Using social media accounts has pros and cons.
On the plus side, there is something comforting about logging online and seeing videos that make us laugh, keeping up with the lives of loved ones via pictures or posts, or learning new hacks to help make our cooking and cleaning adventures more successful.
But for all the good, a dark agenda is also at play behind buttons disguised as hearts and thumbs up. Online, children can be at risk of groomers, pornography has the potential of ruining families, mental health is called into question, and time can easily be spent addicted to scrolling instead of serving.
And we can't forget that much of the truth about what’s really happening in the world is hidden behind blurred screens warning users of “misinformation.”
In roughly the last 10 years, Pew Research has reported the following statistics surrounding social media. They include:
- A 2015 survey that reported “68% of teens who use social media have witnessed people stirring up drama on these platforms.”
- In a 2018 survey, it found “59% of U.S. teens have personally experienced at least one of six types of abusive online behaviors.”
- In 2020, one of Pew’s studies stated that 64% of Americans at that time thought that “social media [had] a mostly negative effect on the way things are going in the country today.”
With all the negativity and dissatisfaction, I wonder why we gravitate to these various platforms. But it seems as though the majority of us can’t stay away. In an April 2024 Statista poll, research found that “5.17 billion, or 63.7% of the world’s population were social media users.”
But then again, as mentioned in the Book of Esther, I’m reminded that we were all made for “such a time as this.” In the 21st century, social media can be vital in sharing Christ’s love and goodness with those most in need.
Like many of you, my social media pages have been filled with heated conversations as culture continues to be impacted by worldly influences. However, regardless of what we see or hear, it is important to remember that we are representatives of the One in control.
We have been given the most fantastic news of all time! How could we keep that to ourselves? By utilizing our online presence, we can share the truth about Christ and what He has done.
There are a few ways that we can share our faith on social media. They might include:
- Telling others what the Lord has done in our lives. Be authentic! As a Christ follower, we have something to praise Him for! Whether he has saved us from death, sickness, sin, or even a bad attitude, he has given us the gift of another day to serve. Praise Him for what He’s done and is doing.
- Sharing what He’s helped us overcome. We each have a story to tell. If He’s brought us through something such as an addiction or infertility, give Him glory! We also aren’t privy to knowing what our “friends” or “followers” are going through, and it can often be comforting reading about the hope He brings. Our testimonies might be the much-needed encouragement of someone else at that moment.
- Have a devotional you’re learning from or a passage of Scripture that the Lord gave you? Please share it! Again, that brief encouragement might be the ticket to opening someone’s eyes to the goodness of the Lord.
- And finally, not just commenting but committing to praying. As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of bad things happening in the world, especially on social media. It can be absolutely exhausting! When we see someone asking for prayer, even unspoken prayer, we can take a second to lift them up to the Father. Likewise, when we spot someone online who might seem filled with a not-so-Christlike attitude, pray for them as well. They may have more going on than meets the naked eye.
In this tech-savvy age, we can let our lights for Christ shine in many ways. The question is, will we?
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
