Ironically enough, I learned of this post via twitter. The post, “I’m Quitting…Social Media,” was written by a good friend of mine who pastors a church full of hundreds of college students in the Tempe/Phoenix area. Justin, himself only 31, is hardly “old school” and God is using his leadership to make a tremendous impact.
Anyway, while it may shock many of you, I’ve found myself questioning the value of twitter and facebook on numerous occasions recently. While I cannot truthfully say that I’ve ever seriously considered quitting social media, I do believe there is a darkside to it that many don’t talk about. Besides being an enormous time-waster for many, I’ve found that it can breed insecurity and pride, which manifest themselves in all sorts of ways. Most of you can come up with several examples on your own, and if you cannot, then it may be time for a reality check. Pride and insecurity aside, Justin makes an interesting point about what the over-use of the internet/social media does to him:
Not that the internet is an evil thing, it is just, for me, a time and mind sucker. My attention span drops dramatically when I spend a day or two on the internet, as does my ability to read and formulate sentences. This is anecdotal evidence, but there are emerging studies that show prolonged internet use rewrites the pathways of your brain and not in a good way.
I concur. There have been numerous times when I’ve lacked my normal focus, focus that I became accustomed to while in law school and in other academic pursuits. Often, I can trace these “episodes” back to some some “mind sucking” time spent on the World Wide Web. So, what does it mean for me? Am I ready to kick social media and the internet to the curb….
No, not entirely. I believe that social media, the internet and blogging are a very useful tools, especially for a church planter. These media allow for a rapid dissemination of information and provide some great ways to stay connected to those you love (and for some, to those they dislike). I believe that the internet and social media can be used effectively in the right context and in the right amounts. However, I do think, for me anyway, curtailing my usage is wise. I don’t need tweetdeck running 24/7. I don’t need to know the instant someone posts pictures from their trip to Wendy’s on #fb (okay, that was for all the #twittergeeks out there! : ) ). There’s a lot we can go without knowing…there really is. Again, I’m not saying that technology in and of itself is bad, like most things, it is neutral, neither inherently good or bad. We just need to make sure we are using it in moderation, for its maximum good, and not saturating our lives with it.
I appreciate Justin’s article because I think he’s right in many ways and, more than that, I think it takes serious leadership to draw a line in the sand like he has done. I also track with his desire to read more, write more, get outside more and to take in more of life, sans the screens. Speaking of which…I just picked up a book, The Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas that Have Shaped our Worldview, last week. I’ve found the opening pages fascinating and since it is about 500 pages of heavy-lifting, I’m setting myself up for a little less twitter time.
EXACTLY! On all accounts, especially the part about pride and insecurity. What a catch-22 we’re in. I guess “all things in moderation”…cuz that’s easy.
Thanks Kruck and Justin. Everything in moderation…….
I’d comment, but I’m boycotting blogs. They piss me off.
…misty…i hear you… when I wrote “using it in moderation” I hesitated because the “moderation” thing is so cliche but many times things become cliche because they are true. other words I could have used are “intentionality” and “relationally.” i think if we are intentional in our usage and/or we use it to help supplement/augment/support relationship it is a great use of the media. but still…all things in moderation!
Over the past few years I’ve learned, mainly the hard way, that Satan will pervert and we can abuse any good thing given the opportunity.
Interesting post. I am personally not a member of any of the social media applications, namely, facebook, myspace, twitter, or a blog. I do however find myself “plugging-in” to the internet more often than I would like, even if it is for a “legitimate” reason.
I have found the works by Marshall McLuhan very insightful regarding the affect of technology upon our society and personal lives. McLuhan is known for the statement “the medium is the message”. McLuhan believed that the medium affects the society at large not by the content but by mere characteristics and aspects of the medium itself, i.e. it is not the content you look at on the internet so much as the internet itself that is shaping your mind, psyche, and soul. This cuts right to the core of what you are talking about…it is not simply, ‘is what I’m doing shaping me?’ But, ‘how is my mere participation in X shaping my mind, psyche, and soul?’ These are more profound questions than simply questions of “moderation” or even “intentionality”.
We could all use to un-plug a little more…especially me!
~Seth