Social Media.
Does anyone else find it ironic that the word “social” is used in the phrase, yet society seems to be less social as a whole?
How often do you go out to dinner and see couples glued to their phones or children playing on tablets? Having little to no conversation with one another? What’s the point of date night with your spouse if most of it is spent mindlessly scrolling through other people’s digital lives?
Don’t get me wrong, I think the concept of social media is good. It’s a great way to stay connected with family who live across the country, old college roommates and high school classmates. But anymore it seems to be a place full of advertisements, political debates and too many opinions.
In the last year and a half, I’ve taken notice of how social media has been serving me. Personally speaking, it has become an addiction that leaves me feeling empty or numb. Sometimes even depressed. I love seeing people’s life updates—birth announcements, engagements, weddings, babies being born and growing up—but I am guilty of falling into the comparison game. And when I am not comparing my everyday life to everyone else’s highlight reels, it seems like the majority of the time I am reading posts that paint people and the world in a negative life.
What if I were to tell you that we were not created for constant connection with the world; but instead we were created for constant communion with God?
Read that again.
We were not created for constant connection with the world. We were created for constant communion with God.
Look at how social media is serving you. How much time do you spend on Facebook, Instagram or Tik Tok? Take it a step further, how much time do you spend on Netflix, playing video games or reading the news? How many times a day do you simply check your phone?
A.W. Tozer once said, “Whatever keeps me from my Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear to me.”
What is keeping you from communing with the Lord today? Whatever it is, lay it down at His feet.
If you are looking to decrease your online distractions, I highly recommend The 40-Day Social Media Fast by Wendy Speake. She also offers tips on how you can still use social media in a healthier way by setting boundaries, time limits, etc.
Ashlie Freeman