August 9, 2023
Because I am older, and I
recall what used to be, I can look back and see differences between what is and
what was—even as I admit that some of the unintended consequences of the way
things are today, I never saw coming. What a strange world this is that we are
living in—strange, and oddly dichotomous.
In this modern age, most
people have cellphones and Internet access. They have cable and they have
streaming services. They spend their time online with “their friends” or
chilling, watching videos. Information can be had at the stroke of a key or the
push of a button. Everything is so easy and instant and at our fingertips. On
the one hand, there is much good to be said about these modern technologies and
current methods of operating in life.
And yet, the reality for the average
individual human being, it could be said, belies all of the above.
We have access without any
concrete connection, and information without any real knowledge. And as a
result of that, we have never been a people more tribalized, while we have
never been persons more alone.
This evolution in our society likely
began as a trickle back in the last century. Our civilization used to be one of
community, in that we came together for varied and different things. In days of
yore, we’d participate in a barn raising or a quilting bee. In the times of my
youth, we’d attend a place of worship; we’d join a flower club, the 4 H, the
scouting movement, or a reading group. There were extracurricular activities at
school that were strongly encouraged to join.
We would go to the library, to
Main Street for a parade, or the local park for a 4th of July or
Canada Day/Victoria Day picnic.
The local churches would hold
their annual bazaars or bake sales, and people from the entire area would
attend. In the U.S. y’all had Friday
Night lights—the local high school football games where you’d mix and mingle
with other parents(this was never a thing here in Canada when I was in high
school).
But today, we have those
cellphones and that Internet access and those twenty-four-seven streaming
services. We have busy lives that we somehow have molded into solitary lives,
and it’s not a good thing at all.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, the
Surgeon-General of the United States posted an advisory entitled, “Our Epidemic
of Loneliness and Isolation.” I believe that there is merit in this premise.
Humans were not created to live alone; we were created to be social beings, and
that’s a Biblical principle. Dr. Murthy states unequivocally that there are
real health dangers born out of loneliness and isolation—not to mention the
danger they can pose to the healthy maintenance to our democracy. Here is a
link to Dr. Murthy’s publication: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
There is a world of difference
between “social media” and socializing face to face. The media is only a one-dimensional
screen shot. It has no warmth, no depth, and no nuance. It is easier, of
course, to just do something online—whether it’s playing a game or even
participating in a chat. But it’s not nearly as satisfying as getting together
with friends for a game night, or just meeting the guys, or the gals, for a
couple of drinks and a good chinwag.
I think we need to begin to take
time out from our algorithm-influenced, hermit-like ways. When there are
community events being held in our area, we should go. Oh…there won’t be anyone
there that you know? That’s kind of the point. We need to interact face to face
with new folks, with people who might not believe everything that we believe. We
need to reach out and make real, living connections with real, living people.
We need to begin again to feed our intrinsic need to socialize.
Nothing happened overnight. We’ve
fallen into these habits, that have ended up putting us in isolation, over
time. So let us begin to reverse that, over time. Let’s become communities
again.
We can start in our own homes,
with our own families and friends, and then go on from there.
Love,
Morgan
http://www.bookstrand.com/morgan-ashbury
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