The Devil's Box

I remember having some neighbours while growing up in the 90s, whose religious beliefs caused them to label the television the devil's box ("apoti esu" in Yoruba language). Because of the content this technology was spewing out, it was labelled an instrument of the devil to pollute the world. Church members were mandated not to have this "demonic" tool in their house and those who were converted to Christ and born into this denomination, took their TVs and either sold them or threw them into dumpsters.

About two decades after, these same believers are using satellite TV to broadcast live programmes that are beneficial to believers and the world at large. What happened? I believe light from the Holy Spirit suddenly dawned on them that it wasn't the technology that had the problem but the use it was put to and content that it released.

The Church has always done this over the years, we tend to throw out the baby with the bath water. It is ony human to fear what we don't understand. We are quick to associate many technological advancements to the devil because of our fear and ignorance. We must know that all creativity originates from God, the Father of lights. This creativity is a tool to advance the will of God in all the nations of the earth. This creativity is the means to reach this new generation!

There's no doubt that the key to any lasting change in any community is linked to influencing the largest demographic. Irrespective of how many older people know God fully and deeply, the reality of God would soon become a mirage to the younger geenration if they don't expereice God for themselves. Let me quote a few lines from Leke Alder's book Conversations of A 21st Century Saint:

"This is dyslexic genration. They respond less and less to words and more and more to images. In the 80s music could sell without video accompaniment. Today, no video, no music sales. The music is the video and the video is the music. No video, no music!

To reach this generation, the medium is as important as the message. The older generation is enarmored by television. This generation is into portable media: the mobile phone, the iPod, Sony Playstation Portable and, so on. They are more of platforms than gadgets in an age of digital convergence.

In essence these are the 3 factors in issue in youth marketing: the technology, the format and the content. The iPod is a technology. Rap is a format. The content is the lyrics.

We tend to be afraid of the technology, demonise the format and condemn the contents, whereas we ought to appropriate the technology, adopt and adapt the format and clean up the content. We must create the content in the same format using the technology of the age fro distribution."

We must wake up to the reality of the fact that to have a large market share, we must create products that the market will find useful and not just products that we like and then try to push down the throats of the populace. It's not in doubt that our message is authentic and relevant but it seems we are the only ones who know that. If I have the cure for AIDS but can't prove to the whole world that it can do what I say it can, do you think anyone would listen to me?