Some might love to use social networks, and who can blame them as they are designed for people to communicate in a way that makes them feel good about themselves. In China, the government wants to limit the time spent on social networks, as they want a productive and obedient society. That makes sense, 1.3 Billion people, with an unbalanced percentage of males, is quite a handful. In the US we see a dummying down of our populations - sure TV, social networks, and all the time wasted is not doing us any good. Okay so let's talk.
Not long ago, I was having this discussion with an acquaintance. Should we outlaw the use of social networks and limit people's TV time? Well, I believe we should allow people their pursuit of happiness, I don't want to limit their choices on how they spend their time, I don't want the heavy hand of government telling me what I must do either you see. My acquaintance noted;
"I agree with what you're saying about people's personal choices and decisions to make their lives happier. I understand that the most basic level people only want to be happy, the issue we run into is what makes one person happy does not serve everyone in the same way. Distraction is a tool in controlling the masses. Originally the distraction was religion over the years as science progressed leaders have found that mass media can replace religion in this area."
It seems the Aztecs, Romans, and other cultures used sports - fighting to the death. Some cultures had linked it to "penalties" for going against the rule of law, generally unilaterally made by some psychotic ruler, I use "psychotic" here as an extreme form of "psychopathic-psychotic" Machiavelli type.
Both my acquaintance and I did agree that we ought to enlighten and get our kids to understand how the media is affecting their minds, and thus, help them make reason of it all and then decide. That would be a great idea, and we might start by having them read up on Media Philosophers like; Herbert Marshall McLuhan, the famous Canadian media philosopher.
Right now, coincidentally, I am reading OBD - Obsessive Brand Disorder and have several books on the media worthy of reading. Often I equate the Media to being the Fourth Branch of Government in the US, as our government is set up with a Judicial, Legislative, and Executive Branch, but the Media controls all three it seems, as the government caters to the wishes of the people, which changes on a whim due to the media which owns the minds of the masses now. "He who controls the media, controls the minds of the masses," as someone once said. So, let's all please consider all this.
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/
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