In these Modern Times

I often hear the phrase, I can't believe that this could happen in 2008!

It stems from people's belief that society has got better as the years go by. Its not the most irrational thought it must be said, surely we are getting wiser, learning from the mistakes of previous generations. Well it appears not, you need only look at the newspaper to see that morality is not only just as bad, but the lines are increasingly blurred between what is right and wrong. As a Christian I hold on to the truth of the bible and God's holy spirit inside of me for my moral compass, but even Christians have deferred from this.

The fact is that however technologically advanced we are, the fact is that mobile phones, TVs computers and the internet, have not made us happier, just more accessible. These have become necessities, but needless ones, things that we believe we can't live without but actually we would be as happy if not happier without them. Have you ever thought how you survived pre-text or pre-internet?

Now I am as much a slave to these as the next person, I own all of the above and I use them regularly, they are not wrong in and of themselves but they are things that we believe we need when actually we don't.
I have started to read more and more as I realise that reading as archaic a pursuit as it is, really fills your mind in a better way than a TV or a computer can, I have more control over what I read and there are a vast amount of books that contain knowledge that will help me. I believe 5 minutes spent in a book (obviously depending on the book) would so outweigh 5 minutes on the internet or watching TV, yet so much more than all these I would argue is 5 minutes spent with God, in his word or praising and communing with him.

It seems that even though we have more ways of communication, the standard of communication has dropped considerably. When I read of British political Orators like Edmund Burke and William Pitt or more recently Churchill, it almost seems as if they have found new words to express their opinions, yet we surely now have a multitude of words not accessible, not even spoken in their eras.

We have seemingly become lazy, lapsing into text language or into slang, without trying to find the correct word that would fit. Nothing can substitute for a face to face conversation, when you consider that in a conversation 55% is body language, 38% Vocal tone and just 7% the message (this is a general rule and not applicable to all situations). When you consider these percentages you realise how easy it is to mis-understand a text message, or e-mail. I find it frustrating when I am trying to communicate something funny, to do it in written format is very difficult, especially with sarcasm or to communicate with emphasis or special note, BUT I guess there are probably ways of doing it, but it is very hard to communicate the message, although I hope I have done so here?!??!?!?!?!?