STAY CONNECTED

STAY CONNECTED

The world has embraced technology advancement and when you think or try to do anything these days without technology you are considered « backward » and “not abreast with the modern time”. Technology has really come to as savior to man in this present age. It is believed that the slave trade was abolished not because the slave users or slave masters loved the slaves they used and therefore wanted to give them freedom, but rather it was realized with the invention of technology, it was cheaper to use machines to do work than to use slaves.

However, with the invention of modern technology and accompanying advantages, there is one thing that technology is taking away from humans and that is “connectedness”. With the inventions of the mobile phone in all colours, shapes, brands and functions  and social media like “facebook”, “twitter”, “skype”, “whatsapp”, “badoo”, “hi5” etc, the importance of human physical relationship has greatly reduced. No wonder, suicide rates has really shot up these days.

Every human being has a sense of feeling of belongingness and this sense of feeling has created some kind of emptiness in humans. Humans are in search of what can fill this emptiness in them and make them feel belonged. Associations, clubs, old boyism, and many smaller groupings are formed to help people connect with each other but they could not really help even though they are doing well to some extent.  I believe the inventors of all these flashy modern technologies saw this need in human beings and therefore decided to create or invent something to help humans to bond, but would they truly help? Don’t be really shocked if your friends and relations send you a speedy recovery card via facebook or twitter or whatsapp or a phone call when you are hospitalized but never find time visit you in hospital.

At every level in our lives as human we desire to be connected in one way or the other. Without connectedness, people feel a sense of isolation and rejection and lack of purpose. I believe there are different levels of connectedness that we desire at every point in our human growth and development: Spiritual, social, intellectual and physical.

SPIRITUAL: I believe as human we desire to be connected spiritually, and this has led us to the various forms of worship of diverse entities and bodies we ascribe the title god.  In our quest to stay connected we are glued to places where our spiritual needs are met and we develop a kind of inner peace. We believe we are spiritually nourished and uplifted in these places and therefore are ready to do whatever necessary there is to do to stay connected there.

We are sometimes tempted to believe that our source of spiritual connection is the only true source for spiritual nourishment and uplifting. The fact that we all as humans have different spiritual needs means that our sources of spiritual sustenance are bound to be diverse.

Even though I do not doubt people’s sources of spiritual nourishment, I believe there is only one true source for spiritual nourishment and salvation, where our souls are saved from eternal damnation and separation from God and that is Jesus Christ. Through Him we have life and have it more abundantly.

SOCIAL: Social in essence is being connected with a society and the way it is organized, it can also mean being connected in activities in which people meet each other for pleasure. These have given rise to the use of the phrase social networking which implies communication with people who share the same interests using website or other service on the internet. This has brought about the proliferation of the numerous social networking media on the internet and on mobile phones. These innovations and creations were and are being conceptualized with the aim of meeting the growing and insatiable needs of humans for social connectedness. Have these social networking media really solved and met the social needs of man? I believe, not even the most innovative and creative social networking technology can meet our need for social connectedness. I don’t think you can go to the park and play games together as frequent as you may want when you are in Ghana and communicating with an internet friend in Russia via facebook or badoo.

INTELLECTUAL: It is being connected or using a person’s ability to think in a logical way and understand things. As humans, we are always seeking to connect and relate to people who have the ability to think in a logical way and understand things as we do. This is the reason why a college student cannot have any meaningful intellectual relationship with a university lecturer on the same level academically. Most of the people you will relate to intellectually are those who have the same educational or professional qualifications as we. This need has given rise to the formation of many professional bodies world over and you cannot begrudge anyone for this.

PHYSICAL: It is being connected with a person’s physical body rather than their mind. For physical fitness and to keep our bodies in shape we join all manner of sporting clubs and keep fit clubs.

In our craving to stay connected, we must not lose sight of staying connected with our maker, the we can be assured that we are connected to the right source for spiritual, social, intellectual and physical nourishment.

John Benjamin Eshun © 2012