Sincerity and Technology
Today’s generation has grown accustomed to losing themselves in their technology in order to avoid seemingly awkward and uncomfortable personal “face to face” interactions. Interactions where we are compelled to be sincere. Generally what young people say in social situations or wear or post on social media harbor double meanings — one sincere, the other ironic or sarcastic and usually a parody of the first meaning, employed as a protective mechanism. Irony and sarcasm are used to ward off the possibility of criticism about anything we think, say, or do. God forbid we would have a varying opinion let alone defend it. Technology and our youth’s inattentiveness to the outside world work together to feed “their incapacity to deal with the things at hand.” By covering their insecurity with apathetic, self-aware remarks, they can seem to be fully engaged, while protecting themselves from criticism from their lack of genuine interaction. Flickering haphazardly across virtual media, they avoid being sincere altogether. No one will notice, they imagine, and if they do, irony and sarcasm can veil them from the possibility of being unmasked as stupid, unmotivated, weak willed, or just plain lazy. Some social engineers think that returning to sincerity would undo the effects of irony on our culture. That may be true, but I don’t think it fully accounts for the synergistic effect—when technology supercharges ironic and sarcastic interactions. But maybe the first part of a more complete solution has to do with consciously putting away the technology, young people coming out of their ironic shells, and trying to have some genuine face to face personal interactions.
Yes. Let’s start there.
Fans of Jesus
