25 Feb Hyper-Mediated World by Hekla Goodman
We live in a hyper-mediated world. In my case: I work in the tech industry with app companies, I am studying to get a Masters degree in Digital Media and Communications, and just about every second of the day I receive messages on one of my apple devices for either work or personal-related issues.
Let me set the stage with some quick statistics:
- 50% of our brains are involved in visual processing
- 70% of our sensory receptors are in our eyes
- It takes us less than 1/10 of a second to get the sense of a visual scene
- Outside of work, the average person consumes what is equated to 34 gigabytes of information
Media is great. We can stay connected to our loved ones, updated on world events and even meet new people. But it has also created a lot of noise. Taking in that much information without even realizing can be quite daunting. I’m not going to say it’s bad. It just is. That’s how we negotiate our world today. However, us as a people who want to be perceptive to the needs of others, be impactful in our community, and have a hope for our dreams and aspirations, we need to lift our heads out of the commotion.
I think of the disciples. Jesus entrusted these 12 people to carry on a revolution. Everything that the Mosaic Law had established, Jesus was swiftly altering. Almost like a virus to the computer system, in a good way. Of course like any virus, people were trying to suss it out and fix the problem. In the midst of haters, people plotting to kill Him, and denying Him to His face (as you would do to someone coming against everything you knew to be true and established), the disciples had to be in-tune to know this was truly the Messiah. Indeed the law Jesus came to fulfill and eradicate was defective for the future.
The disciples were receiving messages from all sides, saying many contradictory things. It’s no different today. Society, friends, churches, businesses, are trying to win our attention. Our eyes are seemingly filled with either what we need to see, or what we don’t. But we have to be in tune with God to be able to know what to filter, what is a virus, and what is profitable for us to focus on.
My challenge is, what are you focusing on? Could it tell a little about where you are? I hope that what we focus on is of value. That what we fix our eyes on has purpose. What we choose to visualize now, is what will become a reality for the future, and hopefully not be rendered defective. Amidst all of the noise of daily living, I hope you set aside some time for eternal things, and let the temperamental filter out of your memory bank. We only have so much space to take up. Choose wisely.
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