I have never had a good stance on how I can use social media well. I’ve thought way too long about this topic–I’ve read books and blog posts, heard chapel talks, and participated in class discussions, but I always waver between loving and hating social media, from being addicted to giving it up completely. This is not a post to bash social media or convince anyone not to use it. This is just me evaluating the way I use it and the effect it has on me.
I don’t believe social media is inherently bad, but I do see some bad habits that my engagement in social media causes.
- I am not present.
I care too much about the lives of people I don’t know and fail to invest in relationships with those I care about, who are right in front of me. Isn’t it ironic that I’ll watch someone else’s life instead of living my own? I want to be entertained, so I try to stretch beyond my finitude, keeping up with hundreds of people online when they don’t actually know me or love me.
I don’t necessarily think there has to be a dichotomy–that I have to choose between relationships online or relationships in real life–however, for me, my time on social media always takes away from those around me.
2. I become shallow.
I believe social media can be used to the glory of God. Many accounts I follow have shown me cool recipes, hilarious videos, or amazing photos. Many share encouraging truth about Jesus. Yet, I see so much of it every day that I fail to reflect on what I’ve read and often forget it before the end of the day. This comes back to finitude–as a human being, I can only take in a limited amount of information, and I’m more likely to remember long arguments in books than short posts.
Also, even if I wanted to read a book, consistent social media use acclimates my mind to short clips and caption-sized posts that it becomes difficult to read a book for an extended period of time.
3. I lack self-control.
While I believe there are people who are good at balancing real life and social media, I don’t feel I am one of them–at least not right now. I say I’ll limit my time to 30 minutes a day, but before I know it, it’s been two hours. By that time, I don’t feel like reading my Bible or praying.
In moments of boredom, I check my phone instead of praying. Without realizing, I’ll go the entire day without praying.
4. I forget eternal things.
When I use social media, I become fixated on the immediate–what vacation someone is on, what someone is eating for breakfast–and I forget about eternal realities. I forget about heaven, the state of others’ souls, and I am less intentional with friends and family.
I also forget how short my time on earth is. Sure, two hours on social media one day isn’t a big deal (though many of us are on it much longer). Yet, two hours every day for one year is 730 hours, or 30 days, an entire MONTH. That’s scary. I am accountable to God for the way I use my time. While He is gracious and has forgiven my lack of wisdom, I want to live holy with the time I have. I want to know Jesus and walk with him, be present with those around me, and think deeply about issues that matter.
To be clear, I know there are plenty of good aspects to social media–connection to distant friends and family, a platform for businesses, opportunities to share the gospel. Yet, they have not been able to outweigh the negative effects of social media on my life, so I think I’ll take a break for a bit.
Like I said, these are just my own observations–but I’d love to hear other points of view as well, so leave a comment if you’d like.
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