Pernicious Enslavement

In the viciously progressive world we live in today, social media serves as a teetering point for blessing and mistake. As many positive consequences arise from the use of Internet, the opposite is also easily and intensely accessible. In David A. Bednar’s talk, Things as They Really Are, the subtle suffocation by the simulation of life we call social media is explored and warned against through several anecdotes, statistics, and divine revelation.

In a compelling story of an aged newly wed, Bednar shares how an innocent use of online entertainment led to a false sense of reality. “Their bond is so strong that three months ago [he] asked [an online associate]… to become his virtual wife,” explains Bednar of a gamer who began to appreciate his fantasy more than the life he was supposed to be living (Bednar 16).  Our bodies were given to us as a gift, yet the statistics provided in Bednar’s talk show that a high percentage of men and women prefer their virtual bodies.  The fidelity while consumed by the Internet can easily and progressively blur the experience between reality and fantasy.  “Seemingly innocent entertainment can become a form of pernicious enslavement,” (Bednar 15). It is important for us, Bednar explains, as human beings with our own agency to notice the consequences of our actions both mortally and virtually.

Without caution, we may be susceptible to losses in our realities such as “the mortal blessings and experiences made possible through a tabernacle of flesh and bones,” including gaining knowledge, marriage, procreation, and resurrection for eternity, (Bednar 9).

Assessment:

In a talk given by Elder Bednar, Things as They Really Are, the subtle suffocation by the simulation of life we call social media is explored and warned against. Our bodies were given to us as a gift, yet the statistics explored in Bednar's talk show that a high percentage of men and women prefer their virtual bodies. While social media can also be a positive source, the fidelity while consumed by the internet can easily and progressively blur the experience between reality and fantasy.

It is important for us as human beings with our own agency to notice the consequences of our actions both mortally and virtually. Without caution, we may be susceptible to losses in our realities such as "the mortal blessings and experiences made possible through a tabernacle of flesh and bones," including gaining knowledge, marriage, procreation, and resurrection for eternity, (pg9).