No, not talking about the Bible translation here...
In what I believe is a great article on the blessings and rubbish of technology and the internet in particular, one Joan Westernberg wrote an article called "The Original Sin of Everything". See it here if you like, and no my zealous Christian friends, it's not claiming to be a commentary on either theology or doctrine so understand that's not what she meant. https://www.joanwestenberg.com
I couldn't agree more when she pointed out "We should focus less on the technology itself and more on the human behaviors it’s amplifying. Want to fix social media? Work on human tribalism and status-seeking."
Hmmm, let's break that down a bit.
I'm a life-long musician who plays guitar and other instruments often via amplifiers. I LIKE loud... but it can make you deaf to the rest of the band if you're not careful.
There are certainly many tribes regardless of any group you are part of in terms of biological heritage, culture and social alliances -so I'd say "tribalism" is accurate in terms of how we use, post, respond to posts and such online, certainly at times. Why?
Status-seeking is sadly too often the motive for trying sell ourselves and our ideas, likes and dislikes (sometimes to an extreme...) via the web and of course, in other modes of communication as well.
It takes a heart-check, an inventory of our real selves prior to doing a fast, hard defense of the flawed and often quick typing, quicker sharing memes and video that "pokes a stick in the eye" of those who disagree with us.
Then there is the "siloed" use, simply shouting back and forth to others who fairly well think like we do and vice-versa, so in the end nobody has to actually patiently, graciously and gracefully give calm, sane reasons for their thinking, attitudes, behavior and especially toward those we dislike or possibly even hate.
How does all this relate to loving God supremely and our neighbor as our self (be they online or not)? I think she's onto truth and reality regarding technology.
Further, on one hand if you own any type of company that that includes online services, social media and the like should you not have the right to establish and even change protocols of communication? I believe you do. At the same time, businesses exist to make money and therefore at times pander -even dangerously so- to politicians who use laws to direct and even dictate what those companies can legally do or not do.
Thus enters the possibility for dictatorial control of what people can access, read, think, even communicate. Control free speech and pols can control the narratives, news and the press and the twin right of assembly are, liable to being squashed or largely, perhaps totally shut down. It's a trail of tears in verifiable history how the mass of a population are then treated, told what to think, how to think and how to live, even how to trust only the "party line" when it comes to relationships with their neighbors.
This is not only about our motives in posting, it's about small or large government control. It's one reason I've been an independent voter most of my voting years.
Hmmmm. State-sponsored tribalism and status? It's happened plenty in history and can happen again.
Things to consider on the journey, quite important things, no?
As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn
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