Using Social Media Wisely
Social media can either be a blessing to you or a curse. Most of the time, I see it having negative impacts on people, especially teen girls. I can definitely see why social media can affect people in negative ways. There are Facebook pages wholly devoted to fake love (the warm, fuzzy feelings) instead of God defined love, there are instagram accounts that boast of their beauty and make girls question their value, and there are twitter users that seem to have an amazing life compared to my dull and uneventful existence. No wonder girls are having body image issues and questioning their value.
On social media, you see all of the highlights of other people’s lives and you hear constant lies. “Love is when your boyfriend takes you on a surprise trip to Hawaii!” and #I’msofat #lookathowuglyIam *insert picture of gorgeous model* are posts that are similar to the one’s that I see online every single day. We hear lies about what love should look like, we see pictures of girls that we may compare ourselves to, and we hear about the highlights of someone else's “amazing” life.
How do you think these things are affecting us? How are they affecting you?
Hearing constant lies and put downs takes its toll on us. This is why we need to change how we use social media. But, how? Here are some ideas:
1. Unfollow people/pages that are harmful to you. This includes the pages that talk about mushy-gushy love without any substance, people who romanticize depression/suicide, and pages or people who celebrate outward beauty instead of true beauty. Following these people and pages is like having a friend who always lies to you about your worth and gives you bad advice. Sometimes you just have to let it go. Let it goooo, let it go! I’m sorry...I couldn’t resist. :)
2. Follow people and pages that are encouraging, God-filled, and who point you to truth. I was on Facebook today and I was so encouraged by my friends and the Facebook pages that I follow. Almost everything that I read was full of God given wisdom and his word! Isn’t that a nice change from feeling like worthless dirt after reading someone’s Facebook post? Here are some great pages that publish encouraging and God-filled posts everyday: Lies Young Women Believe, Dannah Gresh, Do Hard Things, Proverbs 31 Ministries, Women After God, Boyfriend Bears, and Focus on the Family. Just google the names to find their websites, Facebook pages, twitter, ect. Also, if you are looking for funny pictures without inapropriate junk in them you can check out Clean Funny Pics on Fcebook.
3. Post encouraging things yourself! You may have changed your media habits, but some of your friends might still be following people and pages that are harmful to them. You can help your friends by shining a little encouragement and truth on their Facebook, instagram, or twitter feed. Bible verses, podcasts, and christian articles are great ways to do that. You can also share personal stories of how God has worked in your life. "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Mathew 5:14-16. Don't hide you faith while your online. Share it so that othrs may benefit from hearing the truth about Jesus!
4. Practice internet safety. I know that probably hear this tip from your parents and from your school all the time, but it’s very important. Accepting friend requests from people you don’t know, and giving out personal information online, like your home address, is dangerous. I have heard quite a few stories of girls who started talking to guys that they don’t know through Facebook, Skype, or SnapChat who are actually pretty stalkerish. Giving out your full name, your address, what school you attend, and other personal information to strangers is never a good idea. It doesn’t matter how they compliment you, just please make the wise decision to stay away from strangers on social media.