When Facebook Lies to You......

There are so many differing views on social media these days. Some people think it's great and some people think it's detrimental to society. I've always been on the side of those who think it's great- the more, the better. Now I'm not so sure. This week I was having a conversation with my 8 and 6 year old daughters and they were sharing with me how they no longer enjoy spending as much time with a person who they used to love being around. I asked them why and their response surprised me. they said" [this person] doesn't play with us. [this person] only cares about [this person's] phone and facebook." One of the beautiful things about children is their ability to call it like it is. Kids don't make excuses for people's behavior or ignore it the way adults have adapted to do. This really made me look at how I use social media and how I might be hurting my kids and relationships without realizing it.

The biggest danger of social media like facebook is that it gives you a false sense of meaning, purpose, and popularity. These are all things we crave as human beings. We want to belong. We want to be accepted and liked. Facebook is the worst at feeding that to the point where it becomes a compulsion. We get a mini high off every "like". We get and a feeling of acceptance when we make a new "friend". What we don't realize is that sometimes we give ourselves away to that and it becomes an addiction. It becomes a god in our life. We can't go 10 minutes without reading our wall because we have gotten this false sense that what it on there is so important. I even know people that claim it's okay to be addicted and compulsive with it because they use it for prayer and the Bible but really it's all just feeding that human compulsion to be important and belong. It's like a drug and it can lead us to sin in many ways.

I know someone (a few people actually) that have this image they portray online. All the statuses talk about how they are joyful, redeemed, hopeful, and full of God's life and yet when you meet these people in real life they are miserable, empty, and negative. You see it all the time in other ways. Someone posts pictures that make them look beautiful and perfect and we never see what they really look like. The Internet not only deceives us but allows us ways to deceive ourselves. It allows us to portray what we want to be and soon we believe we are those people even though it's all a facade.

As people we are programmed by nature to take the easy way. That's why we have fast food, drive thrus, and conveniences the way we do. Facebook has become a way for us to take the easy way when it comes to socialization, community, and even discipleship but it's all a lie really. Yes, you can have all three of those online but if it's only happening for you online then you are deceived. If you cannot go for an entire week without checking facebook then you are deceived. If you need to log on to feel accepted, encouraged, or joyful then you are deceived.

If this is you, then please log off immediately because there is nothing online that can give you the things that you need. Go outside and meet people. We are designed by God for community. We are designed for human interaction and to take action in our communities. Many of us ignore our closest and most basic mini community which is our families in order to get our social high online. Meanwhile, our children and spouses feel ignored and soon there is discontent and disconnection in our own homes. We need REAL PEOPLE in our lives and we need to invest in the relationships we have with those people. We can't do that glued to Facebook all day.

I love facebook and I do check it on my phone as much as anybody but what I've learned is that there is so much more in life than a pretend life lived online. I don't want my children to remember mommy as the one who doesn't play with them or is always online. I'm sure I could blather on about this forever but in the interest of practicing what I preach; I'm off to play with my kids :)