Let's Talk About It: Social Media (Part 2)

I was watching a show with my wife called "The Crown" the other night on Netflix. During the episode we were watching, Winston Churchill had to give a eulogy for the king of England who had just died. In the mid-1900’s the only possible medium to deliver a message to an entire nation instantly was the radio. So, they recorded Churchill live while the British public were all ears for a still, somber moment. Churchill’s orchestrated words rang out over the airwaves, delivering a powerful speech of consolation and inspiration. It was clear that Churchill understood that there was a weighty burden he had to bear and bear well. To address the people of a nation in a time of confusion, fear and sorrow, required great intentionality and care as he wielded a great power in those historic seconds; the power of words.  The right words would benefit all and fulfill the task of serving England’s people in a time where guidance and comfort were desperately needed. The wrong words could easily have perpetuated the tragedy and most likely ended his career as Prime Minister.

Such opportunities used to be given only to a few designated people, typically political leaders or designated speakers. Now a days, those opportunities are taken by anyone with access to the internet. The same potential power is being wielded. The power of words to either build up our fellow human beings or tear them down. But, I don’t think that we often consider the power that we wield with our words and therefore we wield it recklessly. Proverbs 18:21 puts it this way, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” With every word we speak, type or write, we have the opportunity to bring death or life to those around us emotionally and spiritually.

As Americans, we cherish the freedom of speech that we have been given in this country. It’s a beautiful thing that not all peoples have, so we should appreciate it. But like any freedom that we can use, we can also abuse it, and abuse it we do.  Our freedom is often interpreted as a license to say whatever we want, free from the consequences of our words. It’s true in this country that one can speak freely, but the consequences of our words, although they may not be enforced by law, are none the less inevitable. Life or death will be spread with every email, text, status, tweet and comment.

We are currently in a time where “death speech” is rampant. Impulsive words spoken out of angst, anger and arrogance are shot through cyberspace like a constant flurry of bullets and we are all caught in the crossfire with the main casualty being peace itself. This past year I have watched slander and inconsiderate words plant seeds of fear and hatred in our society.  Today, we can see the harvest of division, discrimination and disdain for our fellow Americans being reaped, all we have to do is turn on the news.  It’s both heart-breaking and horrifying to witness.

I wonder what it would be like if we all manifested the same intentionality that figures such as Winston Churchill have exhibited throughout history. If we understood and respected the power our words have, striving to wield them with care and craftsmanship. Can you imagine how that would change the very atmosphere of our culture? What if all the “death-talk” stopped and only messages of life filled the airwaves and internet? World peace is something we all would probably say we are striving for, but I think the way we talk to and about one another suggests that most of us aren’t all that interested in it after all.

I present this as a vision for all of us no matter who you are or what your background, political views, social class or spiritual beliefs may be. However, I do want to take a second to talk to my fellow Christians specifically(feel free to listen in for those of you who are not).

Brothers and sisters, we have been given a command in Ephesians 4:29 (ESV).

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Corrupting talk in the Greek refers to a kind of decaying. So the verse is saying that words that bring about decay or death should never come from the mouth or the comments of a Christian on social media, only words that build up or bring life. This is not optional, this is commanded by our Lord. Yes, we are all sinners who fall short at times, and praise God that forgiveness has been granted by grace through faith in Christ. However, the life and grace we have received in Jesus should empower us and compel us to give life and grace to others. The thing that has saddened my heart the most this last year has been watching people who at least profess to be followers of Christ, participate in the ruthless exchange of decaying words in a manner that is no different than those who don’t know the life of Christ. Now, I’m not perfect either, but by God’s grace I’ve learned to stop, pray and consider those that might find my comments and statuses on their newsfeeds before I post them. He’s taught me that with every email, status update, text and so on, I have the opportunity to speak life or death. And that is something I have learned not to take lightly. Beloved children of God, I implore you to do the same.  For I believe that if we rise up and speak life even when words of death bombard us, that we will fulfill our role as lights amidst the darkness. The words of life and truth have been spoken into our hearts by God Himself, and it’s our calling to share the wealth. And I think doing that on social media is a great place for us to do so.

Let's Talk About It: Social Media (Part 1)

We live in a time where technological mediums are becoming the primary forms of interpersonal connection. It’s an age of digital relations with constant exposure to others through various forms of social media. Now, I want to clarify that this is not some “anti-social media” rant, for those of you who, as I set this up, are waiting for some kind of hammer of judgment to drop in the midst of this blog. All I wish to do is present some observations and encourage us to consider some things as objectively as we can. But first, let me explain my background, since that plays a factor in how I process this topic.

I remember when I was in seventh grade I got an AOL instant messenger account. Viperexe9 was my username, if I remember correctly. Not the best of names as I look back, but oh well. As a shy, introverted young man, social media came along and seemed to even the social playing field in some ways. I wasn’t the best at going up and talking to people. So, social media became a place where I could rely on my written communication, which was much better than my verbal communication at the time. Especially when it came to talking with girls, when I was face to face I couldn’t say what I know I could write. I could be a romantic poet over AIM, but face to face I’d typically trip over my tongue or be unable to say much at all due to the nervousness that flooded my mind.

Myspace came next, which seemed to broaden the range of connections I could make. My “friends” grew in number and I could continue to rely on my abilities to type in a way that made me seem smoother and smarter than I could while talking. Then when I went to college, I got a Facebook account and my web of connections continued to grow. Today, we have a plethora of options, so many that I personally struggle to keep track of them all.

Now, as I’ve reflected on this personal journey of mine, and as I observe the lives and overall culture around me, there are a few things that I’d like for us to consider.

Number one: social media provides a unique opportunity to connect with people we otherwise could not. I know for myself, mediums like facebook and skype have allowed me to keep in touch with good friends and family members who at different times lived too far away for personal visits to be possible. So, I think we need to count that blessing and I don’t believe it's all bad. Although I know there is a lot of backlash against social media in general for different reasons, I think it's important we don't throw out the proverbial baby with the bathwater. However...

The second thing I've realized is that relationships formed through social media cannot effectively supplement for our needs as social beings. The reality is that we are social creatures that require direct interpersonal relationships in order to truly thrive as human beings. Understand, I say that as an introvert who would rather spend most of my time alone, but even I feel being long for direct connection with others regularly.  As a Christian, I believe that is a big part of how God has made us. Even scientific studies come to similar conclusions about our nature as social beings. If people are isolated from direct social interaction it affects them negatively emotionally, psychologically and can even have physiological repercussions as well.  Most commonly today, it can lead to a lack of basic social skills which are needed in order for someone to successfully function in society. Social media can give us the illusion of community, but it doesn’t sufficiently provide for our personal needs and doesn’t help us develop necessary social skills, at least as effectively as direct relationships do. So, although we may tend to prefer indirect contact with people at times because it seems "safer" and allows us to remain out of reach when relationships go south, in the midst of that, we actually deprive ourselves of opportunities to grow and receive what we need as social beings.

Thirdly and finally, social media grants every individual a sphere of influence.  With a few pressed keys and a click, every person with a social media account has the ability to influence other people in a way that was not possible before such mediums were invented. In the past, it was practically impossible for the average person to be able to present a message to a vast audience unless they went through the newspaper or radio which were typically reserved for political figures, celebrities, etc. Every person now has the power to impact potentially millions of people around the world with their words in a matter of seconds. The question is: what do we do with that power? And that’s a conversation we’ll dive into next time, so stay tuned as we continue to talk about it.