I am very exact and absolute and become more and more like this with every year! My last straw was reached yesterday when looking at Instagram. At first my absolute mind wanted to step away from Instagram for good, but after thinking about it all of today I’ve decided to leave my Instagram account active but go on the Instagram app much less.
A polished turd is still a turd. No matter how many bad things are spun to seem good; no matter the vast amount of inappropriate pictures that are targeted at me to appeal to my human nature and lower self; no matter that they touch my heart strings with drama to get me to buy when they actually couldn’t care less about me it’s up to me to say, “No!”
Is it worth it for me to endure inappropriate things in order to finally reach what’s good? When looking at something good but then something evil flashes before my eyes do I not want to forsake the evil thing and never touch it again? If I’m trying to be my higher self but then am targeted to randomly see unsavory things do I care?
I’ve been on Instagram since 2015 and love looking at stories of those I follow. Today after a story finished playing an ad popped up of an overweight, naked person!!! Thankfully, nothing except a disgusting, naked, fat belly showed and I closed the ad as quickly as possible but the image of that body is now forever in my mind.
Instagram used to be innocent. In the beginning of Instagram I could go on the app and look at my posts as well as posts of those I follow and never see inappropriate things. Then ads started appearing of products, but the ads of clothes, shoes and accessories were fine. In 2020 I started noticing lots of ads about bras. Then in 2021 many ads showed provocative plus-size girls wearing sexy bras. (Hmmmm, I see what’s going on…in 2020 I had looked at a few ads to compile a list of bra websites for my friend because she wanted a new bra and now Instagram is marketing bras to me….Argh! Target marketing!!!)
I’m reminded of the January 2021 Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults when Elder Gong told of the documentary “The Social Dilemma” and that regarding social media tech insiders warned that:
- “If you’re not paying for the product you ARE the product.”
I know this truth first hand as my Instagram sends me targeted ads that are NOT chosen by me; I am the targeted product. Instagram spins their reasoning to seem good by saying that ads are targeted to me according to my interests but the real reason for targeting me is for me to click on an ad that takes me to a website so I can buy what they sell. (I’m not singling out Instagram and know that ads are on every social media site but am using Instagram as my example because my experience with their marketing was very offensive!)
Like I said, I’m distancing myself from Instagram and it sounds extreme but here’s my thinking:
- I’m trying to be my higher self and will not allow anyone or anything to control me because I’m in charge of deciding what’s in my life.
- I want to be like the Lord in every way and He wouldn’t endure evil to see good and so neither will I.
- My choices reflect who I am. I want to have a pure heart and therefore only purity goes there.
Like I said before, a polished turd is still a turd. I dare stepping back from whatever drags me down to listen to my heart and rise above the downward pull. I know right from wrong and good from bad, and won’t be swayed.