The Worse Is
Yet To Come
BY CLARENCE BARR, II
Like most people, I imagine, there are times when I watch the news and observe things going on that make me wonder where we’re headed as a society? Times when I sit in stunned silence and think to myself, “there’s no way this is really happening?’
A few days ago I had one of those “WTF?” moments when I caught a news story about a man named Derek Medina, who murdered his wife and then proceeded to post a picture of her dead body on his Facebook page. The photo was accompanied by a message to his friends saying that he had “done something terrible” and that he would “miss everyone” when he’s gone.
The craziest part was that, in the four days that the picture was displayed before it was taken down by the site, some people actually continued to communicate with Medina while posting comments about the photograph. As if a man killing his wife and confessing the details online is a completely normal occurrence.
The entire time I watched the news anchors break down Medina‘s life and his obsession with social media outlets like Twitter and Instagram, the image of Jim Carrey in the movie The Truman Show continued to flash across my mind. While Carrey’s character in the movie had his entire life documented and broadcast without his knowledge, today it seems as though people are getting a kick out of trumanizing (a term I just coined) themselves as unwavering attention becomes the new drug of choice.
Of course, this kind of Narcissistic behavior is nothing new. Human beings have been seeking some form of celebrity and visualizing themselves as the center of the known universe since the kings of ancient Kemet (Egypt) had their images carved into 100-ft blocks of stone.
Modern technology has just made it possible for even peasants to get into the act. But, instead of monuments of stone to mark their legacy, web pages and You Tube clips are used to help immortalize an individual’s life with the click of a mouse.
The amazing thing to me is how unfiltered the information is that these individuals are willing to share with their so-called “friends” in cyberspace.
From gang rapes of drugged high school students and boastings about proceeds derived from criminal activities, to the brazen butchering of a British soldier on a London street earlier this year, people appear to care less about what they’re willing to expose about themselves.
It is as if their desire to make their lifestyles as interesting as possible to those watching, trumps any repercussions that may come from their extremely over-the-top antics.
Unfortunately, it was that continuous cycle of providing more and more spectacle to set himself apart that, more than likely, led Medina to raise the bar to an entirely new level. I mean, after you’ve seen a freshly murdered body slumped inside of a kitchen and have the opportunity to text an uncommonly accessible and communicative killer, where do you go from there?
The answer, I hate to admit, is obvious. The next time we hear about one of these stories it will probably involve a visual of the person in the actual act of taking a life. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he or she is texting for suggestions during the process.
The road we’re currently on definitely seems to be heading into that direction. And the main thing we should all be wondering is if there’s an exit up ahead?
Anyone wanting to contact Clarence Barr can reach him at: Clarence Barr, II, 43110-018; P. O. Box 7007; Marianna, FL 32447-7007. Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company.
