People

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Did you see the recent Four Corners program which looked at the influence of social media and the internet on our modern world? The program interviewed numerous young adults (whom it dubbed Generation Like), and then analyzed the success of a celebrity, a software company, and a teenage skateboarder who had become a You Tube star. Many of those interviewed, seemed to measure their success and significance in life by how many likes or friends they had. One young woman admitted she had no life, because of her relentless pursuit of the validation of online likes.

Ironically, the more likes or friends they had, the more pressure they felt to keep them and to get more; and the more successful they became, the more others wanted to be their friend so they could leverage that success for themselves.

The program showed that the big players – who controlled the system – and the smart players – who had mastered the system - were manipulating everyone and leveraging the mountains of valuable metadata for their own ends. What began as a system to promote communication and relationships has become infected by self interest and the love of money.

The movie franchise HUNGER GAMES is an example of how successful you can be when you learn how to leverage the power of social media and get the online community to be your promoters. BUT, the movie is also a metaphor for the very system of manipulation and control that made its success possible.

In the movie, the contestants are put into a game where survival depended just as much on convincing the audience to like you (and so help you) as it did on your intelligence and survival skills. Behind the scenes, the programmers and the elite who set up the Games in the first place, were manipulating the system to maximize ratings and profits, and to make sure that the system continued.

When the Lord says He loves (likes) you, He is not trying to manipulate you because you have something He needs. He knew everything about you – the good, the bad and the ugly – and still came to save you from your sins. He wants you to know Him, and to discover the truth about who you are and why you are here.

Jesus said, ‘I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.”

His invitation has never been revoked.


Mark Trodd
[email protected]

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