Social Media

In today's age, social media is perhaps the most dominant force, redefining our culture and the way we live. And while it has in many aspects improved our quality of life, or at least parts of it, there are many different impacts that we must be cautioned to avoid. In our Christian lives, we must make sure we use social media in a certain way, in order to maximize the positives and downplay the negatives.

Most worrisome about our continued dependence on social media are the glaring negatives that shine around all people. Again, we are taking this issue through a Christian perspective. The first issue that arises is the amount of time being spent on social media outlets. This affects our lives in two ways. First, we begin to lose our social abilities, our confidence and skill in associating with people face to face. Second, our lives become a drainage of waste, with nothing worthwhile or constructive being produced from the endless hours spent updating our status. Perhaps the biggest issue for Christians are the ever present temptations on social media. Most times, as soon as you mention temptations, the mind goes right to pornography. And while this is a big issue, especially with the readily accessible social media providing an easy way to access these pictures and videos, there are other temptations as well. Social media in itself is a temptation, sucking people towards it to waste every minute of their day.

However, social media does provide some excellent opportunities for Christians. As mentioned previously, it is perhaps the most dominant force of our culture. If we can harness this force, and use it for good, the results that could potentially be produced are astronomical! We can promote charities, church events, and Christian organizations. We could encourage others through Bible verses, prayers, and more. Essentially, if we can use social media and transform it into a Christian force, the world would be faced with this different influence everyday!

Social media also provides Christians with the opportunity to strengthen their own faiths. One way to do this is by connecting with other Christians. Encouragement, prayers, and more can be shared, and a community of believers could be created. Also, social media can provide daily devotions, and Bible verses to uplift and encourage believers. YouVersion is just one example of an app that also has a Twitter and FaceBook account, continually posting Bible verses, devotions, and prayers to encourage a believer to spend time with God.

In conclusion, social media provides two different ends of the spectrum with usefulness. It all depends on the choices you make, or what purpose social media serves for you. If it is used for good, it is a very powerful tool. It's also powerful on the other end of the spectrum, providing temptations that are very difficult to avoid. Like much of what this world has to offer us, we need to make sure we maintain a heavenly perspective, and find the best of what is given to us, while staying away from the evil.