Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Everyone's Watching Everyone?
Hal Niedzviecki, author of The Peep Diaries: How We're Learning to Love Watching Ourselves and our Neighbors (City Lights, San Francisco), argues that we are moving from pop culture to peep culture. Instead of being enthralled with the movements of celebrities, we have realized that folks don't have to be rich to be spoiled, a movie actor to behave badly, nor an athlete to overindulge in the pleasures of this life.
We can peep into the lives of ordinary people, some we know and many we do not, through webcams, twitter feeds, and Facebook status updates. Now folks are choosing to reveal their lives on video, not just on youtube, but ustream.tv and justintv.com. Talent is optional.
| ![]("http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2358/1990023423_d7a51c36ea_m_d.jpg") |
When I first started posted on-line in the early '90s I was urged not to write anything I wouldn't want posted on the church bulletin board. Niedzviecki says one has to imagine now that you're speaking an on-line audience of 500…all with camera phones pointed at you recording for your 15 minutes of fame, and perhaps, years of shame served up by search engines.
What kind of world would it be if everyone was watching everyone else? I hope it would be kinder and gentler with the community urging each other towards greater responsibility for themselves and compassion for others.
I think that is why I'm a pastor of a church. On our best days, we reveal our true selves to one another and are encouraged to be our best selves by others.
The Crowd is Watching
And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town. And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Stand up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” -he then said to the paralytic-'stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.
- Matthew 9:1-8
Bible quotation from The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Deed
