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To be a social media star, to make millions and more, is the updated version of the desire for fame and honor among today’s children and youth. Can we channel their energy in a positive direction? And more broadly, where is the collective addiction to the Internet and social networks leading us?
In the past, a child would continue their father’s trade, and if they had special ambitions, they might expand it a little. Today, the entire world is in the palm of their hand. Children see those who have gained fame and recognition, and it excites them. As parents, it is certainly not advisable to suppress such drives, as they promote development. What is recommended, however, is to show children what it really takes to become a major star, to have a strong desire, persistence, patience, learning, creativity, investment, and more.
According to children’s natural inclinations, it is beneficial to involve them in various activities and classes that broaden their horizons, help them specialize, and develop skills of expression, communication, and connection. Even if they do not become famous, these experiences will cultivate important abilities. In addition, media should show children and youth what happens behind the scenes, how much effort and energy those who achieved great fame actually invested.
Can we predict who will be the stars of tomorrow? In other words, what should we invest in today to gain recognition in the coming years?
According to the overall developmental trend we see in the world, those who know how to build positive human connections will “take it all.” Why? It is because reality is becoming more and more interconnected and interdependent, but human relationships are in terrible shape. Ego-driven dynamics threaten to sink the entire boat, and even in personal relationships, the situation is far from simple.
Creating positive human connections is the next big thing. It will require learning the integral network of connection that exists among all parts of nature and applying it to human society. Whoever specializes in this and succeeds in building systems, processes, methods, and tools to promote connection will be the most sought-after, the most well-known, the most influential, and they will earn widespread appreciation.
In almost any form of content, the tendency toward connection can be expressed. Take a cooking show, for example. It can be turned into a celebration with many people, where each person prepares something delicious to delight others, expressing a desire to connect and complement one another. This is how the fine food we know how to prepare becomes not an end in itself, but a means for connecting with others. In such a case, there is a shift from the physical pleasure of personal achievement to a deeper, more internal, and more “spiritual” enjoyment.
In general, the more a person connects others, the more they themselves will feel a higher-quality fulfillment, opening up unlimited possibilities for enjoyment and excitement. Indeed, this is a fundamental shift in perception. The human being of tomorrow will relate to reality from the perspective of an integral network of connection.
Where will this come from? The desire to enjoy within us constantly evolves. What satisfied us yesterday no longer does today.
The Internet revolution itself was a result of the development of the desire for connection. It introduced endless variety, constant availability, the ability to choose what we consume at any given moment rather than following a TV schedule, and made communication two-way and interactive. All this and more led to a strong addiction to the network. However, this will pass. It is a matter of excitement and decline. Just as there were once only two TV channels, then a thousand, and today many barely watch TV at all, so too today’s Internet will eventually be abandoned. It will bore the next generation.
We are at the beginning of an era in which the development of desire will push children, youth, and adults alike toward a deeper, mutual connection, a connection that will fill the soul. Since today’s media and the Internet do not yet provide such fulfillment, feelings of depression, despair, and emptiness spread. People lack fulfillment and do not know where to find it, so they chase another follower, another like, another comment, but it does not resolve the inner void.
What can promote healthy development is the creation of programs, networks, activities, festivals, gatherings, and workshops that help people positively connect, draw closer, open their hearts, and build warm relationships.
To illustrate the direction, imagine something like this. All young people come together and build a new life, a completely new world, with rules that reflect the integral and mutual nature of the system of nature. No one harms others, and everyone strives to support one another, to feel equal, connected, and even loving. Gradually, a network of deep connections forms. It attracts, fulfills, and elevates everyone above this world. Everyone wants to remain in this warm connection constantly, rising above the narrow perception of “me and them” into an expanded perception of “all of us together,” i.e., a perception of us all as one.
If the media helps humanity transition to this new evolutionary stage, quickly and peacefully, then it will finally fulfill its true role.
Based on “New Life 141 – The Influence of the Media on Children and Adolescents” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.