Saturday, August 24, 2013

what about facebook?

My daughter, Michaela wrote an excellent blog post regarding  FaceBook (FB) It takes courage to write like this, I think. She did lose a follower as a result of this blog post ~ it happens :) Michaela is very strong in the things God has shown her & she is not afraid to speak up about it even at the risk of losing a few people along the way, I look up to her in this. Anyway, I believe she hit the nail on the head, or such is our experience, we see a lot of this on our FB's. Such nonsense sometimes. I do have an account, but Im in a different season of life, I have friends my age on there that truly love the Lord , who dont play games & are on  for various reasons; no trouble coming from them. They make it easy for me to be there :)

http://thelastroseofsummer-michaela.blogspot.com/

Anyone who's read this blog for some time knows I have very strong opinions regarding Facebook. Funny in a sense, because I do have a private account and a fanpage for The Blog. Even so, I'm not afraid of taking loonnnggg FB fasts (does a soul good; I just completed one,) and I even deactivated once. A few of my friends laughed at me for reactivating, but hey, it was a moment of weakness. ;) Otherwise, Facebook has proved itself to be useless in multiple forms. Let's look at a few.


A time waster: Self explanatory. Some of you with a little more self control may handle FB consumption wisely. You may even be "inactive". However, there are a few of us who have gotten caught up in the "there-is-absolutely-no-life-outside-of-the-BOX" game, and well, our brains have suffered because of it. Facebook is an easy cure for boredom. It adds the little pop of excitement to the every day drag. When we wake up, who cares about devotions? or, they can wait. Gotta check FB. Now be honest--what the first thing on YOUR morning agenda? How about rolling out of bed, grabbing a cup of coffee, and opening the Bible? May just get the day on a better start. You can peer into your "friends" lives later.

"Stalking is all fun and games. . .until you accidentally press the Like-button."  

It would be nice if more people would say stuff to my face instead of posting it on Facebook
Breeds gossip: Facebook is a breeding ground for gossip, slander, rumors, and false assumptions. Innocent notes about peanut butter can turn into "SHE has such a horrid diet! I mean, this is the THIRD sandwich today." Very possibly valid. Even so, constantly peering into people lives all day, every day, is unproductive and even dangerous. An opinion can turn into a battle ground for debate, confusion, and destroyed friendships. All because someone said the "wrong" thing. . .or possibly had an opinion. (rule of thumb: opinions and Facebook don't mix. Learn to think like everyone else, and life is SAFE. Restricting comments mainly to the weather is perfectly acceptable. :P )

facebook quote


But I'm bored! scene#1 Another lazy day at home. Remember the peanut butter sandwich above? Your making it now. May write a couple emails. . .check FB. Eh, only one notification (after ten minutes of staring at the screen, this is exciting.) Might as well talk about this awesome PB&J. Might even get so-in-so's attention. Might not. Nothing to lose, either way.


scene #2 So-in-so, during a lunch break at the office, casually glances at their iphone and sees the above status. Ok. The first thing that comes to mind? Annoying. Seriously, is it necessary to update on every.single.thing you've done throughout the day? That is what journaling is for. :P Oh, and while I'm ranting, we don't care if you just unloaded another basket of laundry.

"No, I don't watch soap operas. I have Facebook. There's a new episode every  five minutes."

Facebook humor... For more humorous quotes and funny pictures visit www.bestfunnyjokes4u.com/rofl-best-funny-joke-pic/
False identity: Online, you can be anyone and anything. Hiding behind our computer screens we can play the bully, paint pictures of our care-free lives, make ourselves funny, famous, super-Spiritual. Goes for any online networking site. Facebook is the first that comes to mind, naturally, since adding "mutual" acquaintances is common place. Ever meet an online friend in person and realize, "wow, they are TOTALLY not what I expected?!" It is so, so very important to be oneself online, as I covered in my post, Blogging Tips. It's a very delicate balance. Aside from a handful of people you trust, the several hundred "friends" in your virtual list know very little to nothing about you. Yes, networking is the primary purpose of Facebook, and granted, it's an excellent tool for meeting people; I've done it with beautiful results. But think about it. Most likely (unless your a journal-er, like I mentioned above, :) ) you are only sharing bits and pieces of your life online. Little glimpses that only make the smallest fraction of the real you. Because we both know there is so much more to YOU--the living, breathing person God created--than the shadows of the online world.

"Facebook is the only place where it's acceptable to talk to a wall." 

Introducing Bragbook: As my dad calls it. In short, Facebook is often used as a daily "moral boaster." For ie, changing one's profile picture every other day, self-glorifying "look at ME!" status's and/or comments. Flaunting, manipulating, FB has it all.

Communication: Tone cannot be read online. Period. Oftentimes something said with a smile in person sounds sarcastic--even rude--online. Winding back to the "False Identity Clause," Facebook has made many an enemy by simple misunderstanding.

Funny facebook quote From http://www.inspirationalpicturequotes.net
The new dating site: This one is going to sound absurd, but it is a huge concern of mine. The big question in most homeschool, Christian circles is--"why are there so many singles?" Make way for the Mighty FB with it's long nose. Not going to get into ALL my opinions, because that would take another post, and is semi-off topic, however I believe Facebook and the internet in general plays a huge part in the "unmarried" dilemma. For one, we live in an age when young men are encouraged to remain boys--living at home, unable to carry a regular job, spending hours playing video games and surfing the internet. Sadly networking sites like Facebook widens the gender pool for a lot of guys, Christian and non-Christian. Why settle for one girl when there are hundreds to browse, when talking to the next cute chick is only a click away? I don't know about you, but it's just a little creepy to check out a friends FB info and see "interested in women" attached to their name. Slightly invasive, when you think about it. This is all the reason I so dislike dating sites in general, but again, another topic for another time. Facebook is just one more tool in the devils plot against Biblical marriage.

*Note that I am not at all against meeting a potential spouse on Facebook. It DOES happen. I'm talking about randomly "checking out" everyone with zero commitment. Very different scenario.

And there you have the "official" rant of Michaela on "what about Facebook?" ;) Like I said above, YES, I'm guilty of having an account. FB does have its good points, for ie, I've met some of my best friends online. :) It can be used for God's glory if carefully moderated, is "others" focused, if we guard our hearts, check our motives, and sheesh, step outside to hear the birds! There is a big, beautiful world OUTSIDE the "box." Try cultivating friendships in real-time. Out of state friends? Buy a plane ticket. Make a phone call. Write a letter. Send an email. Write a blog post (in case you couldn't tell, I'm a huge advocate of blogging. Such a refreshing change of pace.)


If this post spoke to you at all, let me know! And by all means, add to the list--I'd love to hear your opinions. :)

7 comments:

  1. Wow...she lost a follower over this?! CRAZY. I had no idea going into FB how *seriously* some people take it, it's insane! I just don't understand the obsession with it...I can go a few days without getting on and be fine, and I've only used mine to stay in touch with friends. It's ridiculous that people get so obsessed and so serious about FB...serious enough to stop following someone's blog because of it!? Crazy!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is an excellent post about the "dark side" of FB! There has been a lot of discussion about FB in our house and whether the good is enough to even warrant using it (I am the only member of the family that has an account and I first created it for for college work collaboration). Another question that has been raised is what is the difference between a blog and a Facebook account? Both can be used for self glorification or for a ministry and networking tools.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A blog can definitly be used for bragging or glorifying oneself :) I guess its when you see a person doing it on every site they are a part of. Your blog is more personal, its an online diary of sorts, you choose what you put out there, its a bit more personal, I believe. FB is a place where you can pretend you have it all together & get the instant response you need for your daily dose of self love.

      Delete
    2. Well then I guess I look at FB more in the way of what you view a blog then (although I admit that at one time I have a problem with using FB in the sense you define view it). A blog to me is much more public so I am actually putting even less personal stuff on it than FB. One think I refuse to do on FB is present myself in a way I am not. I try to be as real as if I were talking to the person on the phone.

      Delete
    3. To me there is a big difference between FB and blogging. For one, while blogging CAN be very self-glorifying, it doesn't allow us to "peer" into others lives all.day.long. Secondly, bloggers aren't being notified of every move such-and-such a person makes. Facebook makes stalking and gossip easier. But that's just my opinion. :) Guess it depends on perspective. Thanks for the thoughts!

      Delete
    4. I agree that both blogging AND Facebook can be can cause self-glorification and/or not presenting yourself in an honest light. Personally, I think Facebook can tend to be worse, for the reason that you have access to what is going on in someone's life all.the.time and it can be tempting to do a ton of little minor posts about this or that, stuff that isn't that important, whereas in my experience with having a blog I tend to not be as personal, as I don't feel it (a blog) is as private as FB (on FB you can choose what you want the public to see and what you just want your friends to see).
      I have considered deactivating my FB account as well, mainly because I find that FB can be more time-consuming and less productive than blogging...haven't made a final decision yet but I've been considering it. Mainly because I have more productive things I could be doing with my time than being on FB, and in the whole scheme of life it isn't necessary.
      But yeah, there is a fine line between using the internet for good (productive) things and bad, you need to find a balance and not let it take over your life. =) I think at first it would be hard to not have a FB account, but then again, I went 19 years without one, and I can't see that my life is any better than it was before, so really it isn't necessary, even though I have enjoyed being on there and it has helped me keep in touch and/or get a hold of people easier than if I wasn't on there.

      Anyway, really enjoyed the article!

      Delete
  3. P.S. I also have seriously considering deactivation my Facebook account for a while and this post is just one more nail in the coffin. :)

    ReplyDelete