Friday.....America.....Spontaneous Order

Former President George Bush has a book coming out later this year. He has conducted his time after leaving the White House with the same grace that he had as our president. In a speech given today in Alabama he said that many people thought that he couldn't read a book let alone write one and gave some insights on how he is doing now with these words I do not miss the limelight. I have no desire to be in the press. I have no desire to be on your TV screens. C'mom Mr. President, not even a Facebook page? Everyone has one of those! I spent this evening in Barnes And Noble going through the periodicals and books for commentary on Facebook. There were two books on the business table on building your company through a Facebook page and a number of books that referenced Facebook for one reason or another. I did pick up a book that I hope to write a review on later, and the latest issue of the Christian Research Journal (Hank Hanegraaff's magazine) offered an article by philosophy professor Doug Groothuis titled Understanding Social Media. As in most critiques, it offers a warning rather than an outright condemnation. Acknowledging that Social Media is growing explosively and are changing the way people around the globe think of friendship and community, Groothuis sites a book called The Church Of Facebook by Jesse Rice throughout the article for practical and spiritual advice. Groothuis himself had banned laptops from his classes. Rice's book, according to the author of the article, structured his book around three principles that are rather profound. They are these 1) There is a force that is capable of synchronizing a large population in very little time, thereby creating spontaneous order. 2) This spontaneous order can generate outcomes that are entirely new and unpredictable. and 3) These unpredictable outcomes require the affected population to adapt their behavior to more adequately live within the new spontaneous generated order.  Groothuis also mentions Neil Postman's writing, many years ago, on the effect that television would have on people. Marshall McLuhan and Christopher Lasch are two others who come to mind that gave strong warnings on what they saw coming on fast in our culture. In reading the three principles of Mr. Rice, five of his words and phrases jumped out at me, force, synchronizing, spontaneous order, unpredictable and adapt. There is great precision in these fifty some words of Rice. Webster's defines force as a strength or energy. We are the object of that strength and energy so it would behoove us to ask just what goal we are directed to, and would we have the ability to resist it if further changes demanded it? Just who are we being synchronized with and for what purpose?  Spontaneous order is a phrase that should make one think for a while over its implications. Does not the word spontaneous alone go against wisdom in thinking and consideration before reacting? Future changes on Facebook are unpredictable. Addictions tend to make people do what they do not want to do. If we develop an addiction to Facebook, or any other technology, are we not at the mercy of those who are constantly developing new ways to use us for their own ends? Or will we simply adapt to the culture and to philosophies since Facebook would hold so much sway over us, and would it not be nearly impossible to break away from? The problem with Facebook is not only in its triviality and in narcissism. Combine  force with its unpredictability and the potential for personal even national, catastrophe is there. Most critical commentators advise to be very careful. I tend to go a little bit further and recommend avoidance. People are quick to offer the simple and good things they can do through Facebook like staying in daily contact with their families. Is there no other way, even on the Internet, to do that? I haven't read Mr. Rice's book but the practical measures offered in the article seem to be very wise even if one stays on the "friends" network.