k.a. the fleshly appetites. Studies in psychology allude that when people become aroused with touch, taste, and instant gratification the part of the brain that is associated with logical thinking shuts down while their emotional center (the amygdala) lights up. The same holds true in the spiritual sphere. Those who are ensconced in pride, gluttony, and other vectors of self-pleasure have little interest in the ways of God. Yet, being suppressed under layers of sin, discovery, and awe long to break free. After a while, the constant pursuit of entertainment becomes uninspiring as it yields the boredom of an unexamined life. The ardent sinner knows deep down that something greater lies beyond the life of self-indulgence. This sense of something more is drenched in mystery. Awe is unlocking the power of mystery. This mystery is a deep search for God amidst the hidden. Jesus repeatedly unveiled through mystery often teaching covertly in parables. He told His disciples to not disclose heavenly truths to others, but rather to unveil it slowly and methodically at the right time (see Matthew 10:27).

Jesus also famously taught “unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” While in this verse Jesus is teaching us childlike humility, the verse also points to having that childlike wonder and awe. With wonder we become open to the mysteries of the supernatural. To be sure, wonder isn’t meant for one to be overly gullible to believe things that aren’t true. What wonder reveals is that having a big imagination is supposed to lead you to the big concepts of the divine. This surfaces in seeking answers to such questions as - Who am I? What is life all about? Is there life beyond this world?

Rather than ponder these pressing questions wonder has been concealed given the penetrating noise from screen-world. Jesus used the parable of the sower to show us three classes of people who don’t receive God’s message. Those “on the path” never receive the word; those with rocky soil cannot withstand the trials of this life and those with thorns give into the “cares of this world and delight in riches” Notice the same twofold trap snares those who are almost to the point of being fruitful: fear - those who can’t withstand unpleasant experiences and the "pleasures of this world."

People consumed in the digital landscape in which their brain merely wants to be entertained fall into two impediments that block them from God’s word. The “cares of the world” trap one into being a consumer of entertainment. Being addicted to screen world then drags them into the rocky ground dilemma. Here, they can’t sustain the trials embedded in God’s message.

Much like a tiller to rocky and thorny paths, the Catholic liturgy presents an opportunity to burst open these impediments. Given that children have this God-given draw to wonder and awe, the liturgy represents the place where they come alive. Worship signifies the height of awe and wonder where the imagination takes in sacred sites - candles, sacred art, vestments, chalices, incense, bells, and chanting. The Catholic liturgy is soaked in the language of divine mystery that provokes a curious seeker to think outside this finite world and be taken up to the infinite world. Modern man dismisses the liturgy because we don’t understand it, or because we can’t fit it into our consumeristic mentality. The liturgy is meant to be unknown. It is meant to draw us out of the world of entertainment and consumerism and to contemplate divine mysteries. It is the sacred unknown that taps into the infinite longings of the heart and places us back in discovery mode. Our intellectual and spiritual growth occurs as a result of the inward drive to know. Aristotle famously said, “All men by nature desire to know.”

As Biblical Scholar, Peter Kwasniewski put it, “Wonder is the name of our reaction to what we cannot see through, cannot instantly grasp. In a healthy soul, this wonder then moves us to seek to understand. When we lose the capacity for wonder, we lose the capacity for learning”.

In the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly let His companions stew in their lack of understanding, because they still need to explore beyond the earhtly level, They needed to see His teaching as a mystery they don't fully get this way they would be go beyond their sensory focus and be more open to the transcendent. Jesus was a master at grabbing them in the mysterious. Jesus often did things without explaining why, as when he sent His apostles across the lake without Him, knowing He would later walk across it and frighten them (Mk 6:45–51). Therefore, not knowing the liturgy does not prevent kids from exploring it. They need to learn to treat the liturgy as the opposite of everything they encounter in screen-world. Screen-world is geared to be simple, to entertain whereas the liturgy is built around one seeking to encounter the unknown. Whereas when one is being entertained they can turn their brain off from thinking on heavy topics, when one enters worship they are challenged to elevate their thoughts toward a larger stratosphere.    

Theologian Romano Guardini reasoned that our exterior forms our interior. In other words, the actions our bodies do have the ability to shape our thoughts. Assuming our thoughts are open to it, the actions of the body can mold the thoughts to correspond to what the body does. So, the repeated actions of a person at the Mass allows them to cultivate wonder and awe into their psyche.  

When screen world swallows up discovery world then the artificial gobbles up the supernatural. As Cardinal Sarah put it, “We become deaf, autistic, and blind to the things of God." But, when one is open divine worship, the liturgy creates a sacred silence where we tune out the noise of the world and allow the transcendence to bring us back to our natural environment.