The world is overflowing with influencers. It is an actual career path. Wow 😲
This has recently dawned on me that there exists a whole industry made of influencers and consumers. Thanks a lot social media.
At first glance, one might narrow this down to just simple entertainment. However, this model spans across many industries. Not so much complex as it is discreet in its camouflage. Smart I guess; well if that's your thing.
But simply, the industry pushes an agenda or say a narrative; to be bought into and consumed by the targeted consumer. Now aint that interesting?
This influencer - consumer world is nothing like what we learned in school career guidance for sure. Supply and demand of today seems more like a one sided convince and cash-in.
Well, I'd like to zoom into the TV/Movie industry. Disclaimer: I have zero qualifications in this, so I am no expert. However, I have been a consumer for A. Very. Long. Time.
This post is largely from that perspective.
This is obviously public knowledge but new to me. So indulge me on this revelation of sorts.
I initially thought that visual media and entertainment have so much power over the viewers. After some careful consideration, I do not fully agree.
Influence yeah. Power?.....Hmmm 🤔
From a very young age, I have been exposed to both the small and big screens. The big screen making its debut in the early teens.
Screen time can be seen as just a hobby to pass time. I beg to differ. It might just be a little bit more than that.
It is an out pouring into the mind, via your senses and finally into your inner being. Basically it aims to influence a person by selling something or the other. Once the commodity is consumed by the viewer, its fruit become visible in some way or the other.
A hint here. An image there. A story line. A topic.
All in the effort to find space in your mind and life.
It somehow reminds me of advertising.
Take a chocolate advert for example.
You see it once, it is introduced to you.
You see it more and more; it becomes familiar, hence comfortable.
Eventually you voluntarily sing the jingle, think about the advert or recite the slogan. In or outwardly. Whether the advert is there or not. Won Over. Agenda Planted.
The rest depends on will power - more accurately not by might nor by power but by His Spirit. 😁 Yes I had to.
The ultimate intention is that you buy the chocolate, hopefully enjoy it and convince others to do likewise. Returns for the maker. Human nature says extended exposure results in a high probability for winning a person over.
Now, depending on individual resistance levels or character you can be classified as one of the following:
Voluntary or incentivised guinea pig
Easily influenced based on gullibility or FOMO - Fear of Missing Out.
Guarded consumer requiring extra nudging by close associations.
Passive gullibility which needs extended exposure; leading to eventual caving in.
Regardless of classification, there will always be enough people to whom the chocolate will appeal, becoming a staple and common feature on the grocery list.
Market share.
As long as the chocolate brings you joy, there is really nothing wrong with this model. So long as it is constructive and mutual benefit, the model is A okay.
This model can also be true for visual media. More specifically the big and small screens. They air a series of programs, selling lifestyle or behaviours to the viewers.
Repetitive exposure tries to normalize whatever is being sold.
The viewer slowly internalises and eventually buys into the behaviours or lifestyle. Or not - because freedom of choice. Buy in leads to the adoption into one's own life or simply just being aware or accepting thereof. All leading to the shaping of morality, values and characteristics.
Person by person. Family by family. Society by society.
This is quite interesting.
Who has influenced your personal dating or relationshiping standards? In the absence of home teachings, it is usually what you have seen and accepted as normal. Often based on agreeing with how it makes you feel.
Visual media plays a big part here.
Exposure to certain shows introduces and normalizes certain behaviours to the individual. Somehow, the individual adopts these and uses them to formulate their own beliefs. More people buying in, leads to standardisation. Which can be both good and bad.
What did humanity do before media anyway? How did families adopt and shape their lifestyles, traditions, values or cultures? What was used to introduce, propagate and normalise the narratives intended for adoption?Anybody? 🙆♀️
Was it monkey see monkey do? Trial and error? Was there more seclusion and independent ways of living? Was it each to its own? 😲
Back in the day, in the homelands, one's neighbour was quite far from your homestead. That must have made it tricky to be in another person's or family's business. 🤭
Urbanization created nucleated living conditions bringing with it the dynamic of ease of influence.
Time progression is inevitable resulting in needs changing. The changes foster solution seeking behaviours. Necessity births creativity. So inventions and technology advancements result. All in an attempt to meet the changing needs of the people.
Back to visual media.
What is your screen time producing in your mind? Do we ever wonder or consider that? Is what you watch voluntary or enforced? This goes for all platforms: TV, Social media, Big Screen, YouTube, Live Stream etc.
How does your screen time influence your moral fibre and socialization? What is your effectiveness monitoring yardstick? I think it is a good thing to consider. Every now and again.
Why?
Because your overall well being is important. Any person is a member of a body. Just as a body, though one, has many parts; all its many parts form that one body. The same is in Christ and the body of Christ.
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
The body members matter; both individually and as a collective. So be mindful of what makes up your screen time. It has been said that the mind is part of the soul. The soul being an intertwined network of your will, emotions and the mind.
So, the above being true; your individual well being is specific, needed and valuable. The body is not made up of one part but of many. The body being your own, family, work place, community or country.
Now if the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
So, no one part can disqualify another. No one part can be the whole body alone.
The question then remains... What are you feeding your mind? In fact, your soul on the daily, however frequent. How do you judge when a change in diet is required? How do you know when transformation is required?
Can a malnourished soul make sound judgement? Well, thank the Lord that the body has many members. Where one falls short, another steps in. Intersession or intervention. Be it another saint, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ or the Lord in all His majesty.
Because when we are weak, He remains strong and He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are; yet he did not sin
#SIGH....
I support the creative industry. Artists or creatives are very important to humanity. They teach, impart and shape societies and generations; through their various artistic offerings. For the better good of nations. Hopefully.
In my older years though, I have come to develop an appreciation for the artistic expression of real stories of people. Shared for edification, encouragement and comfort. More value can be gained from such offerings on our screens. This; as opposed to the fictional counter parts.
In what ever form or extent, fiction remains unreal with a sprinkle of realistic attributes. Forgivable and understandable under some circumstances. However, the benefits can be limited. Relating to fiction is not easy. It is that much harder to digest and milks out unnatural or forced reactions and expectations.
I have heard it said that controvesy sells.
A win if the intention is purely making money. Be that as it may, it still offers seeds of a concocted or warped sense of reality and humanity. Why Mara?
Kinda like processed cheese. It can look like cheese. Taste like cheese. Smell like cheese. But it does not melt nor tear quite like real cheese does. It is not cheese. Processed meaning unnatural. Most foods go through some process or the other before reaching shop shelves. 😕
How does the human body deal with processed (read unnatural) foods anyway? Is it mass in = mass out; assume the body will reject what it doesn't need? Is the perception of value gained enough justification for its existence perhaps?
I have nothing against processed foods. They show advancements in the food technology industry. I can support it as an interim response to the curbing of world hunger or meeting insatiable food demands. Efforts acknowledged. As a permanent solution though... Hhayi, I don't know. 🙆♀️
After a decade of what is known as trash or reality tv, generations have adopted new ways of dressing, speaking and socializing. The effects of this influence went as far as changing languages and communicating methods. Full sentences are out. Acronyms are in. Certain expressions have adopted new meanings. If you are not within or exposed to such trends, you might be in some trouble.
There is a widening gap in communication between generations. This can lead to misinterpretation or plain misunderstanding. A communication fail. A slam shut to the door of passing down much needed wisdom or instruction. Or is this the natural process for communication mutation taking place? 🤔. What is the oldest generation saying?
The apparent communication mutation calls for the modification and creation of industry sectors. Be it a natural or induced progression; it seems to be happening.
Dictionaries are being modified; many industries and education systems too. Employment is transforming and careers being redefined. All in an effort to normalize and further propagate the new trends.
It all started with just a spark in the mind of one person. After carefully considered mobilization, fields of generations are lit. In 2020 lingo 🤣. Industries are created or old ones are modified.
The wave of change....
How can you still think that screen time is just a past time? It matters; so be mindful. We are all supporting or participating in some narrative or the other. Based on who we are, where we are, who we are with, what we do, what we believe.
It all matters. You matter.
Do not be conformed to the patterns of the world but be transformed by the renewal of the mind....
Fiction may be partly rooted in honorable intentions. Creating awareness. Instilling virtuous living. Responding to public occurrences. Rebuking certain misbehaviours. Non fiction, however, has that much more benefit in its realness.
Relatability ☑️.
Healing ☑️.
Encouragement ☑️.
Edification ☑️.
Comfort ☑️.
Transformation ☑️.
What stops the writers from telling the real stories of our people? Exhibiting some actuals. The story owner sharing, giving consent and being incorporated in the lifecycle of the writing to airing process.
It is their story.
Let it be a collaborative process with the industry experts. Perhaps translating the documentary into telanova, series or biopic formats? The story remains true. The presentation in proven publicly acceptable formats.
Real cheese. Grated. Sliced. Fried or grilled.
The story owner receives perspective and peace in seeing what they have overcome ministering to others. They taste and see the goodness of God in the land of the living. The story's intention being first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
The viewer is encouraged and empowered to overcome in their own lives. A two way impartation for the better good of the people.
The fruit being love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
The story owner's financial incentives from the offering and beyond become an added bonus. Because it can also be normalized to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Humans are already doing this anyway. Daily and in various areas of life. It is just that it's exercised in more self seeking ways at most.
And where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
The proposed Real Cheese approach, becomes more communal and far reaching in its servanthood nature and foundation of love. A love that is patient, kind, does not envy nor boast. A love that is not proud or dishonoring others. Not self-seeking or easily angered. Keeping no record of wrongs.
Visual media based on a love that does not delight in iniquity but rejoices with the truth. A love that always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres. Most of all, founded on a love that never fails.
With such roots, successes will surely come and they shall be endless and holistic. Like nothing any has ever seen...
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Let the people tell their own stories to the masses. Alive and savoring the moments to minister.
Let the light carriers shine their own light.
The market can accommodate and sustain all story tellers in all generations. God made us in billions.
Even the most famous person is not known somewhere.
Even the richest, someone else has a bit more. A lot more even.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven
Comments