Quicksilver

The Media

I do not equate 'media' to 'demon' as others seem to do. From time to time we hear calls to undo our technological age or turn back to a time before we were so wired up. I believe this is naive nonsense. I feel that all forms of media are tools. We have effective virtual infrastructure in radio and television. I feel it would be wise to keep using it. Plus, we've been adding/building a more efficient and less centrally-controlled avenue, the Internet.

We know that greed will keep on doing what it's doing for as long as it works and in many ways greed is the driving force behind the media. It's certainly what keeps radio and network televison available for free. We should realize that it would be highly unlikely for people to give up media. Those who may need that the most are the least likely to do it. Others are using it for good as well as ill, sometimes in varying proportions.

So what do we do? Do we try some sort of campaign to get folks to 'put those toys away'? And... How would we broadcast this message?

I think we need to work from where we are, not try to undo. We teach those we can reach about the value of discernment then let that spread. Kids learn that just because a cartoon character can leap off a cliff unharmed does not mean that they can do it. They can also learn that seeing a commercial for a thing does not mean they have to have it. They can learn that toothpaste will not create a love life.

They may not learn this through the media. They will likely learn it from parents, teachers, peers and their own experiences. But I will say again that positive and empowering messages have been proliferating in the media as well. The Internet has also made available a vast array of information and resources which are absolutely free and this is hitting the money makers hard. We are teaching them that we won't take just anything they deem to show us. We can choose.

07.12.2001

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