Value Phoenix Academy
(Site May Be Temporarily Unavailable due to transition of domain registry from Google to Square Space.)
The world is more interconnected than ever before... or are we?
Since the dawn of time we have built technologies to push us forward, from sticks wrapped together with twine to missiles launched with a single button that could knock a meteor away from Earth.
But what does this dramatic advancement in technology mean in the long run. Also think about the 'distance' element to how we build technology. We naturally value being able to accomplish tasks from farther away, such as the example between the stick and the missile. So, what happens when we apply this to social technology (social media). We are able to connect from farther away, but at what cost? Social technology helps to bring people together into groups but what happens when those groups become isolated.
-"When applied to social groups, social isolation refers to a lack of social and institutional ties to mainstream society. A group can be socially isolated even if the individuals within the group share a dense network of social ties with one another. Individual social isolation is a relatively straightforward concept."
(https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/applied-and-social-sciences-magazines/)
If we apply this to groups on the internet, it could be seen that the groups then cave inward toward its own identity and disconnects from the rest of the world. Some people may call this "group think" This is when people become so tribally enmeshed (intertwined) that they forsake understanding other people and their situations. When this happens, we end up with more division, just spread into more pockets around the world.
That's the downside.
Here's the upside:
Social media is indeed a way to maintain and build understanding within these social groups.
So, the real kicker is that we can look at social groups online versus the world around them, the same way we might look at an individual versus everyone else. There is still the opportunity the develop the small group as such the individual, and then bring that knowledge and development back to everyone around them.
It's the transference part that seems to be missing from society. What tends more often to happen is that these groups when formed, end up forming so strong an identity to themselves and their similar role to the others in the group that it opposes anything outside of it.
A lot of this stems from a previous lack of belonging or individual wellness. This is where personal development and skills training come in (like the books and courses found at Value Phoenix). This helps students to gain strength as an individual first and foremost, giving them a higher degree of balance and ability to operate in their environment.
Both self-development and integration with technology have become the ultimate mediums for success in the modern world. So, the trick here overall is to maintain a sense of wellness with or without the group one assigns themselves to.
At Value Phoenix, this is our goal. We seek to help students develop and have a sense of belonging and community. Our end goal is also to have our students understand adaptability and how their value then effects and (with our education) can positively impact everyone else around them.
We know that having communities online is great but there are things we can feel and experience in-person also that lend great value to the development and fulfilment of humanity. In the end, what is learned in groups needs to be transferred back into the rest of society for humanity to rise together.
We strive to build students who's interactions with their groups online and in-person are critical but open-minded. Students should question themselves and the world. This is how we grow. Students should also be able to balance a critical eye with another open eye that sees that there are many variables outside of their commend as well as outside of their full knowledge. When human beings can merge critical thinking and problem solving skills with empathy, we can become wise, resourceful, and we inspire true change in the world around us.
This is how we diverge from the world of division and create a better, more sustainable existence.
This is where limitless value is created.
-Value Phoenix Academy
"Those who survive do so because they adapt. Now more than ever, we need to adapt to the technology of the modern world and ourselves in alignment with it."
- Devin Alonge,
Founder of Value Phoenix
Online courses launching
Late Fall - Early Winter 2023!
Follow our Founder on YouTube & Twitter @devinalonge ☕