Social Media; 6 weeks off and 6 weeks on and all my thoughts in between

At training camp we were encouraged/challenged to fast from social media for the first six weeks of our race. While it didn’t seem like that much of a challenge—how much were we really going to have wifi or free time anyway?—it did seem like it might be a bit of an inconvenience for me and a great way to evaluate the role that social media plays in my life. I’ve stayed off social media intentionally before, but never for so long and certainly not when I actually had something worthwhile to share. To be completely honest I was more concerned that I wouldn’t have it as a fundraising tool. Well the six weeks passed with very little pain. I found that I learned the most when I got back on social media. Now having been on the Race for twelve weeks, half of the time with social media, half without, I’ve really had time to flush out my thoughts on how it plays into my life. I also think it’s fitting that I’m reflecting on this as we have WiFi at our residence for the first time (though it is down as I type). So here is what I learned, in no particular order.

 

Coined by my Pastor or someone else originally I’m not quite sure, but it still holds true. Thoughts like “my ministry isn’t good enough?,” “Should I be posting more?,” and “they are so much better at sharing their story” flooded my mind the first day I logged back on to social media and I still struggle with them. Not to mention the typical thoughts of comparison that plague us in everyday life that are often compounded when we scroll through other people’s feeds. I’ve found that I have to do a heart check when these thoughts pop up. As it relates to life now and ministry that heart check reminds me that it’s not about what’s being posted, it’s about what God’s doing here, now where I’m at. I also have to remind myself that putting something on social media doesn’t make it real, just like it not being posted doesn’t make it any less important.

 

2. It’s addictive—You have to guard against that.

 

We had the opportunity to meet and spend some time with a team that is going into their last month on the Race this past weekend. One of the members remarked about how if he could do it over again he wouldn’t bring his phone on the race and how we should be on guard against our wifi usage and letting that overcome us versus the time and opportunity for interaction. Can I also take a moment to point out the research into how “likes” on social media trigger responses in our brain of dopamine. Literally you’re getting high…yes, really. Google it. Advertisers and app developers alike are starting to use this to their advantage, instagram even holds your likes to make them more effective.

 

3. How true are the posts we’re seeing? (And posting ourselves?)

 

I know I’m not the only one who sees it or does it. The staged photos, the passive aggressive posts, anger, and ranting. It’s so tempting to hop on social media and hit the share button on impulse. It’s so easy to get caught up in the comparison and want to get those likes (and the high that goes with them) that we post things that aren’t real. How many photos did I take to get just the right picture before I actually sat and read my Bible? It just leaves me wondering what’s the point, and if I’m doing it, so is everyone else. In this comes the fact that we rarely post about the bad stuff, the raw stuff or the truly painful and if we do it’s usually not coming from a place of vulnerability and honesty. So what we end up seeing is the perfect moments, the best parts, and the lies that we want our life to be instead of a picture of who we really are.

 

4. Social Media is Awesome

 

Ok, so I’m mostly throwing this in to balance out the negative tone this post is taking, but seriously, it’s awesome. Think back with me (if you can) to a time before social media. (Yes, yes I know I just lost most of my audience and I’m showing my age. As I discussed with teammates earlier today, I remember when Facebook was only for those of us with a .edu email. Fellow 30 somethings let’s take a moment to remember our MySpace pages of my old.) People lost touch easily, you couldn’t easily document your life on a never ending server to look back on for years to come. (Maybe those could be seen negatives, too. I digress) In this digital age sharing ideas, finding like minded people, spreading an idea or encouraging change are only a post and a hashtag away. Social media has shaped and exponentially grown the way we communicate and there are some truly beautiful things about that. Go take a look at any Kid President video and I ask, without social media would that impact and encouragement be possible? To go further, it’s an incredible tool for me and my squad to share what God is doing all over the world through us (and consequently through the generosity of our supporters). This could be true of any nonprofit or ministry. (For more insight check out the podcast “How might Jesus engage on social media”.) Social media has the ability to reach so many people at once and engage them, the question is what are they being engaged in.

 

Are you still with me, because here’s what I want to leave you with. As I move forward and want to continue to use and interact via social media, I’m going to start asking myself one thing.

 

“Why am I posting this?”

Is it to…

 

If the answer isn’t one of those then I will probably not post. We need to start using discernment in how we use social media and the time we spend there. Because really not everything needs to be shared publicly. There are so many sweet, young, innocent middle schoolers that I used to teach that I wish would hear this and let it sink in, because even I have a few photos from college I regret having posted on Facebook.

 

The flip side of this is, put the phone down because while you’re partaking in that social media high you’re missing the life that is happening beyond your phone screen. The child to play with, the friend that needs encouragement or the beauty of the world around you.

 

Here’s my challenge for you this week; take some time to think about how you’re using social media. Do you need to cut back? Or change what, how or why you are posting? What if you just took the apps off your phone and only logged on when you were in front of a computer? What are the positive things that social media adds to your life?

 

Until next time,

Sara