A 16-second video clip shows a woman entering the Bhagirathi River, a tributary of the Ganges in Uttarkashi. She had instructed her 11-year-old daughter to shoot a video on her mobile phone. The woman suddenly slips as her daughter shouts, “Mummy!” She struggles to get out of the water, but is swept away by strong currents. (NDTV, 16 April 2025)
Trends: Like Athenian citizens in ancient times, now the whole world is hooked to Social Media. “Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.” (Acts 17: 21) Instead of telling and hearing, now telecasting (Reels and shorts) and watching something new is the trend. Such videos become viral.
Popularity: Sadly, many people want their videos to become viral on Social Media. For them, life’s purpose is popularity. Hence, they conceive new concepts, go to new locations, and take videos. The concepts are not for edification or education, but fun, sensual, and trivial. As the audience is, so would be the actors. As people like such non-edifying videos, some people produce them to satisfy the tastes of consumers.
Risk of life: Many poor people risk their lives to get food, like in war-torn Jerusalem during the time of the Prophet Jeremiah. (Lamentations 5:9) However, taking a risk with their life to become popular for a few seconds is not worth it at all. The person does not live to see how popular s/he is, which is a tragedy.
Reality: The Lord Jesus Christ taught: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 6:26) Through social media, a person could gain the whole world’s applause, if loses the soul to a second death, what good is it? The life meaning is to know the Holy, Righteous, and True God, and be reconciled with Him.
Have I got the true meaning and purpose in life?