Before understanding why I seek to create this system, you have to understand the flaws with the one we currently have. This will sound like a tangent, but humor me and really give what I’m saying a chance.
According to Truth Initiative, JUUL dominates 49.7% of the whole e-cigarette market. They were founded in 2015, less than 10 years ago when writing this article, and they own half of the entire e-cigarette market. And according to the National Institute of Health, over 30% of Juul’s userbase are children and teenagers. It’s no secret that cigarettes are terrible for your body. Additionally, the current generation of children and teenagers realize that. Almost any statistic shows that these generations smoke less than almost any other. So what makes things like JUUL so popular? Why are these companies so powerful in the face of opposition?
They have a fantastic team behind them. JUUL was founded by two graduate students in product design at Stanford University. Plus, one quick look at their LinkedIn page shows you that their employees studied at schools like Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Caltech, and more. The world’s brightest minds have created the most enticing product they can. They took an addictive, toxic product responsible for 500,000 deaths annually and turned it into the next iPhone.
If you want to change the world, you must have its best soldiers.
Both Apple’s iPhone and JUUL Labs are trailblazers in their own right, and they’re revered as such because of what they' ve accomplished. They took an idea, put it in the hands of people who were known for their craft, and didn’t stop until they had created a world-changing product.
I grew up in the Deep South, which you can probably guess, also means I grew up in the Bible Belt. I have seen churches with massive amounts of money grow and fall. I’ve seen church productions that rival EDC Las Vegas, so why don’t I see any non-believers in church? They’re all over my region. I talk to them online every day. They’ve never thought seriously about going to church, much less starting a relationship with God. Why is that? Well, several reasons. I won’t pretend to have all the answers as to why they don’t give it a shot, but a big reason people did give JUUL a shot is because they were catered to. JUUL created a product that looks like nothing you’ve ever seen, tastes like Fruity Pebbles, and even has a party mode. It’s created to pique your interest. It caters to the internet generation. JUUL Labs used technology to bring e-cigarettes into the future. Similarly, I envision Upperthought as a platform that uses technology to bring faith into the modern era.
Let me clarify that I’m not equating the Christian lifestyle to a nicotine addiction- far from it. But, a group of dedicated individuals could make the world love something that actively works against them. Imagine the impact we could make if we use a similar approach in advertising something that radically works for them.
We live in an age of unprecedented access to information and community. Yet, despite this connectedness, many have a palpable sense of spiritual isolation. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, “Religiously unaffiliated people have been growing as a share of all Americans for some time,” reflecting a trend powerful among younger generations who do not necessarily identify with traditional religious labels or institutions.
Our existing faith communities need to do better in engaging the digital-native generation.
The Christian community needs more innovation and adaptability to resonate with today’s fast-paced, technologically integrated lifestyle. That’s where Upperthought comes in. Our mission is not to replace the invaluable teachings and traditions that form the backbone of faith but to reinterpret and reinvigorate them through the lens of modern technology. By embracing the tools and ethos of the digital age, we aim to create a spiritual home that speaks directly to the hearts and minds of individuals navigating the complexities of modern life.