Social Media - The Dilemma
/“The work of restoration cannot begin until a problem is fully faced.”
Every nonprofit or business venture that has ever been created was to address a felt need or solve a problem. Social Media attempts to address the need for a sense of purpose, connection, community, and influence, but it can never fully address issues of the heart. In many respects, its ingenuity is creating more problems. Believe me, I have experienced a plethora of technology-driven pain both personally and interpersonally. Before we get to the root of the fruit, I thought to highlight in this blog two of the more successful social media giants in the land with their intent and impact:
Founded in 2004, Facebook’s revised mission is “To give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together."
Founded in 2006, Twitter’s mission is to “give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly without barriers.”
How’s that working for us?
Vision & mission statements are aspirational- it should reflect a desired future and purpose for existence. I know the process well as I have helped launch two nonprofits in my community. It’s one thing to have a clearly crafted mission, it is quite another to carry it out in this imperfect world. I recently watched over 4 hours of the recent judicial senate committee hearing with Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, addressing various allegations.. ”…This comes after Zuckerberg, Dorsey and Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified before the Senate Commerce Committee last month on Section 230.” - CNBC Streamed on November 17th, 2020.
I’m not suggesting you watch it all, but I included it here for reference. No doubt, there will be more to come as they are just brushing the surface of the issues at hand. As a dual citizen of the USA and Canada, It was fascinating listening to Senators from both political lines questioning the heads of these social media empires as to the need for policy reform. I was cheering on a few bold, articulate, and ferociously wise men and women from behind my screen. Social Media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Google among a plethora of others, hold a copious level of power and control in most sectors of society on a global scale which from the sounds of it, often go unchallenged. Time will tell how this will all unfold, but serious questions and dialogue is required. As a result of the hearings, I was led to watch the 2020 movie The Social Dilemma for the third time with my hubby who watched it for the first time with me last night. If you haven’t seen it yet, I encourage you to watch it as many tech experts sound the alarm on the (current or potential) dangerous human impact of social networking. Below is the trailer from Netflix to get a glimpse of the depth of the problem:
“It’s easy to see how platforms such as Facebook have become the multi-billion dollar industry that profits off our desire and vulnerability for connection.”
Although I don’t personally ascribe to all the information in this documentary or belief systems of the individuals that are represented within, my heart aches along side them regarding the devastation that social media has run awry on humanity. I also agree that their original purpose may not have been overtly evil in and of themselves- it is the overuse and abuse and manipulation of them that has proved to be a curse in many ways for millions of people across the globe.
I believe I jumped on the Facebook bandwagon around 2009 myself and over the last decade began to understand this love-hate relationship with social media. Initially, it was a place where I connected with people, but over the years it has morphed into quite another beast. Some family members have deleted their accounts for various reasons, and I so get it. I once deleted over 800 people off my personal Facebook in 2015 when transitioning to add a second public Facebook page. That knee jerk reaction was in response to my need for greater boundaries in my life. At first, it felt empowering, then afterward dealt with delete happy lament. These aren’t just pixelated profiles we are talking about- they are real-life people!!!!! For now, I mainly utilize Facebook and its sister apps Instagram, What’s app, Google, and Zoom for online connection, but I do have a ton of apps I should just delete or trade-in for more secure sites. It's easy to see how platforms like Facebook have become the multi-billion dollar industry that profits off our desire and vulnerability for connection.
“The impressive growth of social media companies in the early 2010s made many founders extremely wealthy. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is the world’s richest social media entrepreneur.” '“Net worth of the richest social media entrepreneurs 2020” . According to Business Insider, his current net worth is over 100 Billion which builds and oversees not only Facebook but also Instagram, Messenger, What’s App among others.:
In doing a little research myself, according to Datareportal:
”more than half of all the people on the earth now use social media. Our latest data show that 4.14 billion people across the planet are using social media in October 2020, equating to 53 percent of the total global population. Social media user numbers have surged in the past 12 months, with Kepios analysis showing that more than 450 million people started using social media for the first time since October 2019…”
Social Media Connection- Healthy or Unhealthy?
Like it or not, social media is here to stay, and just like most things in life- it can be healthy and unhealthy at the same time. The apps can either provide a platform for connection and influence or they can prey on our desire for connection and influence. The dark side of the internet and its social media branches of expression treat us like puppets through control and manipulation with A.I.- ‘bots’, or the sinister unregulated systems of many. In many ways, we feel violated by reducing ourselves to a mere product to sell companies or an idea to force upon us based on our algorithms. How can something that was created to do good ultimately lead to creating so much bad- a hellish experience on earth in so many ways. When I think of social media and its effects on humanity, I’ll use the ‘sandwich technique’ just to keep my eye on the good amidst the insane unhealthy effects of social media- these things come to mind:
Healthy-
Giving us the power to build community and bring the world closer together This happened in part for me in the following areas, how about you?:
Staying connected when we or others move away.
Connection with others when feeling isolated, sick, or in dire times like 2020 ‘s COVID 19 pandemic
Expanding our horizons by receiving information about a vast array of conversations, cultures, belief systems, issues, or topics you wouldn’t typically gravitate towards for consideration.
Provide platforms to reach out to others through posts, videos, or text to encourage others to get help when facing problems.
Unhealthy-
Giving us the power to build community and bring the world closer together? it is unhealthy in many ways as people are becoming more-
hyperconnected online through virtual relationships or voyeuristic spectator driven relationships.
disconnected with face-to-face relationships causing social phobias and isolation of many kinds.
depressed, or anxiety-filled with the rise of cancel culture creating more comparison, bullying or self-esteem issues.
an extremist in one’s views without healthy boundaries creates a lack of accountability- creating more polarization in our world.
maliciously addicted to social media that require real help to rewire the brain and detox from its negative influence.
exposure to the ugliness of humanity with instant access to violence, hate-filled speech.
shallow relationships-Sometimes it's easier to just connect with people on social networking sites because you can add, like, follow or dislike or delete at any given moment. The irony of social media seems that the more we connect online, the less we truly connect heart to heart- which is what I call “Connection poverty”.
counterfeit intimacy- For some, there is a fear of emotional intimacy in relationships and millions are battling internet porn addictions and are bound to guilt and shame which has a devastating effect in their interpersonal relationships.
Giving everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly without barriers? Given the recent hearings and reports-
censorship is happening on many platforms that have a bias to what is truth or facts which challenge our first amendment or rights as citizens of our respective countries. This leads to a global assault on our democracy.
false identities are created for malicious or for deep-seated self-esteem reasons creating great barriers to real relationships.
manipulation based industry leaves us vulnerable to receiving false information about issues or being manipulated through events or hounded by marketing ploys.
reduced to a mere commodity with the use of manipulative data mining, where we are the product and our data is being monitored, sold, or shared.
criminals prey on the vulnerabilities of victims through social media.
stolen or duplicating identities with hackers running rampant.
artificial intelligence is perfecting its function each year to act as the global conscience and definer of truth.
Healthy take 2-
Give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information without barriers… (this holds true for me, more often than not- it’s the barriers, the censorship, the algorithms that get me), but for the most part- I believe the following are healthy- how about you?
influencing others in a positive way to choose faith, hope, and love among other Godly attributes
expressing ourself within the virtual ‘public square’
provide opportunities to engage in issues that matter to us and our community
strengthening our own voice or identity by utilizing our own freedom of expression.
discerning the times- From a Biblical point of view, it can give us an opportunity to prayerfully discern well to the best of our ability the signs of the times. This can be done with careful examination of scripture, respectful dialogue with opposing views, prayer, and surrounding oneself with genuine God-loving, God-fearing, Bible-believing relationships that are both online or in your intimate circle.
I believe wholeheartedly that the real dilemma here regarding social media and its purpose or hold on our lives is that we need to get back to why we are wired the way we are- for relationships, in a relationship. The Governments of our respective countries will do their best to monitor the ill effects, create better policies, laws, and prosecute where able. Justice is imperfect on this side of heaven, but to their credit- they will try and enact justice to the best of their ability when evil is exposed and comes to the surface. They do their part, we must do ours. What I am most concerned with is the effect social media and its intentional or unintentional use has on our souls, our relationships, our God-ordained destiny. I believe our soul was created to be addicted, connected, or plugged into a healthy relationship with our God and created to be connected with other people to fulfill the greatest commandment as based on the SHEMA as penned in Deuteronomy 6:4-7.
“Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40
When social media manipulates our need for connection, we can become easily addicted or deceived by all the hidden agendas held within. As one senator said in the hearing “how do we wake up from the matrix if we don’t know you are in the matrix”, where addiction or mind control can seem normal as social media habits form over time. Without the Spirit of Truth to guard our heart and mind in Christ Jesus to regulate our very soul as we submit to God, we can be easy prey to deception and manipulation- especially in this ever so hyper-connected online information age.
This verse came to mind when processing all this over the last few days as the very words of Jesus as found in Matthew 10:16
“Now, remember, it is I who sends you out, even though you feel vulnerable as lambs going into a pack of wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes yet as harmless as doves.”
What does that mean to be shrewd as a snake and harmless as a dove? Jesus uses a figure of speech or simile here that compares two, unlike things. I believe we need to be wise as we engage in culture as well as innocent, harmless, and not gullible like prey to be taken advantage of. It’s a kingdom principle throughout the word of God as we live in a relationship with others both in person or online. The ultimate goal? Authentic life-giving connection. Regardless of how these internet sites or social media platforms will face consequences with tightened reform, we still need to exercise our own free-will. What will we continue doing, what will we delete and run for the hills from, and what will we do differently now that we are learning more and more about the implications of these platforms? The choice is ours. Let’s make some changes while there is still time. Our sanity, our wellbeing, our relationships are counting on it.
ADDICTED TO SOCIAL MEDIA?
You Are Not Alone
We are meant to live lives of hope-filled authentic connections. Our journey to restoration is often sidetracked, hijacked by well-meaning social media tools (alongside those who run them and utilize them), that often manifest in a spectrum of addicted behaviors that have emerged over time. If it is all-consuming and takes up residency in our heart that was meant to only be reserved for our Creator, it most likely has become an idol in our lives. Humanity was not created to be a slave to our devices or social media or any other man-made thing or system. Help is just a prayer or phone call away. Talk to God or a trusted friend about the addiction and ask for guidance, wisdom, and healing. Reach out to a counselor in your area or online with expertise in addiction involving the internet, social media, and related devices. I have also listed a plethora of resources below to help you get your life back, guide you into better boundaries, and where needed, build healthier boundaries with technology.
If you or a loved one have a problem with social media here are some helpful resources:
Is Social Media Making Us More Depressed? podcast- by Dr. Caroline Leaf
Social Media Addiction- Addiction Center
An Epidemic of Loneliness- podcast by Dr. Dan Allender
Moment phone app to help phone addiction- by Tim Kendall
How to Take Back Control of Your Life from Addictive Internet Algorithms- by Jay Brock
Addicted to Social Media? Psychology Today
Social Media Heart Check- by Desiring God
The Progress of Pornography Addiction- by Gene McConnel
The APP That Helped me Break my Social Media Addiction- article- NBC
Talkspace - online social media dependence therapy
Social Media Victims Law Center- Based in Seattle, WA
**An additional resource I have found helpful was a workshop that was hosted at my parents Church in Fargo, ND in the fall of 2021 called “Social Media Talk: Healthy Living in a Plugged in World” which was balanced and had numerous experts in their field presenting.
“Authentic connection is described as the core of psychological well being and is the essential quality of growth- fostering and healing relationships, In moments of deep connection in relationship, we break out of isolation and contraction in a more whole and spacious state of mind and heart.”
