We live in the age of discernment. Those who possess it will thrive. Those who lack it will destroy themselves. We carry computers in our pockets that shoot messages into into the minds of thousands of people. It’s scary. We post things in one emotional moment that possess the power to bless or divide, to mend or to rip apart.
Social media is weird.
We know someone’s stance before we know their emotions. When we sit face-to-face we see someone’s body language before we hear their words. Their eyes tell us stories of joy and struggle before their words do. But on social media we’ve flipped it. We know someone’s stance devoid of their feelings. In the truest sense this is dehumanizing.
We’ve lost internal wrestling. Instead of wrestling in our own souls and with our Creator we take our raw emotions to the social media arena where others grapple for us. No wonder we’re confused! Some folks have asked me why I didn’t post after shootings, protests, hashtags or atrocities. I was still wrestling, still thinking, still grieving. It takes time to work this out, and by then I’ve usually missed the hot “social media window”. I’m also not sure I have anything profound to add to the conversation.
Our social media posts often separate us from table community. We’ve chosen to post things in the heat of the moment that will block us from engaging real conversations. We influence others through conversations, but I’ve yet to see someone change their stance through social media comments. We need to stop counting likes and comments and start counting meals and conversations.
Please do this before you post.
Recognize you aren’t a PR department. We don’t have to publicly respond to every event in our culture. We aren’t a public relations department protecting a company from a lawsuit; we’re just humans. We’re not required to give press releases for our feelings or current events.
Anticipate who your post might hurt. It breaks my heart to see how we are treating each other on social media. My friends represent every side of every social issue. Before posting I think about those who I will hurt and distance myself from if I post what I’m thinking. I also think about how my words might be misinterpreted.
Process before you post. Don’t post when you’re emotional, or when you’ve had a few drinks. Seriously. When we’re stirred up we aren’t thinking clearly. Our posts will be sloppy and one-sided. Wait to post until the emotions have settled. Take time to sort through why you even need to post.
Realize social media is pseudo community. Social media is not authentic community. It’s a valuable slice of who we are, but it’s only a slice. We choose what we post. At times we choose to act better, wiser, nicer, happier or hipper than we actually are. Someone with 4,000 Facebook friends might be sinking into loneliness by the moment as their portfolio of followers grows.
Does this sound like hard work?
It is. But it’s worth it. Every human is created in the image of God. Love beckons us to put in the work to be civil, to be compassionate, to be discerning. Somehow we think we have a free pass to do and say whatever we want on social media. We don’t. Social media is weird, but please think, grieve, pray and work before you post.