Facebook, Instagram, Twitter; we rely on these social media platforms now more than ever before. Because of the pandemic, one of the only ways that we can catch up with family, or see how our friends are doing, is to be on social media. While these platforms can be a positive influence if used with good intentions, they could also be harmful if left unchecked.
In many ways, social media can divide us as a society and further isolate us as individuals. We say things on our Facebook wall out of anger or frustration, using our First Amendment to let off some steam. We use social media as a form of self expression. Our content is self expression, our reactions are self expression, our arguments are self expression. However, when we type on a screen, or post a picture on Instagram in haste, we rarely think of how it will come off to those who view it. Where is the “social” in social media, if all we do when going online is think and speak about ourselves? How do we bridge the divide in society if social media is more about individual expression than the community one builds?
Be mindful that the very purpose in which social media was created is to connect, not to divide. True happiness, fulfilment, and joy comes from connection and understanding, whether in person or behind a screen. When it comes to being online, it is easy to react to hate with more hate, thus widening the divide.There will always be trolls on the internet, those who will turn a positive technological advancement into an emotional weapon. But my challenge to you is, no matter how others may respond to you, that you respond in love. Think before you speak, pray before you write, and sensor your vocabulary in the process. Change the course of the conversation, or listening and make the people you are against at least feel heard and understood. God requires and holds you accountable to take the higher road of love, compassion, and sympathy. The best way to honor Him is to follow His lead, and love unconditionally, even in the face of hate.
Let’s begin to build a supportive and loving online community during the pandemic. Let’s truly reconnect with family and friends, while gaining an understanding with one another. Our job as people of God, as human beings with compassionate hearts, is to build people up, not to break them down. If you find that sometimes social media causes too much confusion or chaos, it is time to let some stuff (or people…) go. Unfriend or block whoever you need to and take a break from social media if it will affect your happiness. If it is meant to be, the “friends” will return, and the relationship will be much much better because of the break. Give those around you the benefit of the doubt, but also approach all with grace and compassion. Especially when so many interactions are happening behind a screen, you want people to remember the best in you, not the worst. True Christianity comes in your character, and the choices you make, whether online or in person, determine who you are.
For our physical and emotional safety, let us use social media to spread love, create happy memories, and provide a light of human connection in dark times. We could surely use more of that in our lives.