Tag Archive for: social media

DON’T TAKE SOCIAL MEDIA TO HEART

On an average, 3.96 billion people use social media today, which accounts for roughly half (51%) of the global population .Now that definitely speaks volumes!

So, statistically, one out of every two people you meet has a public profile on some social networking site that you are unaware of.

A public profile on social media could also be termed as our highlighted self. A self that appears glossy on the otherwise monochrome cover of the daily magazine of life.

That doesn’t sound too harmful, right? Occasionally we all like a few updates on the latest check-ins on Facebook, the trending reels on Instagram, the status updates on WhatsApp and not to forget the infamous tweets of famous icons on Twitter.

However, recently while glancing through the internet a quote that caught my attention was:

“You only live once. So make sure you spend 15 hours on the internet every day, desperately seeking validation from strangers.”

Ouch! Too hard a pill to swallow? You must be wondering, “That definitely wasn’t for me, that’s for the neighbor  on the opposite end  of the cubicle who perfectly fits the bill!”

Let’s run a quick test check, ask yourself these questions:

  1. Are you affected by the number of likes on your post?
  2. Are you concerned about the filter you apply on your pictures?
  3. Are you intimidated by the next big life event happening in your friend’s life?
  4. Do you target every vacation, luncheon, your child’s captured cute moments or even your relationship status as a tool to boost your self-image?
  5. Are you using social media to promote self discovered talents that you hope would receive adulation?

The truth is, if you fall into any one of these categories you might be experiencing what we call the “Social Media Sentiment”

A sentiment that causes you to take social media to heart. These days breakups online have a far more devastating effect than open heart surgeries offline. Blocking is a trend, snapping an art!

Behind the garb of what appears to be a trivial pastime of immature adolescents is a generation that is groping for an identity that sadly has been blurred between the autofocus of popularity.

Approximately 280 million people in the world suffer from  depression. One of the significant reasons for the above is a poor self esteem, a cause that is rarely spoken of but is lurking in the deep crevices of many hearts. We unknowingly allow our minds to get entangled in the rut of comparison that causes us to feel dissatisfied with every new post.

In a world of advancing technology eliminating social media is not an option ,but opting to get out of this vicious circle of validation is possible. Take a look at the biblical account in Matthew 8:18

Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave the commandment to depart unto the other side.

The fact that Jesus departed from the crowd, teaches us  that he was not interested in the limelight. His sole objective on earth was to bring glory to the Father. Jesus was not displaying a mere show of humility, the truth is Jesus knew who he was!

The question is Do you know who you are ?

As a Christ follower, God calls us to be the head and not the tail. He wishes for us to be the sweet smelling aroma that draws others to the good news of the Gospel. So regardless of whether you receive likes or not people will always be drawn towards you not because of the profile picture you have on display but because of the person you are pointing towards – Jesus Christ!

Nothing or no one can change the God given identity of the ‘Christ magnets’ we are.

When we forget our purpose as Christ magnets, when we begin to attract others to ourselves, instead of Jesus. When that happens we grapple with a constantly repelling self-identity, which in turn  havocs our psyche.

No one can validate or subtract the masterpiece that you were intended to be through their comments, likes and shares.

Just Imagine, if our lives were to be aligned to our Creator how much more would be the impact of those drawn towards him.

I pray the next time you open social media , you will take time to remind yourself of the simple truth that you do not need to take social media to heart as Christ already resides there!

Secondly, the highlighted reels of others are nothing in comparison to the glory that will be revealed in and through you.

Finally, filter yourself through the lens of Christ so that you can be content in any mode.

With him in the center of your very being may your heart learn to sing along:

I’m already loved

I’m already chosen

I know who I am

 I know what You’ve spoken

And that is enough!