It seems like some of us have resolved to laugh our way through life.
Observing our WhatsApp conversations lures me to conclude so, yet speaking that way may also promote the delusion that most tech platforms allow us, that there is no difference between laughter and happiness.
I mean, lately, few things unearth our trivial society like the renown chat platform- WhatsApp, even the most serious, say professional, of groups, have an unbelievable tolerance for banter and banality. Have we, Somehow, subtly resigned to the fact that a good laugh is what happiness is about?
If I can hide behind my gadget and insert an emoticon, nobody will know my relationship is struggling for example.
If I can blog something like this at an odd hour, nobody will question whether I had to cheat on my employer’s time in order to attend to “personal business.”
If you can share a funny meme from another group, everybody will answer with smiles and few will probably ponder the ethics of how and where you is accessing the Internet from – perhaps at another odd hour.
Today’s Zuckerbergs will probably tell you – Technology is built on humane ideals, with designs of enhancing the way we communicate and relate, guess that’s why it’s called social media.
What we are witnessing in our WhatsApp forums is most certainly human nature on display, and there aren’t many ways of understanding human interaction without facing up human nature.Yet human nature on display means we get to see what we wouldn’t like to see about ourselves, namely – that we humans are fallen people in need of redemption.
Whatsapp is perhaps a reminder that we can’t do life alone, we need community, and when that community springs up anywhere but among God’s redeemed people, trivia will certainly reign.
And only a second Adam can deliver us from the frequent preoccupation with everything light and gibberish.
Surely, life can be funny, but life is often serious, reports need to be handed in, children need presence-conversations too, marriages need conflict resolution, physical exercise takes hours, changing diapers and paying bills are realities.
Believers know that Scripture remains serious about unbridled tongues, coarse joking, and idle words, unless I am just on the wrong forums, We – group chat users- are rarely immune to these vices, are we?
Of course the alternate argument would be, that technology is not evil, yes it’s not, but Christians, especially, can use it as a mirror to understand the human condition – namely.
“We all have sinned and fallen short, but grace and truth (even grace to sustain healthy discourse) comes through Jesus Christ.
