Selfie deaths are ringing Society's alarm bells! - why honour and shame are hiding at the core of this problem

According to the Beareau of Statistics:

• 34 deaths from falls from buildings and structures just last year alone in Australia 
• 20 deaths from accidentally falling off cliffs
• 5 deaths from skiing or skating 'accidents'

According to the news report this is the highest number of deadly cliff falls in ten years and double the number of 5 years ago

and its believed 'dangers stunts are attracting attention on social media seen to fuel the fire'

The news report went on to say:

'it can be death or glory in the hunt for social media status'

'young selfie-obsessed Australians are putting their life on the line'

Content on media platforms such as TikTok, SnapChat and Youtube (of the Selfie's of other's risk-taking for the 'best' selfie)... is believed to be driving others to 'outdo' what they see just to get 'notoriety'.

Psychologists are concerned, 

Emergency Service personnel are concerned,

 the media are highlighting it, 

and families are suffering the loss of young lives in their prime.  

But is the answer to put more pressure on these platforms 'to make sure the content is safe for our children'? as the psychologist suggested???

Maybe the problem is not just that these images are viewed, but that after viewing them others want to not just copy, but 'outdo' what they see.

The viewing is not the problem…the response to the viewing is the problem.

So then we have to ask, why does someone respond the way they do?

Why do they want to take the risk in the first place?

The news report contained some key words that should alert us! ……'glory'….'notoriety'….'status'

This is an honour hunger problem!

At least it's being thought about slightly more deeply and being recognised as not just a physical problem of physical deaths (that's not to say the loss of physical life isn't something to be concerned about).

This is actually not just that people are dying from physical injuries of falling off buildings and cliffs or in skiing accidents. These deaths are caused by a deeper issue. It is a heart problem …but not the physical kind. 

Seeking for Status is at the Heart of the Selfie Quest.  It is the heart seeking for honour, for glory, for notoriety, for fame, for significance and sense of worth. But instead of seeking it and finding true significance and honour as created by the Creator and redeemed by the Redeemer, they are seeking it by accomplishment, popularity, by being 'better' than others…trying to 'outdo' others in the competition for 'likes'. 

 If we don't recognise our ascribed honour and worth in God's eyes—as the work of God's hands in creation and work of the cross in redemption, we will get busy trying to do our own 'work' of trying to achieve honour and worth in our own eyes and the eyes of other people around us.

This is a 'falling short' of God's glory and seeking after mis-placed glory that is simply not only chasing the wind, but ultimately bringing death filled with eternal shame (Daniel 12:2). 

Sin's lie is stealing life…literally!

Scripture tells us that if we seek to keep, save and love our life we will lose it, but it's only when we are willing to lose it, that we will truly find it (Luke 17:33, John 12:25). Trying to get glory status our way will eventually only end in the opposite.

This world needs the gospel…the good news that true honour and glory can only be found in God through life in Christ…glory that brings life abundant and eternal - better than any temporary adrenaline risk-taking rush, notoriety, and its deadly ends.

By using this news headline as a conversation starting point, who could you bring this gospel good news to today?