Something wicked this way comes...
One of those slightly dodgy "current affairs" magazine style shows on commercial television was proclaiming the horrors of new kinds of mobile phone spy technology tonight. Yes! It was indeed a rather scary concept - that there are applications out there which make it really simple to track your every conversation and text message. In the hands of the wrong kinds of people this would cause an enormous amount of stress and inconvenience to anyone! I believe it is actually illegal in Australia, for ordinary citizens to bug other people's phone conversations and read their private texts. Obviously the technology exists to make it easy for the less than ethical to breach trust! Not a good thing.
However, this modern day breach of privacy horror aside - I was more appalled at the final comment from the journalist covering the story
"The simple message is - trust no one!"Hmm!
Coincidentally, the very next story was on purchasing cheap specs and the comment here was
"Go for brands you can trust!"This is insidious and dangerous talk. The juxtaposition of these two themes around "Trust" make it clear that this television program's producers believe that all individuals are to be suspected of all manner of malicious dealings whereas companies, who produce "Stuff", are the ones to "trust" implicitly, for their "ethical marketing and customer service".
Hmm! x 2
I'm not happy about it. When human beings are taught that it is better to trust a brand name than it is to trust their neighbours - something very wicked and disastrous happens to a civilisation. It breaks down from the ground up. Suspicion, secrecy, deception and corruption ensue. Friends are no longer friends; families can no longer believe they are safe within the confines of home and hearth; business colleagues are left bereft of congenial support in the workplace.
Above all, it is ones privacy that suffers! Yes! The disastrous irony of this kind of thinking results in people actually losing the very thing they feared losing in the first place. Once trust is no longer a valid reason to conduct a relationship - of the kind between individuals - suspicion leads people to paranoia and the desire to spy on others anyway.
The television may be soliciting advertising revenue through this ploy too and that is indeed a massive breach of trust. It is one thing to inform - it is quite another to consciously manipulate. One does need to view these kinds of piece-meal, sound byte styled affairs shows with a certain level of scepticism it seems! Ergo - it is in this instance that the gift of trust must be most carefully practised. It is heinous to assume that individuals must always be assumed untrustworthy before the most widely marketed brand name! At least that is my personal opinion on the matter.
Trust is a currency. It is the payment given for relationship. To breach it is grievously wrong.
So... I ask this: protect the people around you. Trust others first before believing they are out to destroy or maim you. Give trust and trust returns. Do not let anyone (least of all - television shows) tell you that "no one" can be trusted for many, many people can be trusted and are above reproach. Build the foundations of trust between people with a smile and an aware but open heart
and lastly....
.... always remember that when it comes to buying "Stuff"....
Caveat emptor
1 comment:
Those Current Affair programs seem to want to take themselves seriously when they advertise on the weekend, then they turn out very ordinary and often conflicting material.
I'm surprised they have an audience. How often does the Channel 7 version mention a new fad diet on the weekend promo. And nearly every weekend they promote an anti "boat people" story.
If ever the TV stations come under the control of Consumer Affairs, they will have a problem with a lot of their material.
Currently they make money promoting dodgy stuff then get another cut exposing the scammers.
Happily, living in Horsham sees a lot of generous behaviour from fellow citizens. Liz isn't the only one to offer to drive folk home with their purchases if she is near the end of her Kmart shift.
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