One of my good friends, Jon S, was also in this class and we were assigned to be part of the group charged with imagining the worst future possible. Our first attempts were based on a lot of the science fiction books and movies that we had assimilated, stuff like nuclear winter scenarios, robotic revolts, meteor end-of-world type disasters, mixed in with some "1984" details. But after we had brain stormed for a couple of days Jon came up with a truly frightening scenario, which he aptly named, "Everyone".
In Jon's imaginary future world, there would be no privacy, no original thoughts, no ambition, no dissension, and no freedom, because everyone would be the same. Since part of the assignment was to map out how our future worlds would arrive at becoming our proposed reality, I countered with the thought that very few of us would be willing to give up our originality, not to mention our freedoms, for the prize of total conformity. Jon agreed, and so we set out to trying to figure out what could possibly motivate people to willingly give up their freedoms. Comfort was the answer we acquired.
We learned through our research, (which was pre-internet by the way,) that mankind was predisposed to give their desires priority over almost anything else that they possessed. We didn't have to look far into history to see this played out, time and time again. Just examine the philosophies of Communism and Socialism, both of these movements have their origin in this same theory. Or recall the story of Essau in the bible, who handed over his entire inheritance for a meal. The point is; grant people their basic needs on a regular basis (or even a one time event in the story of Essau) and they are likely to hand over all their other essential rights. Benjamin Franklin warned, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Little did Jon and I know that the future would come much faster and with far more devastating effect than we could have possibly imagined.
Lets examine one of the linchpins in technology that has made this 70's vision a reality, the influence of social media. We all know that the amount of screen time that the average person consumes on a daily basis is staggering, (click HERE to view the latest figures.) But what kind of impact does all of that screen time, especially the time spent on social media, have on the average person?
- It has reduced our gratefulness. Theodore Roosevelt said it best, "Comparison is the thief of joy". It is difficult to be grateful when faced with an avalanche of virtual evidence that others appear to be living lives filled with way more happiness, adventure, travel, etc.
- It has reduced our privacy. We have willingly handed over valuable pieces of our personal lives for anyone and everyone to view and manipulate.
- It has reduced our freedoms. How many cases have you heard of in the last few months where people have lost their jobs over social media posts they made when they were in college? We have willingly built a road map made up of our personal data (good and bad) that anyone can use to our detriment depending on their own worldview and motivation.
- It has diminished our self-worth. When faced with a constant barrage of content that points to happiness equaling fulfilling our own desires, acquiring extravagant stuff, and investing heavily in our personal appearance, it is difficult to sustain a belief in the truth of what really matters in our lives.
- It has reduced our happiness. Tom Maliozzi has a great quote, "Happiness equals reality minus expectations." When our expectations are shaped by a virtual reality, that by the way is not even real, we will see a rise in people demanding the same experiences that they see displayed in their social media feed. Those in power and influence will step in to provide the masses with the basics of life, leading to conformity and loss of ambition. Joy and happiness do not tend to reside in the virtual world, they are found in the day-to-day personal experiences of helping others navigate through this world that we all share.
So why do we play along? The same reason that Essau was willing to trade his birthright for a bowl of soup, because our focus tends to be on the "Now". We are so concerned with what other people are doing, and comparing ourselves to their "reality", so afraid of missing out on the "good life" that others seem to be living, that we lose track of the blessings in our own lives. This is a recipe for depression, futility, discouragement, and other negative influences in our lives.
This is not the reality God desires for us to experience.
The keys to sustaining our freedoms and liberties, as well as building a life of joy is found in gratitude and selflessness. Neither of these attributes are found in a life consumed with what others think and are doing. (Especially when it is not really real in the first place . . . ) But isn't it painfully obvious that our society is generally focused on pleasing the individual, not seeking to serve others and their needs.
Jesus told us that the foundation to living a successful life was this, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Maybe taking a few moment to examine our daily habits and where we spend our time could be beneficial to our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health. Let's not walk unaware and without hesitation into a future that will deprive of us of the freedoms that that generations have fought to hold so dear. We were created for so much more than this, but it will take a personal shift in our mindset to reduce our dependence on our screens and increase our dependence on what really matters.
Only then we will discover our true selves, the person we were created to be.
