“Kardashian Rule"

According to a recent article, a few years ago, Kim Kardashian did a nude photoshoot for a mainstream magazine. It dominated the news media for days, with all sorts of unironic think-pieces considering what the photoshoot signified for celebrity behavior, women’s rights, sexual liberation, and on and on.I personally know nothing and I mean less than nothing about the Kardashian’s. Why? Because I simply don’t care! However this article declared what I thought was a very interesting observation; “The more viral a person or event is, the more the culture will overestimate its importance.” The author of the article called it the “Kardashian Rule.” Kim did not invent this rule, she simply recognized it! I mean Elvis is alive and well living in Cuba, with JFK and Marilyn. The moon landing was a hoax. An asteroid is going to destroy the planet! Oh, and I just read that Jesus will be here on April twenty-third. What Kim and others have done is to capitalize on the digital platforms that have exploded into our society. In the excitement of experiencing this new found technology we overlooked how we could be so easily manipulated.How we receive and process information determines so much about our lives. And most of what we are receiving is meaningless, stupid, of no value, are you getting the point. Whatever Kim Kardashian does or doesn’t do has no bearing on my life. It means nothing. However, despite the fact that she has done nothing, continues to do nothing, and shows no promise of ever doing anything, she remains one of the most famous people on the planet. Why? Because she understands that whoever commands the most attention will be the greatly rewarded. She makes money by getting people’s attention. The thing that gets our attention obviously doesn’t have to be important! It only has to get our attention. Actually the more bizarre the better. Whatever gets our attention gives advertisers the opportunity to sell us something. That is the point! Our “attention” is being sold to the highest bidder. Come on… think about it! Your attention is valuable! If you don’t believe me ask your spouse, your children, or your friends. Come on we have all experienced the nut who was “texting” and nearly caused an accident. Our “attention,” every moment of every day is being sold or stolen by the bizarre, the stupid, the silly, the just plain insanity of some person trying to make a buck. And what is so silly is that we are giving our “attention” away for free. In fact we are paying to have our attention taken from us! There is a reason why as a kid I was told to “pay attention.” Just like you pay money to buy a car, you “pay attention” every time you give your attention to some bizarre non-sensical thing on any media source. I think it’s time to take our “attention” back! Here’s an idea, lets find out what is really important and “pay attention” to that.  Like maybe, “child abuse, slave traders, opioid crisis, poverty, racial inequality, your family, your neighbor, your own personal health, or any number of issues that truly matter.” Of course that would mean that we might have to “pay attention” to something other than the stupid stuff that comes across facebook, twitter, instagram, youtube, and snapchat. Good Lord, lets start charging for our “attention.” Let’s demand something that is better than whatever Kim is doing this week. (or whoever else is twitting, some stupid thing trying to steal our attention) Come on lets face it! You and I are better than this! You and I are smarter than this!All of this “attention grabbing” is never going to really do anything meaningful, it is never going to change anything, it is never going to make a difference. No, making a difference, is up to you and I. If we stop giving any attention to them, they will lose control. All of them! And that is a good thing. In other words you can take control over your own life by simply giving your attention to something or someone else. You can make a difference! You can give meaning to your life! You can make a change in your life! Simply, change what you give your “attention” too!