Studies such as this indicate as much about those who waste time and money surveying as it does regarding those being surveyed. Does anyone really need to conduct a “study” in order to observe that Facebook is a medium where intelligent conversation and postings are rarely observed?
A very cursory perusing of Facebook chatter leaves an immediate impression concerning the interests of those who use it regularly. Pursuit of deep wisdom, insightful observations, and matters of genuine importance do not prevail.
For what purpose do people utilize the Facebook medium? Is it not primarily for a sense of connection to others? Is it not an exercise in reacquiring the sense of connectedness that has largely disintegrated through years of television addiction and broken homes and materialistic pursuits?
Facebook is a medium for people who are like this Pointer puppy who followed my wife home from her daily walk.
This rather spastic puppy followed her home from about two miles away. It has a collar but no licence or identification tags. It darted into the house and tracked mud onto the carpet before I could gain voice control and direct it back out the door. Afterward it scratched at the door, whining and barking. After ignoring it for about half an hour or more, it noticed another dog on a walk with its master and darted off after them.
Its desire was to obtain attention for self and a sense of belonging. As soon as it felt that this desire was not being met to its satisfaction, it darted off again after another momentary and fleeting snippet of imaginary satisfaction. How many of these attempts will this puppy make yet today?
Will it find its way home again? Will it find a new haven of refuge and belonging? Has it been abandoned? Will it find that for which it seeks?
Is this not the way of most who use Facebook?
They call it a “Community.”
What does this indicate? What does this reveal about those who subject themselves to the requirements of the Facebook controllers in order to be adopted into this community or family or assembly (ecclesia - church)?
How many people even realize what this is into which they are asking to be adopted/accepted/incorporated?
Today, when I typed www.facebook.com, this is the screen that appeared:
In order to become a part of this family, one must accept the adoption process, including the submission of personal information that only close and trusted family should know.
If a person clicks on the “About” link, before one is permitted to learn about the Facebook family, one is required to subject oneself to the adoption process:
Or at least, so this screen shot would seem to imply. The information that is supplied farther down the web page is not presented in an organized and intelligent fashion, but with pictures like a presentation intended for a kindergarten child, and sporadically.
What is revealed about the depth of desperation for connectedness of those who willingly submit to this treatment?
If one accepts this so as to subject oneself to it, as I did when I bowed down to the Facebook requirements when I received my first “friend invitation,” what is the motivation?
Intelligence and wisdom and caution certainly are not in the picture.
Speaking for myself, I have long wanted to divorce myself from this entrapment. However, every time that I sign on to terminate my account, I am reminded of someone for whom I care with whom I have no other ordinary regular contact. Then I feel trapped. Then I bow down again to the demand to allow Facebook to own my information and to use it as these tyrants choose.
Am I really much different from the silly Pointer puppy?
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2 comments:
Hello Paul,
"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are My ways, your ways, says THE LORD God."
We fallen creatures exist this side of the tower of Babel. Communication is always a problem for every one of us sinful sons of Adam, not only because of our differing languages, but also because of our divergent ways of thinking.
Yet in spite of our linguistic limitations, the Triune God's Word remains efficacious, graciously breathing life to the dead, so that they might live. In Christ, we "see" now by faith; but we do not yet see His glorious face; yet we are seen and known by Him because He has posted our Names in His Book of Life.
Thanks be to God for this eternal community that is not virtual.
Gary Cepek
Thanks for the comment, Gary.
You picked up on part of what I hinted towards. However, while in general agreement, I would say that our ways are not truly divergent, except from the ways of the Lord. Like the puppy, we feel lost and in need of being reconnected. We are stubborn, and so we seek to accomplish this by our own methods and the worldly methods, rather than relying upon the Lord and His Word.
In this vein, the flow towards Facebook and other substitutionary connections are found. Such media have become the new church. The churches in general have moved in this direction. Self definition has become the norm. But as you point out, this has been the way since Adam’s selfish choice in the garden.
Regarding the dividing of the tongues at Babel, I would like to call forth the recollection that this was an act of Grace by our loving God who did not want the condition of the world to become as unitedly evil as in the days preceding the flood. He wanted to postpone the unification of evil intentions that was being enacted through the efforts of the ancient United Nations at Babel. By confusing the languages, He postponed the day of Judgment, so that many of the Gentiles who would be born of these ancient globalists would hear the Gospel and be saved from everlasting doom.
But today the churches have turned from being the Church and have turned themselves to the ways of worldly unification attempts. And so media like Facebook have become the avenues to which the multitudes now turn, seeking to be united in small ways, while clinging to their individualistic dysfunctions. But they feel as though they have accomplished a re-connection and so they join the “family” or “community,” and religiously log in to the electronic community connection.
The so-called churches of today are really merely lo-tech versions of the same thing. Since these lo-tech churches are less effective in that they cannot be as diversely available, requiring actual bodily attendance in at least some way, people become more and more disenfranchised and turn more and more to the seemingly less demanding ways of the electronic churches. In this way people can Feel connected and united without actually being connected or united.
No real commitment occurs. No real trust is required or developed. It is family dysfunction of the highest degree.
Anyway, . . .
I deeply miss the days when family was more commonly embraced according to the clear definitions of the Scriptures and the Church was embraced and the one, holy, catholic Church, the communion of saints, existing in the purity and unity of the Holy Communion of the Triune God in the body of Christ. I look forward to that final day when Christ returns to restore this to those who belong to Him.
~ Paul
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