It’s everywhere, and it’s watching YOU.
It knows your hobbies, your face, where you live, who you’re friends with, your very thoughts.
It draws the information right from your fingertips and shares it with the world—all with your full compliance.
No, I’m not talking about secret spy drones, illegal government phone taps, or the nefarious Eye. This is something that appears completely innocent, the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing, and that’s what makes it so dangerous.
We call it Social Media.
Mwa-ha-ha-ha!
You don’t have to have all the answers.
but, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
Consider the Dark Side of Social Media
Okay, so I might have given this a dark twist, but if you re-read the above paragraphs carefully, you’ll see that none twist the truth. Social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat, etc.) has invaded our lives and altered our culture. What might seem like a good thing—being able to connect with others from afar and share ideas with a larger audience—has taken the term “influence” to a whole new level.
Have you ever paused to consider the size of this invader, the dark side of social media?
A Chilling Parallel: Psalm 139
Psalm 139 is a beautiful verbalization of God’s ability to examine the heart and know your comings and goings at any given moment. I’ve always found it comforting.
But check out what happens when you switch a few words:
“You have searched me, SOCIAL MEDIA, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, IT’S ON MY KEYBOARD AND POSTED ON MY HOMEPAGE. YOU’RE behind me and before me, and you lay your CONTROLLING hand upon me…
Where can I go from your INFLUENCE? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to MY BEDROOM, you are there; if I GO DOWN TO THE KITCHEN, you are there. If I rise EARLY IN THE MORNING AND GO OUT BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE, if I HIDE IN THE CLOSET OR HANG OUT IN THE CAFETERIA, even there your PRESENCE will CONTROL me, your INFLUENCE will hold me PRISONER. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness CANNOT BLOCK you…”
What does it say that I can take these words and make them apply to social media with only a few changes?
What might seem like a good thing has taken the term “influence” to a whole new level.
I find it creepy.
Social media is everywhere. Social media is powerful. And it has a way of making us bow to its influence and addictive qualities. Perhaps that’s a sign of a new kind of idolatry.
Or slavery, depending on how you want to look at it.
How to Tame the Beast
Yes, it is possible to take this tyrant and make it your slave. Because despite the dark side of social media, a few positives make it useful and helpful in our modern lives. But whether or not they’re important enough for you to continue using it will be your call.
Check out these posts to help you tame the beast and overcome the dark side of social media: