Google+ (or minus?)

Here’s a simple fact: “Advertisements cater to what they think YOU THINK matters most.”

And here’s an example:

I start watching this, I hear words like:

“…You feel like you’re part of something.”

“I don’t think people have changed that much in thousands of years … they’re still fundamentally driven by the same internal needs, the same desires and the same kind of hopes.”

“I get the opinion of someone I trust and know….”

 “… Oh! These are the people who were there for me.”

“I’ve always been part of a community, and I rely so heavily on the personal connections between me and the people who are close to me, it’s … it’s ah … it’s fuel!”

I mean, honestly, this is super well done! And I don’t know how many of you watched this as an incentive to join Google+ but I sure did, and it influenced my choice. I agreed instantly that I rely on friends, and that I love hanging out, and being part of a community. I almost got emotional about it – and I joined!

What causes them to do that? Well, the fact that people act based on their personal convictions. And that’s a good thing.

However, what are the consequences, if we’re not careful? Maybe at times we are “tricked” into buying-into programs, products or communities that we—genuinely—don’t need, or even, really, don’t want.

Now I’m not making promo or anti-promo for Google. Weeks have gone by. John Dunn weighed in yesterday on www.pcworld.com with a interesting title: “Google+ Users Spent Only 3 Minutes on Site in January.” And when I think about it, yeah, that was me too – I barely used the site since I joined. Luckily I checked just now and was able to find out that “Davy Jones, lead singer for the Monkees, has died of a heart attack at age 66.”

Hmmm great to know, however I didn’t find receiving that bit of information helped me _be a part of a community _be there for my friends or _feel that my fundamental hopes have been supported ???

Point being, whenever we make choices, we need to make sure that what is being offered truly CONNECTS with the convictions we hold, and doesn’t simply call them to mind.

In Matthew 6:21, Jesus says that “where your treasure is, that's where your heart is also.” What we are called to do then, as Christians, is to check every treasure that we see on the “shelf of life” against our heart; and determine if we truly want to buy.

By Father Nathan Miller