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A SUCCESS PRIMER FOR YOUNG BLACK MEN, PART 7

      This may come as a shock to many of you, my young brother, but the media—especially Social Media—is NOT your friend (I capitalize SM for emphasis).  The media—including the Mainstream Press (of which I like to call it the “Mainstream Mess”) makes its money off the repackaging and recycling of stereotypes of Black men—including young Black men.  Further, in this ‘new age’ of electronic media through social platforms—under Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I.) the ‘media barons’—just like the ‘robber barons’ of the 1800s as America was rising in economic and business prominence—have shown themselves to be just as cruel when it comes to our race.

      If you doubt me, check out the negative stereotypes a’plenty in many of the more popular video games.  Which race of people are openly portrayed as pimps, playahs, gangsters and thugs—often under a bumping Rap/Hip Hop soundtrack?  I rest my case.

      My first piece of advice to the young Black man growing up today?  Check yourself before you wreck yourself on Social Media!  While you should limit your screen time, be warned that SM—and the Mainstream Mess (Press aka MSM)—want to convince you HOW to think while you are consuming them.  Today’s media wants to take away your ability to think; wants to paint an unreal portrait of the world in which you currently exist and manipulate you into taking their ‘agenda’ over a more godly and uplifting agenda supplied by your parents and family.

      My second piece of advice?  Do not seek to be a ‘social influencer’, but rather seek to be a young man of upright character.  Several things to state about many of the more popular influencers: first, many of them wind up dead at a young age!  Hebrews 9:27 KJV lets us ALL know that tomorrow is NOT promised to any of us.  We ONLY have today!  That is why it is called the present.  Next, many social influencers have LESS in the way of education than those whom they seek to influence, but MORE screen face time.  Lastly, many social influencers have been (or are presently involved) in immoral activity (overeating, greed, sexual sins) and hope to ‘cover’ their activities with dollars from those dumb enough to follow them over their cliff of sin.  Sin ALWAYS has a payday—and the check cashed maybe one’s own life!

      My third piece of advice?  Concentrate on putting stuff in your brain that will help you in the long run.  Spending hour after hour trying to master a particular ‘skill set’ to impress people you don’t even know for ‘like snax’ is a poor substitute for studying your lessons and doing your homework.  Schoolwork—even Sunday School work—will go a longer way towards your becoming employable, my young brother.  You may love your little ‘clicky-clicky’ device.  However, you will soon discover it is incapable of loving you back—nor giving you anything of worth other than entertainment, period.  Grind out your lessons in real time.  You’ll be blessed!

      It wasn’t that long ago when I taught school.  Much of what young people do on their electronic devices stems from computer lab time at their school.  One would NOT believe how many email accounts the average student has in the school setting—nor would parents believe how many ‘aliases’ their son or daughter has thanks to their ‘friends’ at the schoolhouse via the names for their social media accounts.  Sure, Jimmy and Susan will ‘let’ their parents ‘monitor’ their web usage at home…but, somehow, parents leave their kids to their own devices at school—and are shocked when their child winds up in trouble for on-line porn…or worse.

      Not everything belongs in public view, as the ol’ www is FOREVER!  I lost a Pastor’s friendship years ago, when I let him know that one of his daughter’s friends posted some Internet trash on a platform, and his daughter ‘signed off’ on it—further making the family name look bad.  What made it worse was that he was a Pastor with a growing ministry.  He and I had been friends for years.  However, when the rubber met the road and he could NOT accept the fact that his ‘little baby’ was involved in such an event, rather than correct his child, he chose to believe that his child was innocent.  Later, I suspect, he found out the truth…but was too embarrassed to admit he was wrong.  Sadly, I believe that if one hunts online hard enough, that whole episode is still on the web…somewhere.

      No, I am not one of those crazy folks that want to ban all electronics and social media.  However, I have been around the block long enough to understand how the media and press work, and I was on the ground floor when the Internet was created.  You see, IF you understand history, most inventions ‘start out’ great.  It is only when folk discover how to corrupt new innovations via the ‘profit motive’ (desire to make money) that the REAL dangers are discovered.

      I find it highly amusing that ONE social media platform developed by a foreign country—IN that country—does not play NEARLY as many crazy media offerings and eye click candy that it does in the good ol’ USA.  One would say that the platform was ‘westernized’ to make OUR young people dumber, while keeping THEIR young people SMARTER.  A word to the wise, my young brother:  The world is a cold, cruel place and so is the Internet.  Be careful…for the mind that you save WILL be yours!  God wants you to be HIS man!  You get to choose how you will live your life, young Black man.

      Ramey’s Recommended Reading for the Month: “Black Lies, White Lies” by Tony Brown

      “Young men do not be too confident in your own judgment. Stop being so sure that you are always right, and others wrong. Don’t trust your own opinion, when you find it contrary to that of older men, and especially to that of your own parents. Age gives experience, and therefore deserves respect.”                                                                                              --J. C. Ryle

      “Power—as defined by the Bible benefits others: Power—as defined by the world, benefits self.”

--Pastor Robert Morris

     Mike Ramey is a Retired Minister, KJV Bible Teacher, syndicated columnist and Bible Prophecy Specialist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.  “The Quick Scan: A Success Primer For Young Black Men” is one of a variety of his columns appearing and abounding in print and cyberspace, written from a biblical, business, and common-sense perspective since 1996.  To drop him a line—or a whine—the address is still the same: mgmikeramey@yahoo.com.  ©2024 Barnstorm Communications International. With this 12-part series on the major issues of manhood, we are celebrating 2024 as “The Year of the Young Black Man.”