It amazes me how we have come so far technologically. In the past 10–15 years, technology has increased more than ever. We have seemingly found infinite ways to be more connected with each other. We can hop on the internet via Facebook, Twitter, or any other social site, and converse with someone on the other side of the globe. We can get on XBOX or Playstation and play live video games with someone in another country. We can open the Skype app on our phone or tablet and visually communicate with a friend or stranger anywhere in the world.
All this begs the question: How have we become so disconnected in a world that is more connected?
The answer: We are NOT really more connected.
Technology has exploded by leaps and bounds. I really enjoy technology. I like the fact that I can instantly send a message or call someone no matter where they are. This is bittersweet.
It is sweet because it’s easy—it is convenient. It is bitter because it has negatively impacted our daily interactions with one another.
Most people today care about their selfies. Yes, you read that right. Not selves, but selfies. Most everyone opens up their camera on their phone, toggles to the front facing camera, snaps a picture, then hashtags #nofiliter, posts it on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, whatever, and sees how many people ‘like’ it. That has become the focus in our world today.
We have become not as content with life anymore. Sure, if you are taking ‘selfies,’ you are still a good person. But what is your main reason for taking all those selfies? We do not realize it, but we crave this affirmation. We seek the ‘likes’ of others. We desire people to give us attention that we are perhaps not getting elsewhere. Kids, teens, young adults, every age persons today are posting pictures of themselves while others see the pictures, and provide the comments, the likes, the attention, the affirmation. Somewhere along the way, life became not enough…
Let me explain.
There was a time, when people first got the social applications on our phones, we posted four things: our food, nature, a Bible verse or famous quote, and pictures of our family (babies!).
Then certain days were dedicated to posts: mancandymonday, transformationtuesday, womancrushwednesday, throwbackthursday, flashbackfriday, selfiesunday.
Suddenly, our food, nature, quotes, and our families got boring. We had to spice it up and throw all these days in to make it more interesting. Why? Because that is what our society does now. We can only stay committed to someone or something for a limited time. We have to move faster. Get things done quicker. Make our pictures better. Get more people ‘liking’ us.
Discontentment has settled in.
Comparisons have settled in.
Lack of gratitude has settled in.
Don’t get me wrong. I post the occasional selfie, too. (I just had to put that in here).
The bigger problem going on here is that so many of us are not content in life. I am not talking about settling or complacency. I am simply talking about being content like Philippians 4:12, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” We have this tendency to be discontent. Why? Because we are not letting Christ be all we need.
We are not okay with our lives. We want to be someone else. We want to compare ourselves to others and what they have. We are not quite as thankful as we should be for what we have been given. We feel we need more. We feel we are owed more.
When did we lose our way?
What are we going to do to get back on track?
We could very easily look at the rest of the world and say, “you have done this to yourself and you can get yourself out of it.” Or, we could realize and admit we play a part in this as well.
By "we" in this context I am talking about the church. Please excuse my exclusivity at this moment.
Yes, church, US. We are to blame for some of this.
Some of us get mad when we give a donation and our name is not posted in the bulletin. Some of us get upset when we buy something for our church and a plaque is not put on the wall with our name on it.
The truth can hurt.
It is time we admit to the world, “we are guilty, too.”
“We have wanted affirmation, likes, and good comments, too.”
“We want to be noticed, recognized, and accepted, too.”
Everyone…it is time we get reconnected. Our relationships will crumble and fall apart if we let this continue. We do not speak to each other face to face anymore because we have already seen everything on each other’s Facebook newsfeed. You tweeted what you are doing today. You posted a video on Instagram of your experience so you don’t need to tell me about it.
Let’s reconnect. Let’s care about each other like never before. We all deep inside want to be connected. We were born to have relationships. Let’s stop being discontent. Let’s stop the envy. Let’s stop trying to make this a ‘me-centered’ world.
We are here together to make this world a better place. It’s time to get reconnected!