Don’t Be Anyone’s Tool (#773)

Use the tool, don't become the tool. A new documentary from Netfilx exposes how social media and search engines are actively working to addict us to their devices and destroying the fabric of our culture. This story is told by the engineers who developed these tools and then left the industry because of how their products are being used when they were monetized for maximum profit. Wayne and Kyle talk about the technology that has the potential to connect us, is instead being used to control us, monetize us, and divide us. After viewing the film Kyle and Wayne talk about its implications in our culture and their own lives. They discuss strategies they use to ensure that they can enjoy the Internet as a tool, rather than become the tool the Internet uses to sell their wares.

Podcast Notes:
The Social Dilemma
Email Kyle
Past Podcasts with Kyle

7 Comments

  1. Such good information. Thank you. I wish you would have included the fact that there are forces out there that are working hard to prevent some of your followers from getting to your sites. You indicated that Russian hackers are attacking your site and your tech team is working to fix this. They are still succeeding. I am still being blocked from sites that I want to follow. That is completely blocking the flow of information to people or censorship of religious views.

  2. Another great documentary to go along with The Social Dilemma, Childhood 2.0, which was made for anyone who wants to better understand the world their children are navigating as they grow up in the digital age. Featuring actual parents and kids as well as industry-leading experts in child safety and development, this documentary dives into the real-life issues facing kids today — including cyberbullying, online predators, suicidal ideation, and more. https://www.childhood2movie.com/

  3. Bam!! Thank you for this post! This matter of acting patient, acting loving, acting ….whatever….is something I could have really chewed on back in my days of deep legalism. I am so very blessed because I recall nearly 35 years of struggle attempting to line up to the law script. Deuteronomy 28 was the Memo of each of my days…and it really killed my uniqueness, when added onto all the abuse I experienced in a cult church and in marriages. This podcast is so amazing! ?

    And about the young girls and women: The “painted-on-pants” and the low cut jeans just is so shocking when I think of what value women and girls are learning about their image. It has stolen the true femininity, replacing it with surface attraction, which in my view, lures the girls and women into fornication. It just saddens me so much that way back in 1959 , generations began absorbing a false concept of what it is to be female: a little girl or a carefree teenager. Oh my!

    I believe firmly that all the deterioration in female image started in the 1960’s with Barbie and Ken. Little baby dolls were the thing in the 1950’s, for pretending to be mother.

    I recall when my now-21 granddaughter was about age 4 and 5 when she was enthralled with dressing up Barbie and Ken. I believe the innocence was stolen from the children of the early 60’s and the last 50 years. I think all of that has contributed to a very alienated youth, frustrated with the lack of realness. Just my opinion.

  4. Hi There brothers and sisters,
    It was helpfull to hear your comments about making a check list out of the Fruits of the Spirit and then falling into competing and comparing as people under the law must do.

  5. Wayne, Great podcast with you and Kyle.

    I was interested to see if you had a link to the video or podcast of the discussion of the white cop and the black mother.

    I was happy to hear your oft mentioned prayer of the sort. “What is it about your love that I don’t know that if I knew it, I could be gracious to that person…” Every time I hear you mention this I am reminded of Pauls’s letter to the Ephesians and to us; “And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.” – Great admonition from you and Paul. Too much of the Christian influence in my life has been about “being grounded in the scriptures” and not “the love of Christ”.

    And lastly Wayne, I wasn’t sure how you were about us occasionally mentioning other books that maybe have been used of Jesus to come to better understand his love, and giving reasons why one might have felt that way. Your feelings on that.

    • Sorry, Perry, that wasn’t a podcast between the white cop and black mother, that was an online group meeting to sort out the differences. So, sorry, there’s no link to give out. As far as mentioning other books, people are free to do what they like. I don’t want to turn this blog into a marketing platform for people to get their own books mentioned, but if people want to mention or quote from a book and tell others how it touched them, we’ve had a bit of that.

  6. Great podcast Wayne! One thing you hit on which I can really relate to is the pressure that websites, even Christian sites, will want to saddle a person with a membership and/or related goodies to keep a person coming back. It actually has an opposite effect on me, in that I feel repulsed like I am a resource they can pressure to attain their goals. That is one thing about your site is that you never do that and I really appreciate that as I imagine many others do. We feel we can come and go without someone trying to collar us. Thanks Wayne for setting the example. 🙂

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