The Ethics of Social Media for Christian Youth

In today's digital landscape, social media has become an integral part of our lives, especially for Christian youth. While social media offers numerous benefits, such as connecting with others, sharing our faith, and staying informed, it also raises important ethical questions. As Christian youth navigate the online world, they face challenges like online bullying, cyberpornography, fake news, and privacy concerns. Moreover, social media's emphasis on self-promotion, comparison, and instant gratification can subtly erode Christian values like humility, empathy, and patience.

As followers of Christ, it's crucial for Christian youth to understand the ethical implications of their online actions and develop a biblically informed approach to social media use. This requires discernment, wisdom, and a commitment to living out their faith in the digital public square. In our discussion we look into ethical of social media to Christian youth

1️⃣ SOCIAL MEDIA

It is computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through the building of virtual networks and communities. 

👉By design, social media is internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication of content.

👉On Social media we have a love-hate relationship with the online realm.

✓ For example, like someone will just create a Twitter thread about how he or she became influencer and make it go viral. (HATE/LOVE)

✓ And I can’t count how many times I’ve heard, I can't join social media like Facebook, Instagram, twitter etc, because it makes me crazy or lazy and takes much of my precious time. (HATE)

✓ While some can't do without the social media because how it made them feel better. (LOVE)

✓ It became a marketing tool while some people were still posting what they ate for dinner and the view from their hotel room. (LOVE)

✓ As a way to keep track of events, both major and minor to be able to see what friends and family are up to without clusters of Ads (LOVE/HATE)

2️⃣ WHY SOCIAL MEDIA

👉👉 Social media allows you to reach, nurture, identify, make conversations, sharing ideas, let your presence be felt, establish relationships, improve your reputation, grouping and contribute to emotional wellbeing of your target audience, loved ones and old friends — no matter their location.  

👉👉Real time sharing of information to promote your businesses and sharing the gospel through paid and unpaid advertising.

3️⃣ PROBLEMS OF CHRISTIAN YOUTH ON SOCIAL MEDIA

#1: THE ISSUE OF PRIVACY

👉 Privacy concerns have caused some to abandon social media once they realize just how much information big tech companies use to monetize their activity (Youtube, Facebook). 

👉 Others become jaded by the false intimacy or Fake News that social media provides as it creates the appearance of relationships without the substance. 

👉 Many times will expose our secret activities to the world through our post/selfie pictures just in the name of threading

#2 SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BRING OUT THE WORST IN US (BY SEEING THE BEST OF OTHERS)

👉 Social media, furthermore, often fosters our worst shortcomings as fallen humans.

👉 When a fellow Christian humble brags about a recent achievement, we’re gripped by jealousy and envy. 

👉 When someone from an opposing tribe says something we disagree with.

👉 Political Issues become a point of cursing other fellow when not supporting their own ideology or not reason along.

👉 Some of christian posts or reaction to a post foster anger, hatred, cursing, blocking or removing etc

#3: SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE A DISTRACTION.

👉 Worst of all, social media can be a distraction from the most valuable things in life. 

👉 It’s a hindrance when a dad scrolls in one hand 

👉 while driving like to take selfie or quickly want to know what is going on. 

 

👉 In an incident quickly want to take a picture of the scenero instead of offer a helping hand

👉 Let’s be honest—we are all guilty of things just like this.

#4. THE REAL PROBLEM ACTUALLY ISN'T SOCIAL MEDIA.

👉 The problem is you and me. We can’t blame technology for our shortcomings when we have Genesis 3 hearts in a Romans 1 digital world. 

👉 Social media has weaponized the way Satan battles for our souls. It incubates, accelerates, and magnifies our appetites in ways that are deeply deceptive.

👉 Social media reveals root issues about our hearts. In a sense, we are what we tweet. From the outflow of the heart, a man tweets.

👉 Social media can bring about the best in our hearts as we celebrate what God is doing around the world. But it can also reveal envy, pettiness, snark, and the uncrucified portions. 

👉 Moreover, what we consistently expose ourselves to online can have a shaping effect on our hearts. 

👉 The danger for all of us is to manage our digital engagement without digging into the deeper issues of the heart that are the actual problem.

4️⃣ GODLY WAYS TO HANDLE SOCIAL MEDIA

1. We should not conform to the pattern of this world Romans 12:2 in such situation prayers work

2.  Encourage others in social media.  “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

3. Respond with a gentle spirit. Let our desire be to win hearts rather than to win arguments.

4. Remember who is watching you in social media. some read comments, some follow your post to know you more or track you.

5. Use social media as an opportunity to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit. 

6. Create a ministry through social media. like Prayer ministry, article written.

7. Seek to create unity in the body of Christ through social media. “Above all, put on love – the perfect bond of unity” (Colossians 3:14).

5️⃣ With all that in mind, here is a list of things we should never post on social media:

✓Profanity. ... 

✓Abusive Content. ... 

✓Illegal Content. ... 

✓Offensive Content. ... 

✓Negative opinions about your job / employer / boss / professor. ... 

✓Drug related content. ... 

✓Poor grammar

AKANNI, Samuel

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