When I was growing up, there were no cell phones or social media. We somehow survived, and things were actually a lot better in my opinion. We spent more time actually connecting with other people and engaging in more value-added activities. Now, it seems that technology has gone crazy, and we are connected 24/7. As a result, it has drastically increased the pace of life. In the past, we mostly heard about things that were happening in our corner of the world. Now we are made aware of tragedies across the globe and it’s overwhelming. I asked someone the other day if the world is crazier or if we just know more now because we are so connected. I think it’s probably some of both.
Social media has some silver linings. I know that personally it has enabled me to reconnect with people that I wouldn’t have otherwise. And it is a platform where you can share and view inspiring information at times. However, social media will never be a replacement for real-world human connection. It’s ironic that for a technology that is designed to bring people closer together, it can actually drive division and make people feel lonely, rejected, anxious and/or depressed. Social media can also fuel comparison and generally make us feel like our lives don’t measure up. Other negative outcomes include cyberbullying, self-esteem issues, FOMO and spreading negativity.
For Christians, here are a few things to watch out for as it relates to social media:
- Social media takes away from time that we could spending with God and truly connecting with others
The average user spends about two hours a day on social Those two hours could be spent on something more productive like exercise, spending time with family, studying, working, sleep, praying, and reading your Bible. The devil seeks to “steal, kill, and destroy.” One of the ways he does that is by luring people into wasting their time on social media coveting other people’s lives. - It pollutes our minds and isn’t good for our souls
Social media can pollute the mind. The mind can only take so much, and it is overwhelmed by all of the information that is being posted, shared and spread with much of it being negative.
Philippians 4:8 tells us what we should dwell on and there isn’t a lot of it on social media.
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
What is the remedy? Here are 5 tips for better managing your social media usage.
- Use an app to track how much time you spend on social media each day. Then set a goal for how much you want to reduce it by.
- Turn off your phone at certain times of the day, such as when you’re driving, in a meeting, at the gym, having dinner, spending time with offline friends, or playing with your kids.
- Don’t bring your phone or tablet to bed. Turn your devices off and leave them in another room overnight to charge.
- Limit checks. If you compulsively check your phone every few minutes, wean yourself off by limiting your checks to a less frequent pace.
- Try removing social media apps from your phone so you can only check from your tablet or computer.
God wants to strengthen and renew our souls through communion with Him. Matthew 11:28-30 says:
Does that sound good? I can assure you that this won’t happen through social media. We need to create margin and spend time with Him to restore and renew our souls. Try unplugging or cutting back and see what impact it has on your life. I know I’m guilty and am planning to work on unplugging more often over the coming weeks.
What will you do?
