095 - Chapter 95

(Illustration: A photo of a troll statue by Mariola Grobelska on Unsplash)

I constantly use social media to share my faith, as you can see from my webpage:- www.sheilahamil.co.uk and I can’t think of a better way to contact countless people that I have never met. Social media can be such a force for the greater good of all in so many different ways, e.g. creativity, better communication, offering support, motivating others, building relationships and staying connected are some of them.

Having said this, because of the need for social contact during the pandemic; and the need to vent one’s feelings and frustrations, it seemed natural for many turn to certain media platforms for some interaction. It was a temptation for those who had time on their hands to spend much more of their time on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok, but perhaps they didn’t realise just how alarmingly addictive these could become.

Young children’s minds were quite taken with a vast choice of internet games and parents began finding it difficult to get their children’s full attention when they spoke to them. It was fast becoming a problem to get their children to switch off, and connect with real life.

Someone we met in America, a grandmother, came up with a good idea; she keeps a basket by the front door, and when family visit the smartphones all go in there, to ensure good conversation!

A research scientist called Philipp Lorenz-Spreen voiced his opinion about Tik Tok this way:

“Its algorithm is highly sophisticated. Instead of an image or a post chosen by a friend, TikTok presents you with a stream of videos, and gauges what you ‘like’ to give you more of it, replacing “the friction of deciding what to watch, with a sensory rush of bite-sized videos … delivering ‘endorphin’ hit after hit.”

An endorphin refers to hormones secreted in the brain which can block the viewer’s ‘perception’ of pain, and increase feelings of wellbeing.

A distinguished social psychologist, Jonathan Haidt, argued that the rise of social media over the years and its reward system closely correlated with staggering declines in teenagers’ mental health!

 He said that right from 2012, scientific study had shown all kinds of indications of declining mental health, from self-reported feelings to hospitalisations to suicide attempts. He says this had happened in the United States, Britain, Canada and several other countries with widespread use of social media. The rise in anxiety, depression and attempted suicides among teenage girls was particularly frightening. And these numbers were getting worse each year. Was he wrong to speak of a direct correlation here? As parents do we really know what our children are watching as we allow them such open access and freedom to view all kinds of material presented to them; some of it being gruesome, some downright unwholesome? Putting a lock on viewing isn't effective if a friend has freer access on theirs!

And it’s not just children is it, I saw one young mother standing waiting at the side of a busy road recently, as I passed by in my car. She was on her smartphone; her young children playing by her side, and she was totally ignoring them walking out some way onto the road! That wasn’t very ‘smart’ of her!

It seems that healthy outdoor games and pursuits and learning, had put to one side by what is to youngsters, the far more mind-challenging, exciting electronic stimulation of the internet.

I once wrote a ‘prophetic’ song in my thirties, about the dangers of the ‘screen that dazzled’, and it was now becoming something of a reality:

It began like this:

Held in the spell of a screen that dazzles

Staring eyes always hypnotised

Held in the spell while the black mole burrows

Burrowing down eating up your soul….

Right out there there’s a world a waiting

Sun is shining in a crimson sky

there is life outside if you can only see it,

Why not come and give it a try?

I’ve lost a few verses since then, but I added others too when I read an article when the war in Iraq was at its height, where pilots were shooting at targets like automatons, taking out lives exactly like playing a video game:

I added the verses:

Now the World’s at war on a big playstation

Drops its bombs and enjoys the play

With no concern for the dead and dying

It’s all part and parcel of a video game.

There’s much that’s good on a screen that dazzles

We learn of the world in what’s before our eyes

But something’s gone wrong in the master planning

When hearts become desensitised

So many of the video games our children watch, seem to have something to do with shooting, killing and destroying! What is this doing to their little brains? Mary Woodhouse, come back, all is forgiven! 

(Older readers will know to whom I refer!)

It was said in my day that children were influenced by paintings or pictures on their walls as they grew up. So if a child grew up with pictures of the sea on their walls at home, they they grew to love to travel; those with pictures of animals around them became animal lovers and so on. So what future awaits us, if our children become overstimulated with images of violence and aggression today? 

St Paul in his letter to the Romans Chapter 12, verse 2 advises:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This next song based on the words of Psalm 62 tells of an ‘enemy’ which seeks to break down our walls of defence, and topple us from the heights where God has placed us. He speaks of an enemy which tells lies, and delights in telling them, an enemy which entices us with their words, and appears to be a blessing to us, but it’s not. But it is only in God, and in Him alone, that we will we find our peace,

SONG: Psalm 62 My soul finds its rest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoWrcAl1LvI...

Then in come the trolls!

Another unpleasant feature began to emerge as a result of all the tension in isolation. Anyone who put their head above the parapet with an honest heartfelt ‘opinion’ on social media, began to be shot down in flames in the ugliest manner. Certain celebrities, film stars, pop stars and royalty had often been ridiculed and mocked in the past, but now anyone who expressed an opinion which differed from someone else’s, became a prime target for abuse from ‘Trolls’. I got a small taste of this myself once, when I expressed an innocent comment on my Facebook page.  We had visited a local ‘hidden’ beauty spot in Northumberland, and as pensioners with increasingly painful joints, we found it impossible to clamber down a large rock on a very dodgy path in order to view a local waterfall we’d heard about.

I suggested it might be beneficial if a ‘few’ safe stepping stones could be put down, to make the path safer and more accessible for the elderly and disabled, and oh my goodness; the replies that popped up, firmly put me in my place: with comments such as:-

“Go and find a park to walk in, you’ll be wanting a McDonald’s there next!”

“The countryside isn’t there just for the likes of you!

I had a hot flush when I read these comments, how could people be so rude and unfeeling? I was quiet all day, in shock! Had they thought I was asking for a ‘tarmacadam’ path or worse still an escalator?

I’m afraid intolerance and scorn had become rather endemic now too.

Then came ‘trouble’. In January 2021 tempers were flaring and emotions were running high in the USA. Following the final result of the elections for a new president, things went awry, and what had been such a solid political system suddenly became ruptured and the people became divided in a way we hadn’t seen before.

 President Trump did not accept defeat graciously, his language was incendiary, and his followers became convinced that the elections had been rigged, either that or some ballots stolen. 

There was utter chaos as a mob of Republican supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol building and demanded justice. The life of his Vice-President Mike Pence, and also the life of Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the USA House of Representatives, were in great danger from the incoming mob, some were calling for them to be hanged! Many other politicians feared for their lives, and they hid in locked state rooms, the mob was now in full control of the Capitol building for a while. According to one report:

“140 Capitol and Metropolitan police officers were criminally assaulted by the rioters in the January 6 attack. Among those victims, one died of a series of strokes after being hospitalised for injuries sustained in the attack, and two others committed suicide. One of the rioters was shot and killed by police, another died of a heart attack, and a third was apparently crushed to death by the stampeding mob. The rioters caused an estimated $1.5 million in damage to the Capitol building!”

May came around, and spring seemed to have sprung all of a sudden, and new life and hope seemed all around us. But what was becoming more and more obvious to me at least, was that on television there was a lot more negative images of Christians now than ever before, being cast as the villain, the murderer, the abuser, the criminal, in dramas and films, giving people a very bad image of the church in general. Of course, some might say there are positive images, such as The Vicar of Dibley or Rev, but these too are very flawed characters. The name of Jesus too, was used much more in place of swear words! I watched one particular drama, and I counted this happening seven or eight times in the space of an hour! 

Around the world in many countries, blasphemy has very serious consequences indeed. If such blasphemy was being used against other world faith leaders, there would be an almighty uproar, but I’m afraid Christianity has long been considered ‘fair game’ and it's not right!  When someone you love is put down like this, or their name is disrespected, it hurts and it offends. I happen to love Jesus, his nature, his character, his teachings. In him, no fault was be found, and such abuse is totally uncalled for.

Some calling themselves Christian, may well have been judgmental, prejudiced and abusive, in the past and up to the present day, but such behaviour was never ever taught by Jesus.  The majority whose faith and actions really are ‘sound and good’ and who do live out their faith in action, suffer when it only the few who are truly guilty.

 There aren’t many contemporary films or dramas at all, which highlight what was good about those who, because of their Christian faith fought for the abolition of slavery, for prison reform and for advanced science and learning; who built schools, churches, orphanages, hospitals, homes for the elderly and who have cared, and still care for the poor, the hungry and the homeless. 

As grandparents, one of our important tasks during the week was to drop our grandsons off at school on certain days, depending on their parents’ work shifts and school hours, and as we walked, we often did times tables, quizzes and word games on our journeys through the countryside park; such as this alphabetical one:- “I went into the shop and bought, an apple, a banana, a coconut, a doughnut, an egg, a fish, some gorilla glue . . and then the words would get really complicated . .as each new word was added and the list had to be repeated each time. We invented quizzes on Zoom as a way of coming together as family. Then as the situation eased still further, we enjoyed more meals, or a BBQ ‘at a distance’ of three metres from each other, in the garden outside!

For me, that period of ‘enforced isolation’ had become for me the most creative period of my entire life; with the videos I’d been able to create; the memoirs of my life and faith journey, and my radio programmes. These had filled the empty moments. Then a new Christian website opened up at that time called Godspacelight, and I became one of their contributors, sharing my thoughts, pictures and videos. It was and is another great opportunity to share my faith.

Bob and I, and the rest of the congregation didn’t return to worship in church until July of 2021, but it was so good to be back. Just to step into that holy space, experience worship together as one body, and chat to others freely again was wonderful. We still had to distance ourselves; our seating was two metres apart, there was no common cup of wine, wafers were brought to us as we sat in our chairs, and masks had to be worn, even when we were allowed to sing hymns again, but progress had been made. Live streaming continued for the benefit of those still worshipping from home.

The Olympics cheered the world up, we all had something new to focus upon, and it came at a very good time for our son Peter who had come down with Covid. As essential workers, the fire brigade had experienced front line challenges too. So many serving on the front line had had inadequate protection in their line of duty at first, but now having been immunised the danger has receded. Thank goodness he recovered.

Round about then Bob recovered from his basal cancer skin operations, but it was obvious that hospital waiting times were at worrying levels, and most doctor’s appointments were being conducted online. Queues like this could only get worse with the staff shortages, which were becoming apparent. It didn’t bode well for the future, but we were moving slowly and steadily upwards out of those troubling times of the pandemic.