Social media is a huge topic among every person I know. Is it good or bad? What are the benefits or withdraws? I’m here today to speak on this topic. Now I’m am not bashing social media in anyway, because if you think about it right now you and I are using social media (aka wordpress.com). I am just here to share my thoughts. Feel free to leave comments or questions down in the comments!
Now let me start by sharing where I stand with social media at the moment. Currently this blog is my only source of social media that I am fully connected into. I do have a strong opinion on social media, but I will never judge anyone based on them having social media or not having it. Social media surrounds most peoples lives in this generation. All the time I watch as friends sit together but are on social media the whole time. What is this doing to our relationships with family and friends? Now I’m just as guilty as the next person for using my phone in times where I could have been growing a relationship. But what is so important about social media that we rate it above our face to face relationships? Let’s discuss this.
Again I am just stating my thoughts here I am not trying to sway anyone one way or another. First let’s discuss the benefits. If you (like myself) are away from your home town and many good friends are not around; social media is an amazing way to be able to keep in contact with those people. Also many people use social media to share with the world their talents, gifts, and personalities. It is also a great place to share your faith, to encourage, and stand by fellow believers. Because social media has totally consumed our generation this may be the only place a person could experience Jesus, so what you post REALLY matters. I pray that my blog may be a place of light, joy, positivity, and peace to all who may fall upon it. And lastly social media can be an outlet or a safe place in some ways. For me it is a place I can come and freely share my thoughts, prayers, and inspiration with y’all. As you can see there are many great things about social media, so I am not totally against it.
Now let’s look at some of the downfalls of social media. Starting with the most common: cyber bullying. Many people have been faced with the pain of being bullied online from people they may not even know. And that can cause self image insecurities, depression, or even lead to suicidal thoughts. This NEEDS to be stopped. Another downfall it holds is the distraction. This leads back to the relationships topic. Phones are constantly “dinging” with updates and messages from social media. It is a constant distraction from living in the moment we have been presented with. It saddens me a whole lot to see how more and more families tend to be on there phones in one way or another instead of spending quality time with each other face to face. People also ask me many times how I keep up with relationships with people I don’t see everyday if I don’t have social media. Well, I say this. If a relationship between me and someone else is meant to be, God will provide a way for communication. He has lead me back to friends in many other ways than social media.
Let’s take a minute to reflect on one downfall that I have dealt with before. People hide behind their social medias. I’m guilty of it! (read about that here!) How many times do you see a post where a person shares a difficulty they are going through? Now I’m not saying that nobody does it. I have seen some posts about hard times people are facing. But most of the time the happy-go-lucky posts out weigh the raw, honest posts. Doing this can cause so many insecurities in real life that you don’t know how to really speak your mind and heart out.
I believe that social media can be a good thing, it just depends on how you use it. If you are using it because it is popular or because somebody else has it, that’s not a valid reason. It is a choice. Whether you will use social media for good or for bad. Also is it effecting you in a POSITIVE way? You may be using social media in a wholesome way, but other things you experience or see on it may be changing you in a negative way. Again think about what you are putting social media above. If you find yourself spending more time on social media than working on school or developing relationships maybe it is time to refocus and assess yourself. Do you need social media?
Another common question is: Is social media a sin? Some of my friends discussed this topic and I really love what my friend H. said. (This is not a direct quote) Social media in itself is not a sin, but it can become a sin depending on how you use it. If you are putting social media above your relationship with God, that can be a sin. In the Bible we are told that putting anything above Christ is a sin.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” -Exodus 20:4-6
I am not telling you to get rid of all your social media. All I am saying is to be careful about how you use it and how you let it use you. For me at this stage in my life a blog is the perfect social media for me. It’s not overwhelming but it is a place to share my heart and communicate with others. I choose not to have other social media because for me in my personal life it would be a distraction. Will I ever get another form of social media? Who knows. I challenge y’all today to evaluate yourself and your use of social media. Do you have the right balance of face to face conversations vs. social media time? How are you using social media?
What are your thoughts on social media? Feel free to share in the comments!
Glory to God ❤
mandiesworld 