Use Social Media Wisely with These 4 Tips

Various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Tiktok, LinkedIn, and others help us share digital content and engage in social networks. Besides making it easier to find information, social media is useful for business growth and inspiration for personal development. It can also bring us closer to friends or coworkers whom we find difficult to meet during periods of social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

On the other hand, we need to be aware of the negative effects of social media. Are you often frightened by the many hoax news stories being spread, or do you instead often spread them without realizing it? Do you care more about beautiful content or sensational hype, without enjoying real life? Or do you often rush to write a status update without caring that it could damage your relationship with someone?

If so, perhaps social media and the sophistication of information technology have already replaced God's place and become your idol. 

Therefore, know the following things so that you can use social media wisely:

1. Make Social Media a Tool, Not a Substitute for Real Relationships

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. And the second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:30-31 

God wants us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That means we need real action to build a relationship with God. Social media is one tool to maximize our efforts in building relationships with God and with others, but not the relationship itself.

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Reach for your phone to check messages and emails? Browse social media pages and stories? Or read online news? In 24 hours a day, how much time do you spend reading and meditating on God's Word, and praying?

During the #stayathome period, we are expected to keep our distance for the sake of our shared health, but do not let social media replace our real relationships with others. Make every effort to always set aside quality time with family at home, with your roommates, or with whoever lives with you. 

God longs for a real relationship with us. He wants to be the top priority and the center of our lives, from the time we wake up in the morning until we sleep at night. So, let us not be lulled by our online persona, but build concrete and genuine relationships with God, family, and others.

2. Control Its Use, Do Not Be Controlled by It

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. – 1 John 5:21

Using social media for proclaiming the gospel and strengthening relationships with others is very good. However, be careful, you can become obsessed with it. After uploading something, you then keep checking who and how many people gave like, or how many comments you received. It is quite possible that mood and your self-confidence are determined by your “achievements” on social media.

The extraordinary influence of information technology has made us careless and unaware of how much control it has over our lives. I asked several friends what they felt when they left their phone behind or did not get internet access. Some said the world seemed to collapse; others commented that their lives felt strange. Without realizing it, we become too dependent on social media.

Use social media reasonably. You are the one who should control its use, not the other way around. You have control over how much time you spend checking all those social media pages. You have been given reason to determine whether every piece of information you consume is beneficial for your life or not. 

If you feel that your use of social media is starting to go beyond reasonable limits, or is disrupting your life and your relationships with others, evaluate it immediately. It may be that you are experiencing social media addiction, the solution to which you can see here.

3. Post Things That Build Others Up

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual edification. – Romans 14:19 

Once you upload something to social media, not only can dozens of people see it, but thousands, even millions! You will find it difficult to take it back, because someone may have saved your digital footprint.

The apostle Paul urges us to pursue what makes for peace and is useful for building one another up. Therefore, be careful whenposting something on social media. Put up statuses / videos / pictures that can build others up, not make the atmosphere worse or merely seek praise.

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial. All things are lawful for me, but I will not let myself be mastered by anything. – 1 Corinthians 6:12

4. Be Wise in Choosing Information

Besides being wise in posting information, it is also important for us to sort through the information we receive. Consuming too much negative news can make us uneasy, worried, and react excessively. 

Obey social media ethics. Investigate the source of the news and check its truth first before yourepost something, for example through search.turnbackhoax.id or stophoax.id. Read one post all the way through before you decide to forward it. Do not let yourself communicate the wrong message, or even spread false news, which could very possibly cause you to run into legal trouble. 

Come, let us use social media as a communication tool rather than a substitute for real relationships. Control its use, be wise in filtering information, and make sure you post things that build others up. Make social media a means to build real relationships with God, family, and others!

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Church GKDI is currently in 35 cities. We have Bible Study activities in every area. If you need information or would like to be involved, contact us at contact Church GKDI Official:

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