I live with my phone. It's by my side, at all times. Seriously. I even take it to the bathroom with me and while I shower. Ok, not IN the shower, but in the bathroom, as I shower. Do not judge. I guess I'm afraid I'll miss an important phone call or something? Throughout the day, I'll find myself checking Facebook and Twitter constantly, checking the timeline to see who's gotten engaged and posted it by saying, "I said yes!", who's pooped for the day and let FB know, who's child is playing in the street and now that parent wants to beat them, teenage girls and some mothers posting pictures of weird ducks...oh, wait...(and this I'm somewhat guilty of myself), the sermons. And the list goes on. Have you tried to go one day without FB? If so, good for you. Because, I haven't been able to, except when I was in Branson two summers ago, where there was no 3G. They have thousands of tourists a year but no 3G. Go figure. The sad thing was, I was on family vacation and in such a cranky mood because I couldn't text or check FB and Twitter. I wouldn't be blogging this if I thought I was the only one in this boat. I'm not. There are hundreds, thousands and even millions of Americans who do the very same thing. It's a world of technology and always having to be amused by something.
This blog thought comes from a book that I just read in my Lit class. Neil Postman wrote a book called "Amusing Ourselves to Death". If you've not read it, you should! It's a great read and will open your eyes about the desperate and very sad need that Americans have for media, technology and television. When he wrote this book, texting, FB and Twitter were not even in the picture yet. I'd love to hear what he has to say about this, today. As I write this post, I'm preaching to myself, as well. I think everybody is guilty of this, to a point. Some, more than others. At least, those that have smart phones, FB, Twitter, etc. Remember chat rooms such as First Church, the social network Everyone's Connected and MySpace? Those were times, right before smart phones took over the world. It didn't seem as much of an addiction because the only way you could access them was through a computer, which unless it was a laptop, you wouldn't haul it everywhere you go. Then the smart phones came out, with the apps and there went America. The internet in your hands. So, how were Americans being entertained before smart phones and social networks? Television. They still are. The world of technology, Apple products, game apps, social networks, smart phones, etc., have only added more entertainment to the grandmother of them all, which is television. And in my opinion, in 2012, television and the internet are no different. You can see most of what you see on television, on the internet. Its not a theory or thought. It's the truth. With smart phones, there's always something to keep us entertained. If FB is boring, head over to Twitter. If that's boring, go play Angry Birds or post on Pinterest. These are all ways that we are kept entertained. In "Amusing Ourselves to Death", Postman made a remark about Americans and television, which is extremely sad when you think about it, "The result of all this is that Americans are the best entertained and quite likely the least well-informed people in the Western world". He goes on to state that, "...70 percent of our citizens do not know who is the Secretary of State or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court". I can guarantee that more people can remember the highlights of the Grammy's, from last week, myself included. My generation only knows the world of technology and being entertained 24/7.
Entertainment bleeds over into everything. In the years of Abraham Lincoln, political debates would last for hours, upon hours, sometimes a couple days. People would stand around, intently listening and getting involved. Now, campaigns are on television, while opponents attack one another, with viewers only being able to be captivated for a couple hours, at most. News stories do not go over 45 seconds, normally, until it's on to a new one, then they break for commercials, at which point the newscaster goes from telling about a child being murdered, to a quirky "Now a word from our sponsor", going straight into a McDonald's commercial. News channels do this because Americans get bored with long news stories. It's all about being entertained, always needing something new, otherwise we'll lose interest. Student ministries go above and beyond to doing the craziest gimmicks in youth services, because they need to captivate and hold the attention of their students, otherwise they'll clock out. I guess God isn't good enough to captivate a students attention or something. While teaching my Sunday school class, I listen as the students constantly talk about video games and favorite movies, but when I ask a question about the lesson, I get a blank stare. Sitting at dinner with a table full of family and friends the other night, I look down and everybody is on their phone. It just seems like a natural way of life. Recent studies have proven that FB and Twitter are more addictive than 1. Drugs 2. Sex and 3. Alcohol. Sadly, this is our world. It's a world of entertainment and it's taken Americans, especially the younger generation, myself included, as prisoners.
This blog thought comes from a book that I just read in my Lit class. Neil Postman wrote a book called "Amusing Ourselves to Death". If you've not read it, you should! It's a great read and will open your eyes about the desperate and very sad need that Americans have for media, technology and television. When he wrote this book, texting, FB and Twitter were not even in the picture yet. I'd love to hear what he has to say about this, today. As I write this post, I'm preaching to myself, as well. I think everybody is guilty of this, to a point. Some, more than others. At least, those that have smart phones, FB, Twitter, etc. Remember chat rooms such as First Church, the social network Everyone's Connected and MySpace? Those were times, right before smart phones took over the world. It didn't seem as much of an addiction because the only way you could access them was through a computer, which unless it was a laptop, you wouldn't haul it everywhere you go. Then the smart phones came out, with the apps and there went America. The internet in your hands. So, how were Americans being entertained before smart phones and social networks? Television. They still are. The world of technology, Apple products, game apps, social networks, smart phones, etc., have only added more entertainment to the grandmother of them all, which is television. And in my opinion, in 2012, television and the internet are no different. You can see most of what you see on television, on the internet. Its not a theory or thought. It's the truth. With smart phones, there's always something to keep us entertained. If FB is boring, head over to Twitter. If that's boring, go play Angry Birds or post on Pinterest. These are all ways that we are kept entertained. In "Amusing Ourselves to Death", Postman made a remark about Americans and television, which is extremely sad when you think about it, "The result of all this is that Americans are the best entertained and quite likely the least well-informed people in the Western world". He goes on to state that, "...70 percent of our citizens do not know who is the Secretary of State or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court". I can guarantee that more people can remember the highlights of the Grammy's, from last week, myself included. My generation only knows the world of technology and being entertained 24/7.
Entertainment bleeds over into everything. In the years of Abraham Lincoln, political debates would last for hours, upon hours, sometimes a couple days. People would stand around, intently listening and getting involved. Now, campaigns are on television, while opponents attack one another, with viewers only being able to be captivated for a couple hours, at most. News stories do not go over 45 seconds, normally, until it's on to a new one, then they break for commercials, at which point the newscaster goes from telling about a child being murdered, to a quirky "Now a word from our sponsor", going straight into a McDonald's commercial. News channels do this because Americans get bored with long news stories. It's all about being entertained, always needing something new, otherwise we'll lose interest. Student ministries go above and beyond to doing the craziest gimmicks in youth services, because they need to captivate and hold the attention of their students, otherwise they'll clock out. I guess God isn't good enough to captivate a students attention or something. While teaching my Sunday school class, I listen as the students constantly talk about video games and favorite movies, but when I ask a question about the lesson, I get a blank stare. Sitting at dinner with a table full of family and friends the other night, I look down and everybody is on their phone. It just seems like a natural way of life. Recent studies have proven that FB and Twitter are more addictive than 1. Drugs 2. Sex and 3. Alcohol. Sadly, this is our world. It's a world of entertainment and it's taken Americans, especially the younger generation, myself included, as prisoners.
Thanks for the wonderful post! Good read. :)
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