The Evils Of Social Networking

Lately, I have been made aware of a couple of people espousing the “evils of social networking”. I have been silent on the subject until today trying to make sure I didn’t hurt anyone’s feelings. While everyone has a right to their opinion and nothing is for everyone, I’d like to simply share the positives and the great possibilities that have opened up for me by using various social networks.

Let me begin by saying that I really had no use for social networks to begin with. I only got on one because I wanted to keep track of what my daughter was involved in. However, I started noticing that there were great advantages to networking with people online. I started connecting with people in the church and it was incredible. I’d see someone’s name pop up and it would remind me to pray for them and I would drop them a note to let them know I was thinking about them. It also gave me the opportunity to immediately remind people of church events as they came up. This is a great tool as we often forget things we want to do. I know I do. As a pastor, I have realized that prior to electronic media, besides being at a church service itself, I would connect with maybe 6 or 7 people during a week besides the ones working directly on church business. That was a good week. Now, I can connect in one way or another with hundreds of people in a week. It’s possible to let the love of God be known to a few hundred people at a time. It’s possible to encourage hundreds of people at a time, or take time to encourage that one that needs an extra boost. I’ve had a few conversations with people online lately that I could not have possibly had any other way and those conversations (according to those with whom I was conversing) changed the lives of those individuals. I can’t take the credit. It was the Holy Spirit ministering, but He would not have had the opportunity to use me in that way had it not been for my involvement in a social network. I find it very encouraging that I put a prayer request down on my status on various networks and instantly have many people praying for my friends and folks in the church and friends of friends.

The Bible says:

Matt 28:19-20
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. NIV

The word for nations literally means people groups. The Bible says to go to where all the various people groups are and make disciples. Now, is the internet and social networks the only place where you find people? No, but it IS where most of the people are. I truly believe that a believer needs to go to where the people are and we are to let our lights shine for the Kingdom of God. So I go on the various social networks and I do all the things I did before too, such as emails and personal interaction.

Saturday, our church fellowship had a baptism out at Lake Lavon. It was a glorious day with 37 of our congregation being baptized. By the time I returned home, literally hundreds of pictures of the event were already on Facebook. How cool to go online today and relive the wonderful time we all had celebrating with our church family. As someone said, “it was like being there all over again”.

I’ve heard some say, “well, shouldn’t you have real conversations with people and not cyber relationships with people?” Of course you should have real relationships with people and hopefully using a social network properly will help you foster and deepen the relationships you have as well as helping to build new ones. Now, If the only relationships you have are cyber ones, you need to make the call on that, but my friends, the internet is where the people are. I believe the Bible would compel us to go to where the people we relate to are and make disciples. Go to where the people are and share the love of God. Go to where the people are and let the lonely know that someone cares. Go to where the people are and let the people who think no one notices them that someone notices and cares. Go to where the people are and let your friends from yesteryear know that you remember them and what a difference they made in your life.

Case in point: I have a friend who I would see once or twice per year. We knew we had a lot in common when we would see one another, but he worked and lived way on the other side of town, so we simply looked forward to getting together once or twice per year. Either I found him on Facebook or he found me, I don’t recall. Now we speak to each other via Facebook many times per week and often many times per day. Plus it led to us having lunch and eventually I found my friend sitting in the congregation at church. Amazing!!! All because we connected on Facebook. There are many other positive things that have taken place with this friend, but suffice to say, I now know him better now because of Facebook and I thank God for it.

People who disparage social networking act as if somehow because you are communicating on Facebook, Twitter or some other network, you aren’t having “real” relationships with people. I find the contrary to be true. Lately, because of Facebook and Twitter, I’ve made lunch appointments with 4 different friends that I most likely would not have had if we had not connected last week on Facebook, plus 2 different people in the past two weeks reached out to me to get together personally because they needed counsel. We got together, one in my office and one for dinner. Where was the initial contact? Facebook. Social networking should be an enhancement to live interaction not a detriment. I’ve literally counseled with many, many people via Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Messenger, AIM and even the evil MySpace. Yes, let’s use every means necessary to enhance the lives of those we know.

As many of you, I have found many, many friends from my past (Jr High, High School, College, various churches I’ve been on staff with, people from when I travelled on the road and, yes, my current congregation) on Facebook and they have encouraged me and I have encouraged them. Recently, my friend and mentor from college, Jeff, was ill. I was able to converse with him while he lay in his hospital bed in Virginia due to Facebook and Twitter and I was able to encourage hundreds of people to pray for him as he was ill. Before social networks were around, I only wondered how he was doing. Now, I can speak with him and check up on things he is doing and vice versa via Facebook and Twitter simply because we can. I have hundreds of stories like that which enrich my life and ministry and enrich the lives and ministry of others.

Almost every minister I know is on Facebook and Twitter. Why? Because it’s where the people are and we can encourage our friends and congregants much better than at any time in history. Now, don’t think that I’m ignorant of the fact that people can abuse such networks. I know that. That is why there is the ability to block certain people and I’ve had to do that from time to time.

On balance however, I thank God for the social networking tools we have at our disposal today. A couple of weeks ago, I found out via Twitter that my friend Alex was in the hospital. I was able to immediately get many people involved praying for her. I was also able to go visit her in the hospital because I KNEW she was IN the hospital. You know, I find it’s difficult to visit someone in the hospital when I have no clue that they are there. ;-) Funny how things work that way.

Now, I’m not slamming anyone who chooses not to be on a social network or someone who believes they are evil. But just do me the courtesy of not slamming me or thinking ill of me either. To the one who believes “cyber relationships” are bad, you must then throw away your cell phone and disconnect your email because texts and email are no different than a social network. They are literally a larger social network than Facebook, Twitter or MySpace and the others. If social networks are evil, do away with them all and simply see people in person. Don’t write them a letter either for that was the original social network… :-/ Sorry, just couldn’t help but point that out. Truly, I think we should all do what fits us. However, I want to go where the people are. Social networks have increased my ability to share the love of God with others. They have also increased my ability to simply be a good friend. I have to say, I have a bad memory and Facebook reminds me when your birthdays are. I appreciate that because I used to forget everyone’s birthday. :-(

Lastly, I will say, Social networks probably are a bad thing for the self centered. As a Christian, scripture encourages me to be others centered and not self centered. If you are doing anything in life to simply see what’s in it for you, then maybe social networking is not for you.

The Bible says:

Phil 2:3-4
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. NIV

I truly believe that we should be on whatever social network we are on for the sole reason of making other’s lives better. We should log on thinking, “how can I encourage all of my friends today? How can I pray for my friends today? Is there something I can post that will cause them to feel better about themselves or help them understand a current social phenomenon better? Is there something in common that I have with some of my friends that I can talk about to encourage fellowship? Can I recommend a good place to eat or a fun thing to do because maybe others are looking for places like that as well and it will enrich their lives as it has mine? Can I warn my friends about something bad that I heard on the news so they don’t get hurt or caught up into something bad?” Nothing in this life should really be solely about me. It should be about making this world a better place for everyone else we know. That’s what social networking is for me.

The point of this blog was not to argue with anyone about the pros and cons of electronic media, but to share how it has enriched my life. Thank you to everyone who through one social networking site or another has enriched my life. Thanks for allowing me into your lives. It is a great honor. You are special and I hope that we can encourage each other all the more in the months and years to come. God bless you all…

Until later,

Don