Our approach to

Technology at St. Isidore’s

Technology at St. Isidore’s At St. Isidore’s, we acknowledge both the potential good and the potential evil that can come from the use of technology. We do not reject all technology, and we recognize as technology many things no longer recognized as technological: pen and paper, writing itself, bookmaking, the various manual and culinary arts necessary for agricultural work and the various tools and implements of those arts. We also gratefully acknowledge the contributions of Catholic monastics to various technological developments—especially ones associated with agricultural work. Nevertheless, we prefer the use of manually-powered tools whenever practicable due to the relative safety, quietness, and energy-efficiency they provide. We avoid electronic and fuel-powered tools and machinery.

Moreover, recognizing the unique powers and dangers of various personal electronic devices, we ask students not to bring laptops or smartphones to campus so they can be free of the distractions these devices pose to so many people today. In lieu of cell phones, we use handheld radios for work-related communication across campus grounds and landline phones for inter-office and external communication. Students can access desktop computers in our library for academic work as necessary, but students are not assigned email addresses by the college (to encourage them to contact people on campus in person and off campus by phone).

We also discourage faculty from using smart phones and/or computers for anything but truly necessary work. Our faculty do not use email internally (to communicate with one another) and are encouraged to use email externally (to communicate with professors at other institutions, for instance) only when absolutely necessary. We encourage faculty to model for our students proper, moderate use of phones, computers, and similar electronic devices.

Finally, we recognize that digital media have become the dominant forms of entertainment today, and we may at some time (depending on funding and the interest of students and faculty) incorporate some manner of digital media production into our programs. But we also recognize that most people do not merely consume such media but are sadly consumed by them. Therefore, we do not subscribe to any streaming services or allow students to access such services while on our campus; however, we recognize the potential goodness, truth, and beauty of film and recorded music from any era, so we host movie nights throughout the year and foster both communal and private appreciation of music in various ways. Indeed, we welcome students to have with them on campus devices devoted to music, audiobooks, and/or ebooks even as we strive to offer many opportunities to enjoy live performances of music, theater, and communal reading.

Suggested Further Reading:

Jean M. Twenge’s “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”

Eric Brende’s Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology