In a previous blog about an article in the NY Times regarding social media, I made a few comments regarding shame.
Since then I was sent a link to an interesting on-line discussion by 'mere orthodoxy', working through the issues of public shaming in response to that same article.
I wanted to share just a few matters that were raised in that discussion that demonstrate so many honour/shame concepts that are embodied by Social Media, and its impact on our modern society....and to add a few personal comments....
*Social Media often acts as the Social Police
-when the absolutes of God's definition of right and wrong for ruling the internal conscience, and thus constraining behaviour, are dismissed, there is not some neutral ground. Instead, public opinion of right and wrong step in and public shame or honour is what rules and thus constrains behaviour.
*Social Media gives Social leverage to have some kind of power of voice on-line to participate and feel like they are 'contributing' to the community.
- we all yearn for significance, acceptance and some kind of honourable 'place' in our world. When we don't recognise that the only way to truly satisfy that yearning is in Christ as acceptance before our Creator, we will seek it from people. While God created us to live in community and relationship with other human beings, we were not created to have our 'honour' come primarily from people. We were created to be in relationship with God first, and then have a right relationship with people flow out of that. When we seek primary relationship with other people we give people 'power' over us and seek power over others, that God never intended for us. This is a destructive power that actually destroys community rather than building it.
*One panel member mentioned that normal 'discourse is not just about truth but about power' - my privilege (my background, education, status) gives my voice power and means your voice could be dismissed - but twitter allows people who feel normally dismissed to be able to have a voice of equal power and privilege(ie honour)
- this is entirely an honour/shame issue as in the previous point above. When discourse becomes more about power than truth, its a sure sign that honour/shame is increasing. When people are seeking personal honour in 'wrong' places, it is also a sure sign they are either not aware, not understanding or else choosing to refuse true honour from God.
*They also mentioned in this social media shaming culture there is a danger especially for Christians to get caught into a culture that has very little room for mercy and grace and taking the time to understand the context which can often be obscured in social media, especially in re-tweeting.
- this is a very real and relevant caution. It could be all too easy for us as Christians to get caught up in the current that social media creates of seeking honour through 'followers' or by being part of the shaming culture. We need to be ever careful of the danger zones of social media and the huge temptation they can be in the areas of honour seeking and lack of mercy and grace - mercy and grace that we would hope others would show us.
*When discourse is more on the side of power than truth, then any disagreement in discourse will be seen as a challenge to that power and be viewed with suspicion as a possible reduction of privilege.
- very true indeed! We must vigilantly guard against a culture that discourages or punishes disagreement - through ostracism and shaming. We need to be very careful to differentiate between the freedom to disagree with an idea and the disdain of a person. In a 'shame' oriented society or situation, there is very little space for an action to be separated from the person. It's only when God's definitions of right and wrong and guilt is clear, that proper differentiation occurs between guilt and shame, what I do and who I am. The provision of guilt based on God's objective absolute moral standards brings the benefit of freedom to disagree and discuss a matter, without the feeling of rejection as a person.
*They also spoke about the fact that people can get to the point where they live in fear of making any comment and words being exposed at any moment on social media, to the point where no-one is prepared to say anything.
- as per the above, this is the inevitable result of shaming. People no longer feel that they are free to put forward other perspectives which differ from the ones that hold 'power' (either individuals or group). This stifles truth and creativity and also hampers success and prosperity.
*Social media can help us 'immanentize' the final judgement where everything will be made known - it can serve as a very real warning to be both careful of our words, as well as courageous enough to say something that before God would be acceptable.
- a timely reminder that we can fool ourselves that we can be careless with our speech with little consequence....social media has brought a very real reminder that we will all give account for what we say, one day it will be all exposed. If we don't want what we say exposed, we need to ask why? If its simply fear of man, we should still speak. But if it is because it reveals that what our words are not godly, then its a timely warning!
*Social media is filled with the concepts of conformity....we need to be prepared to not define ourselves by what other people think of us and we should have the nerve to graciously say what is right even if other people may not agree with us.
- AMEN!
No comments:
Post a Comment