YOUTH NEWS - June 2010

As I write this article, I’m preparing a talk with our youth group about some of the misuses of Facebook and other social media such as texting and email. I personally think that Facebook can be pretty cool when used in moderation and when it’s used to reconnect and communicate briefly with some of my friends. I enjoy seeing pictures of what my friends are up to and reading their posts about what they’re thinking about and what they’re enjoying.

Along the way, however, I’ve also seen problems in the ways that people use social networks like Facebook. One of the first is the loads of information that people often put on their Facebook sites. I’ve witnessed people slandering others and venting their frustrations with people publicly, saying crude things that would never be said in certain company… It’s too much information.

“E-conflict” is a funny word that I recently read in an article, and it speaks to another related but slightly different misuse of social media than what I mentioned above. This is when people are willing to confront an issue or vent a frustration through text messaging or email, but aren’t willing to deal with resolving the issue face-to-face. I believe that as God’s people we can reclaim the lost art of face-to-face reconciliation in our culture. It makes me think of Matthew 18.15 where Jesus says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” Communication over important matters through texting or email can be easily misread, especially if the topic is one that’s emotionally charged.

But it’s not just an issue with conflict, it’s also an issue with friendship. I’ve been places where people who are present with other people seem more engaged with the people who aren’t present – texting them on their cell phones. For some young people, it’s becoming common, and if it isn’t used in moderation, it could lead to some shallow friendships along the way. Imagine the irony of having 500 friends on Facebook but having no close friends to discuss important matters with – I fear that some people are already headed down that road.

Part of the greatness of the Incarnation of Christ is that Jesus came to be personally present with humanity as a flesh and blood human being. After His resurrection, the indwelling of His Holy Spirit in Christians is a reminder that He is with us “always, even to the end of the age (see Matthew 28.20).”

May we be a people of God who follow in His example by being personally present with others, whether in resolving conflict or in building true friendships. And may we be a people who spend at least as much time with others as we do talking through a screen.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” – Hebrews 10.24-25

Matt Kay Director of Youth Activities