As a self-professed lover of technology using websites like Facebook, twitter, and Instagram to communicate with others is a big part of my life. However this year I’m committing myself to having a very different online presence.
My posts this year will focus on teaching others how to deal with life’s challenges (like my fitness series) or sharing news items that shape the way we view the world instead of just being about me.
I think it’s awesome that sites like Facebook allows us to share thoughts or experiences in seconds, but can’t help but think that great power also gives a great responsibility
- A responsibility to looks at challenges people face from a Christian worldview
- A responsibility to make much of the Gospel
- A responsibility to encourage and uplift others
- A responsibility to create (produce) something that can help those in need
Instead of this on my Facebook wall I find
- Blog posts with stories about me
- Pictures from tutoring sessions
- Lots of running posts
- And anything that I think is funny
Please don’t think I’m saying that sharing things like this on Facebook are wrong, Social media allows us to share the random moments of life, and often those end up being the most awesome…however it did bother me when I realized most of my online presence was self-centered.
This self-centered focus is all about making myself look great (self promotion), or gaining love and encouragement from others through their response to my online posts. An others-centered focus is all about the needs of others instead of my own desire for approval.
In other words; it’s the difference between using online relationships to make myself feel better, or others feel better.
It soon became apparent things like twitter or Facebook had become a stage from which I entertained people so they would like, comment, or retweet my posts, which of course fed my ego.
The truly frightening thing (and what caused me to change my approach to social media) was a realization that this self-centered attitude online created a self-centered approach to personal relationships.
I become addicted to the applause of others [1]
I become addicted to the approval of others [2]
I become addicted to the pity of others [3]
I become addicted to the glory of others [4]
Focus on this enough and every relationship becomes an opportunity to promote myself instead of helping others.
Yes social media allows others to share moments of life with us (even the randomly awesome ones) and this is wonderful. But every post can’t be about me because sites like Twitter and Facebook are meant to be about so much more.
svgmissionary.com 