“Facebook is Making Us Miserable”
Wow, what a title! Are we allowed to say that? 
The article by this name that I read a few weeks ago (Dec. 9, 2011) was written by Daniel Gulati and published in the Harvard Business Review. In it he outlines some of the ways Facebook is affecting people for the worse. Before we get to that part, let’s at least say that Facebook does have its benefits. For instance, it helps you reconnect with people from your past (although this can also be a big negative!), it helps you stay up to date on what’s happening in your current friends’ lives, it can make communication with people quick and easy, and in some cases, like at our church, it helps Community Groups and Family Groups stay in touch during the week.
But, here are some of the practical dangers of Facebook as listed in this recent article:
- It creates a den of comparison. Since most people only post exciting and positive news about themselves, it can create a culture of competition and comparison.
- It is fragmenting our time. Because people can update Facebook from their mobile devices, it “means that hundreds of millions of people are less ‘present’ where they are.”
- It has created a decline in close relationships. Instead of complementing our real-life relationships, Facebook is replacing richer forms of communication, such as meeting face to face.
From my perspective here are some spiritual dangers of Facebook:
- Seeking the approval of others by always checking how they respond to your posts or pictures. This can feed our selfish desire to be noticed by others instead of us having “Christ-esteem”; that is, understanding your worth from what Jesus says is true of you (Galatians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 4:3-4).
- Living in the past that is better left behind. The danger of connecting with people from the past is it can bring up old ways and relationships that are better left buried. I’m sure there are cases where people’s current lives have been ruined by reuniting with people from their past (Philippians 3:13b-14).
- Wasting time reading through people’s irrelevant comments and looking at pictures we probably shouldn’t be looking at. This same amount of time could be used for many more redeeming purposes (Ephesians 5:15-16).
- Having a false sense of relational connectedness. There is a huge difference between being connected with someone electronically and actually having an edifying personal relationship with them. Our Facebook “friends” are mostly that in name only. How many people really know the real us? Who have we sat across the table from and shared our deepest burdens and sins with, so they could carry our burdens? (Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:16)
- Negatively affecting family relationships. This is a combination of the previous two. If you have a family at home, be aware of how much time you are spending on Facebook and how that is keeping you away from actually spending time with the family God gave you. You won’t get that time back (Psalm 39:4; Ephesians 5:15-16). Have you ever noticed that you and your spouse are both checking Facebook while in the same room, when you could be talking to each other?
- Placing God in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, + …place in my day’s priorities. Many people wake up and the first thing they do is check Facebook. What are we told in Scripture to do first thing in the morning? “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for your words” Psalm 119:147. Jesus said to “Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33). Let’s seek the Father first, and then check Facebook.
Of course, there are lots of things in our lives that can be beneficial or detrimental, depending on how we use them. It is wise for us to practice self-control and self-discipline when using Facebook so that we honor God with our hearts, minds, eyes, thoughts, and time.
These are just some of my thoughts about some potential dangers of Facebook after pondering that very interesting article. Is Facebook making you miserable? If so, what will you do about it?