A professor and researcher friend made a statement in an email this week that got me thinking: [Something] “may not be true at all, but it is hard to disprove once the idea gets floated.”
I couldn’t stop thinking about that line…
Question: What is going on in the situations below?
1) Boy watches movie where “good girls” are always really “bad girls.”
2) Girl is told by boy on Monday, “I love you.” On Tuesday girl watches talk show about boys who cheat.
3) Boy begins dating girl on Monday who is four years older. On Tuesday boy reads article saying older girls always control relationships.
4) Girl watches movie where boy falls for girl who is mean and plays hard to get.
Messages and information we receive today may be true and helpful, but some may actually hinder us. The above are pretty easy to make logical conclusions regarding the negative affects on young boys and girls. But if you stop and think about the information you are inundated with, how do you think it is affecting your view of the opposite sex?
A professor and researcher friend made a statement in an email this week that got me thinking: [Something] “may not be true at all, but it is hard to disprove once the idea gets floated.”
I couldn’t stop thinking about that line.
The imagery is spot on. Any information that we have received either by choice or force is in our brain “floating.” (Cue sci-fi music.) Whether we like it or not, events in our life will trigger and bring to the forefront of our mind these “floaters.”
Due to the effects that this technological information age presents our generation with, we can’t help but have more access to media imposed ideas than ever before. You may try to say “no” to movies or shut down your Facebook account, but I don’t know anyone in my generation who isn’t affected by advertising and doesn’t use the Internet. Those floaters are implanted even if we don’t want them.
(I just re-read that last line and am wondering how affected I was by the movie Inception…and if I should be concerned. Cue more sci-fi music.)
The way I believe movies, blogs, music, advertising, the “latest” research, talk shows, etc. impacts relationships is that we see, hear and are presented with so much media that we barely have time to sit and process if something is true or not. If we don’t process information, ideas will no doubt have a larger chance of growing into something we believe to be truth.
When we aren’t conscious about the beliefs that are forming, we will project onto people who may or may not be deserving of that belief system. It’s difficult to clearly think and filter our ideas so that we don’t make pre-judgments or blanket statements about potential partners.
Is all this information bad?
Absolutely not. Our access to information is fantastic. I would never want us to try and go against a tool that can be so instrumental in helping people and spreading truth. There is nothing I want more than for people to come prepared into relationships. If relationally most of our ideas are shaped by what we have seen, heard and read about, the actual relationship will be affected. Guaranteed.
My concern is how do we discern truth in the midst of all the floating ideas we encounter?
1) Girl reads article on 10 sure steps to get the boy of her dreams.
2) Boy reads article on 10 sure steps to get the girl of his dreams.
3) Boy sees in commercial that beer is more valuable than annoying girl.
4) Girl gets email forward on 10 reasons why she doesn’t need a stupid boy.
Question: What’s your experience?
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