By Dan Kreienkamp
A lot of our fears about social media have to do with the Ten Commandments—the “You shall not’s—that are broken through the use of online platforms and apps. We murder by harming others with our posts and texts. We bear false witness by telling lies, from fake online profiles to falsely representing ourselves and our lives as perfect, reflected in filtered selfies and staged shots. We covet all of the things we see posted by others and desire to be someone else on social media. And adultery? Well, do I need to even go on with this one? Whether it is someone else’s profile that we are checking out or our own, on which we share a little too much, one thing is for sure: we have lust in our hearts. Jesus said that anyone who has lust in their hearts is breaking this commandment.
You could go through any of the commandments given to us and find ways in which social media causes our teenagers (and us) to stray from God’s perfect plan for us. But the greatest concern I have with social media is breaking the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Throughout history, people have had problems with worshiping idols. We don’t often think of idolatry in Old Testament terms, but it is a valid comparison, given how social media works. The way to please an idol was to feed it (typically through sacrifice) and to keep on feeding it so things keep going well. When things are not going well, you need to feed it more. And more. And more . . . You get the idea. The problem is that idols don’t give us expectations that can be fulfilled and neither does social media. Think about it: when things are going well, you check more and more! When things aren’t going well, you go back, refresh, and hope for something new and better. You can’t leave it alone . . . ever!
In response to these idols, God gave the Israelites expectations. Instead of worrying how much you had to sacrifice, God showed them how to properly give thanks and say, “I’m sorry.” As our Lord taught us, I would suggest discussing expectations with youth when it comes to social media. I can’t tell you what is right for each individual (though I would just say “NO” to middle school students asking to use social media—the research shows their brains are not ready for it), and you can’t completely control what teenagers do or do not have access to. However, I would suggest talking about boundaries, limits, and fasting. One idea is to make a “ten commandments of social media” list together. As you begin this activity, it will be easy to come up with the “do not” list. Rather than focus on the don’ts, talk about ways that you can glorify God through social media. The Law not only tells us what to avoid, but it also tells us how we can be obedient to God’s will in all that we do.
Once you have your list developed, remind students that despite our best efforts to follow the Law, we fail. God knows that and that is why his tremendous love for us sent Jesus to fulfill the Law through his death and resurrection. It is in this grace that we rest. Isn’t that the one thing truly worthy of “sharing”?
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Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2016