What I’ve Learned from Social Media

If I’ve learned anything from social media, it’s that it’s depressing and anxiety-inducing. Years ago, I began my own blog and podcast and joined everyone else on Facebook. Although I received many encouraging comments and posts, there were many “battles” that erupted. I admit that some of what I wrote and spoke about was unpopular with some people. No one likes getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I admit, too, that I occasionally pushed the envelope (although I did my best to just stick to “the facts” and evaluate them on their own merit). Sure, sometimes I even played the “heresy hunter.” I admit it. I’m guilty as charged. But who doesn’t do this, no matter what viewpoint or perspective one is coming from? Long story short, I decided to mostly remove myself from social media and online writing. I scuttled away from it because it was horrible for my mental health. (Plus, I just ran out of time in my schedule to keep up with it all. It takes a lot of time to write, record, and figure out how to upload and market it all, especially when the technology seems to change every other day.) Thoughts in my brain would constantly be spinning like a hamster on a wheel. “Did I really misrepresent that person’s viewpoint?” “Was I unfair?” The “noise” and the gaslighting were constant by those who opposed my views. (And just in case you’re unaware, gaslighting is an actual thing: it’s when someone tells you that you got your facts wrong and they try to make you think you’re crazy, even though you’ve read the material or seen the videos repeatedly.) The retorts from the savvy academicians were always, “That’s not my argument. You don’t understand what I’m saying.” Their target moved constantly, and they would rarely provide any kind of explanation as to what their arguments really were. It wasn’t just the gaslighting that kept my brain buzzing. It was the straw men, caricatures, inability to comprehend (to be gracious), red herrings, and other fallacious tactics that many employed in so-called conversations with me and others. Not many had the desire to carry on an intelligent conversation with respect. If there were any out there somewhere in the land of the living, they didn’t appear to be on social media. And so, I quit—for my mental health and time. Who needs such headaches and constant nagging in the brain? (It didn’t help much either that I went through a mental breakdown and was diagnosed with Geneal Anxiety Disorder. And so there is a good case that can be made to take a break from social media, or even stay away from it altogether, especially children. And I’m not necessarily excluding myself from the child category!) You may be wondering, then, why am I writing this article? What in the world am I doing back on social media and the internet if all I learned is that they are nothing but depressing and anxiety-inducing? Good question. Perhaps I’m a masochist. But I don’t think that’s the case. I have learned that, although social media is depressing and anxiety-inducting, it is also a universal stage that displays the state of sinful humanity. It provides a window into the sinful heart of man, namely, that humans, more often than not, do not want to seek truth, have their viewpoints questioned in any sense, be held accountable, be forgiving and respectful, be quick to think and slow to speak, repent, think rationally, learn, have their speech seasoned as with salt, be self-reflective, and be thoughtful. In short, humans want to be their own gods, and each one will do whatever it takes to remain on his throne. This should come as no shock to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. We know that the doctrine of sin tells us this. It is precisely for this reason that I should never have entirely quit social media. Sin needs to be faced and challenged. Repentance needs to be called for. Truth needs to be told. Wolves in sheep’s clothing need to be exposed. The Gospel needs to be spread. And previously, I just gave up, and not just temporarily. Permanently. Perhaps you are just like me. You just gave up. You retreated to a place where it was safe. I understand. I get it. I am still reluctant in some ways. And certainly, there is a balance that needs to be struck between an online presence (i.e., being in the battle) and needing a break. But God calls us to finish the race, not to retreat. We have an obligation to our Lord not to give up. “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?” asked the Apostle Paul. “Run in in such a way that you may win” (1 Cor. 9:24; NASB). If social media teaches us anything, let it teach us that there is still a lost world in need of Jesus, and there is still a radical need for Christians to engage it. Never give up.