The Monster That Is Media

For a class this year I had to read and analyze the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, which was written sometime between 1599 and 1602. My thought when I finished it was…how could people enjoy that? It’s so boring and pointless. Here in the year 2019, out standards for entertainment are a lot different. Social media, Netflix shows, movie theaters, Spotify, games, YouTube; they’re all just a click or a drive away. I personally love media, both consuming it and creating it. I make silly stop-motion videos and stick them on YouTube, I bang my electronic keyboard, record it, and call it music. I am a “consumer" of film, music…I can build a moderately attractive house in Minecraft. You and I both love media, however it’s often a distraction from a relationship with God, and should be looked at very carefully. 

    Recently, I went through a very hard time in my life and I found myself consuming an unhealthy amount of media for an escape from it all, and this just left me feeling emptier. What I truly needed was to radically pursue a relationship with God, ask anew for his amazing grace, and ask Him for wisdom and guidance. I’ve gotten into this very bad habit of checking my phone when I first get up, then procrastinating everything else until it’s actually time for school, and this set a very bad pattern for the day. I felt guilty for wasting time on my phone, then spent more time doing other random things on my computer, making myself feel even more guilty, until I finally decided to get my act together. 

    God showed me this huge addiction in my life, and is currently working on getting rid of it. It’s only by His grace that I can do that. His mercy is every enough for anything i’ve done wrong, and he’s ready and willing to forgive and enable me. 

    While social media, videos, games, and movies aren’t bad, they need to be put int their proper position. They can be a distraction, but they ultimately don’t satisfy, and while spending time with God doesn’t seem exciting or adventurous at first, it’s the only thing that will eternally matter.