Above
are some links to advertisements for the iPhone. The first two are commercials.
They show how cool the iPhone is. They focus on a single feature that the new phone
offers. They make you think, “Wow! How cool! If it can do this, what else can
it do?” Well obviously you are intrigued and want one. But before you make the
huge financial commitment to this purchase you decide, “I’ll be smart and
responsible. I will check out the official iPhone website to further invetigate.”
Wow. Would you look at that? Just look at it (third link). The page displays
EVEN MORE features of the phone. And what’s this? You can click another link to
see even more. Well by this time you are pretty set on buying this product. With
all of its features it could probably help you in virtually every aspect of
your life. If you are bored you can play a game. If you need to pay bills, go
to that app. If you are lonely, you always have a friend in Siri. This phone
can do anything….
Well
now my question is, do you really want it to do everything? Most people
probably don’t understand the full capabilities of devices such as the iPhone.
Do you really want a 24/7 tracker on you? The cell phone has become the number
one item to keep on you at all times. If you forget it while leaving your
house, nine times out of ten you will return for it. While reading about this
in “Brandwashed,” I was shocked. I might even say appalled. Who knew that our
best friends (our phones) would sell us out to those big companies like that?
And our phones are only the beginning of the end of privacy. When you combine
our locations via our phone with our interests via internet tracking and
billing records, they have a pretty good idea of who you are.
Now
I guess I can only speak for myself, but I imagine I’m not too far off from the
average Joe. I don’t like this. Not one bit. I like my privacy. To find out some stranger
is selling my information to another stranger is honestly eerie. But Why?
Should it bother us?
Psalms
139:2 is one verse that came to mind. But I think a better one for this purpose
is Hebrews 4:13 “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked
and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” God sees and
knows everything. He knows what we do every moment of everyday. He is omniscient.
Not even a thought escapes him. Even with all of these advancements in
technology, that profile created by that company cannot even come close to the profile
God already has.
So
if I live according to the word I shouldn’t be afraid of what people know. If I
don’t want people to know of what I am doing then I also shouldn’t want God to
know. Well, since God is omniscient, the best (only) way is to not do it. If we
live our lives for God every day of every week then we should be able to
embrace this loss of privacy. We never had privacy to begin with.
Now
here comes the big but…. But I still like privacy. Everyone has moments of
weakness. Everyone fails from time to time. And I don’t think that has to be
public knowledge. People can have a rough past, but that doesn’t mean that it should
be used to judge them in the future. God offers forgiveness that people simple
can’t understand. God forgives sins, but humans tend to dwell on them. People
hold grudges. They cast stereotypes. I think privacy should be protected on the
basis that we need to be able to break free from our pasts. We need to be able
to be forgiven for mistakes and have the ability to start anew.
But
our society continues to move toward a world where privacy is a thing of the
past. I don’t agree with the way things are headed, but what can I do. I can
use it as an excuse to do the right thing. I can use it as a reminder, a
reminder that God is also watching. My internet history may be being tracked by
people but my thoughts are being tracked by God. If we are losing privacy, the
best solution I can think of is to embrace it. Use it to better yourself. Use
it as an excuse to do the right thing. Use it to become closer to God.
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