Thursday; August 18

Long before the social media movement of the 2000s we had another social phenomenon called the CB radio. During the 1970s the Citizen’s Band Radio craze a lot of people purchased a Realistic (Radio Shack brand) radio and developed an alter-ego described by their “handle” (nickname). It may seem simplistic by today’s standards, but almost fifty years ago it was a national craze that encouraged people to interact with strangers – without exposing too much of their true nature.

While there is an allure to the anonymity of veiled communication, whether it is on a CB Radio or through an online post, we will still be held accountable for what we express. It is tempting to hide behind the veil of a pseudo-identity to express things people find offensive, we have to accept responsibility for the impact it has. Those “anonymous” posts in response to a newspaper article can create a negative environment or begin an adversarial conflict that escalates just because there is not face-to-face answerability. A poisoned-pen tirade may feel as harmless as keying a CB microphone in the darkness of night in an attempt to demoralize someone else, but the impact is still as negative.

One final thought – while we can hide behind CB handles or fake online ID’s God still knows who we are and what we are doing. We may feel emboldened by secrecy, but let’s remember that He’s watching and will judge us based on who we are and what we do.

Think About It!

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