When I first became a full-time youth pastor, the students in my youth group were customizing their Myspace account. Fast forward to now, and if I didn’t have a TikTok account I would have no idea what most of my students are referring to in their everyday conversations.
The point is, social media isn’t new and it isn’t just a “fad” that will go away soon. This generation views social media as an integral part of their life, not just something fun to do in their free time.
In my conversations and observations with teenagers, here are 3 ways I see social media impacting today’s world: (and the last one is actually positive, believe it or not)
1. F.O.M.O. (Fear Of Missing Out)
This generation is plagued with the idea that if they aren’t consistently consuming content on social media, they will be left out of current trends and references and will feel like an outsider. If I go even one day without opening the TikTok app on my phone, someone will make a reference to “The video” or they will laugh about a trend that started that same day and I won’t know what they are talking about.
As a result, the temptation is to buy into the myth that you are socially inferior if you aren’t completely current that day.
2. Comparison
In the days when I was a teenager, I didn’t have access to what my friends were doing every moment of every day. If my friend got ice cream after school, I didn’t know about it unless they told me when they saw me the next day. And I certainly didn’t know what celebrities or athletes were doing on a daily basis. As the saying goes, “ignorance is bliss.”
Because of social media, we always know what our friends are currently doing, watching, eating, or drinking, as well as people who we don’t even personally know. This constant life update from the world around us creates the desire to have a lifestyle that compares to the ones we are observing.
3. Connection
When social media is used well (and I do believe it can be), we can feel connected to a bigger world that can increase our knowledge and cultivate creativity. Social media is not inherently good, nor is it inherently evil. It’s how you use it that brings either positive or negative effects in your life. We see the same concept with money. It’s not good or bad, it’s how you manage it that’s important. And social media is, in a way, a currency in this generation.
Like Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:23, “You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is good for you.”
Social media is allowed, and for the most part, a useful tool. But the question should always be asked, “Is this good for me right now?” Sometimes too much of a good thing can be bad for you.
So parents, and youth leaders, help your kids find a balance. And when it comes to your own social media usage, don’t get so wrapped up in the online world that you lose sight of what’s right in front of you.
Practical Tips:
1. Pay attention to your screen time usage, and regulate it if you need to.
2. Intentionally leave your phone in the other room and have real conversations.
3. Delete your social media apps for a week or so in order to “detox” occasionally.
4. Try “praying through your feed” instead of just scrolling. When you see someone’s post, pray for them. It’s hard to be jealous of someone’s success while you’re praying for them.
Comentarios