Images of “Hot Jesus” Flood Social Media
What? “Jesus is punching the devil on Facebook,” writes Caroline Mimbs Nyce for The Atlantic. She’s talking about AI-generated images of Christ, depicted as “chiseled,” “hypermasculine” and with “startlingly good hair,” are trending on social media platforms.
So What? Nyce speculates that these pictures are likely posted by bots in an attempt to generate engagement—and to eventually monetize that engagement. But they pose a bigger issue for Christian families.
Now What? What/who are we worshiping when we “like” or share a pseudo-religious post like this on Instagram or Facebook? Are we praising Jesus by acknowledging these images (regardless of their source)? Or are we posturing to appear a certain way online? These are the questions parents should be asking as we talk to our kids about how they engage with content online.
Spotify Adds Social Media-Esque Features
What? The music and podcast streaming app Spotify has added the ability for users to leave comments on podcast episodes.
So What? While not quite on the level of traditional social media, this addition of interactivity brings Spotify into YouTube territory. And users can now share conversations, links and more through the feature.
Now What? Parents who moderate what their children listen to on Spotify will now also need to consider what their kids might get exposed to in the comments section. Other users might make suggestions for similar podcasts or music that haven’t met mom and dad’s approval. Foul language could show up even if the podcast itself is clean. And things could get more dicey if users share links to problematic websites.
Starbucks’ New Iced Energy Drinks Dangerously Caffeinated
What? Starbucks has released a line of colorful energy drinks called “Iced Energy.” The drinks contain up to 205 mg of caffeine and are often popular among teens.
So What? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that consuming such large quantities of caffeine can have adverse side effects in kids and teens. The drinks also contain large amounts of sugar and other ingredients that may be harmful to adolescent health.
Now What? I’m guessing that most parents wouldn’t let their kids chug six cans of Coke at once. But NBC reports that’s how much caffeine is in these new drinks. If your children are younger, you might be able to just tell them “no” if they request one of these beverages. But if they’re older, perhaps with money of their own, then make sure they know exactly what they’re sipping on. And perhaps help them find a less-caffeinated alternative they can enjoy instead.
5 Responses
Did Starbucks not learn from Panera’s “caffeinated lemonade” tragedy? How many lawsuits (and worse) is this drink going to result in?
Regarding “Hot Jesus” :
My close Jewish friend, who is already very cautious-at-best about cultural portrayals of Jesus or the Crucifixion as is, was pointing out several months back where AI was being used to fake a bunch of images of infants supposedly dressing up as Passion Play characters (which I think is thematically extremely inappropriate for them).
But if Isaiah 53 points to Christ, then verse 2 (New International) tells us that “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” It calls us to be mindful of the truth and origin of where our perceptions of Jesus (both his appearance and his conduct) come from, whether a portrayal is erroneously depicting him as “hot” or white or what have you. And I’ve never liked “Jesus is punching the devil” memes, as while we are not to revere the devil, we are to acknowledge that though God is more powerful than him, he is more powerful than us, and “even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!'” (Jude 1:9, New International)
“For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” – Isaiah 53:2
The “hot Jesus” posts definitely seem like “rage bait”. (When a person deliberately creates a controversial post, or one with misinformation, to make lots of people write angry/upset comments or correct the information. All those comments will increase engagement, as you wrote, and the original poster is more likely to gain some followers.)
Yep. That was my Jewish friend’s conclusion regarding the “AI infant Passion Play” fake-photos as well. Rage/interaction bait.