Rethink Social Media

As we enter into the days around Christmas and relatives arrive or we travel to be with family and friends and the eggnog begins to flow I would like to encourage everyone to rethink your use of social media.  Though Twitter, facebook, blogs and a plethora of other things can be useful tools they can also contribute to the depersonalization of relationships.  Instead of being fully present at the annual family drive looking at Christmas lights or interacting with the person directly in front of you we often are snapping twitpics and dialoguing with those who we don't see or maybe even know.  So during this celebration of the One who entered and fully engaged our world extract yourself from the Twitterverse, go on an iPhone fast or a facebook diet and be personal and present to loved ones that you can see and hear.

In this short video N.T. Wright, New Testament scholar, discusses why he doesn't utilize social media.  Maybe we should be as thoughtful.

 

Comments

[Aaron Stern]

Noelle - wow, what a great perspective. It is definitely counter-cultural in America to be fully present. We often get caught up attending to the things that are less important at the cost of that which is most valuable.

Jonathan - Yes! Relationships have become cheapened when we believe that we have a relationship with someone when we follow them on Twitter or someone is actually our 'friend' because we accepted their request on facebook. I wonder if Jesus would have used Twitter or had a facebook account if he walked on the earth in 2010.

Nick - that is so annoying. A couple years ago I would have my phone at the dinner table and respond to texts and my wife would ask "who is eating dinner with us tonight?" She is beautiful and witty!

[Noelle Goodlin]

I loved this! Living overseas has changed my perspective on this a bit. Surprisingly, it has made me want to be less connected via facebook and twitter. Not that I don't want to stay connected with people -- I do! But when you live in a culture that doesn't utilize these things much at all, you see how fully present everyone is to their current situation. It is quite different and good!

[Jonathon]

I love this. I find it a fascinating irony that in the rapid expansion that the social media has brought to communication it has simultaneously crippled it at the same time. Even though we are in touch with and talk to more people more frequently, if we are not careful we can lose true personal connection. A screen cannot replace the sound of a person's voice, or the expressions of their face. There is something unique about face-to-face communication that should be cherished.

[Nick]

Great post - I can't say how much it bugs me when I'm at a meal with people I care about and I see people looking under the edge of the table texting or checking facebook / Twitter. The video was well thought out as well.

Thanks for the perspective!