This reflection first appeared in the February 1964 edition of The Treasury, written by Dr. N. C. Little. Drawing on words spoken by Sir Patrick Duff some years earlier, Dr. Little offered a sharp and timely warning about the influence of mass media on the Christian life. His challenge, given more than sixty years ago, is as urgent today as it was then.
“If each of you surrender day by day, little by little your own integrity of spirit to the mass mind, if you will never give the personal appreciation or personal effort to read fine literature, if your only idea in any leisure moment is to turn on the radio and leave it on, or to go and gape at the movies, then you will grow more and more like a passive mass gramophone record with no sense of a real personality within yourself. You will grow to be like an empty echo of the tunes and discords which mass production stamps upon you, or the catch words and ideas which propaganda pumps into you.” — Sir Patrick Duff
Dr. Little commented that if these words were true in 1948, they carried even greater weight by 1964. He noted how the radio and television had already captured the minds of many, and warned that Christians must be alert to the subtle ways “innocent” habits can become obsessions that weaken spiritual
Then and Now
In 1964, the concern was radio, cinema, and the arrival of television. Today, in 2025, the issue has only grown. Smartphones, social media, streaming platforms, and algorithms follow us everywhere. Our devices buzz in our hands, filling every spare moment with distraction, comparison, or noise. What Sir Patrick Duff described as “becoming an empty echo” is now multiplied at scale: memes, trends, and hashtags can dominate minds and cultures worldwide in hours. The temptation for Christians remains the same — to surrender little by little to the mass mind of culture, losing the quiet space where God speaks.
A Call to Christians
The Scriptures remind us: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
Media is not inherently bad. Films, music, broadcasts, and online platforms can share truth, beauty, and even the gospel. But when they dominate our lives, they can dull our discernment and weaken our witness.
As followers of Christ in 2025, we are called to:
Guard our minds, choosing what we let dwell in our hearts.
Place God’s Word before the world’s words.
Use media as a tool to encourage, inform, and share Christ — not as an escape or obsession.
Reclaim silence and stillness, so we hear the voice of God above the noise of culture.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
This Treasury article from 1964 still speaks powerfully today. The forms of media have changed, but the spiritual challenge is the same: will we be shaped by the endless noise of the mass mind, or by the living Word of God?
As we move forward, may we resist conformity, choose discernment, and allow our minds to be renewed by Christ — so that our lives reflect His truth in a noisy world.