You know, every now and then, something good does come out of The Huffington Post.
Relax, relax. Just hear me out, ok?
Tara Stiles wrote an article about a month ago on the Facebook craze. I have to admit, she makes some good points.
On the one hand, Facebook is an absolutely awesome communication tool. It can foster relational connections.
I am forever endebted to Facebook. Were it not for the social media tool, I would not have found out a dear friend of mine was very ill. I was notified via F.B in time, and I was able to visit him in the hospital before he passed. Having that chance was and is infinitely valuable to me.
Also, I have benefited greatly from the discussions that happen online, both on Facebook and in the blogosphere. My thinking has been sharpened considerably, even by those who are quite antagonistic.
credit: bruceisner.com
However, as Stiles points out, there are drawbacks. As I’ve argued before, New Media is changing the way we think and relate to others, and not all for the good:
Want to see what people are up to but have no interest in really talking to them? No problem with Facebook. If someone has an open profile you can click around on their page like you are their BFF, seeing all their pictures, friends’ comments, and status updates. You can locate exactly where someone is and how they’re feeling today in 3 minutes or less.
This fosters a feeling of closeness without the real deal. True connection and relational knowledge takes effort. It is inconvenient at times. Come to think of it, that is what makes it so valuable, yet it is very easy to drain all the striving out of relationships with social media.
Now, you can have the trappings of relational knowledge on the cheap. All take and no give. Placebo connections.
You might think that most people are responsible enough to avoid this, but Stiles begs to differ. Becoming addicted is surprisingly easy:
So here is the problem, well, my problem. And I am assuming I’m not alone on this one. I’m on Facebook all the time! I go to the site not even conscious that I am going to it. I turned on my computer this morning with the intention of opening Word first thing, and where did I find myself? You guessed it. Facebook. I am addicted! Admitting is the first step to recovery (bankers take note). Sign me up for Facebook rehab.
She continues, talking about the Pope’s recent comments on New Media:
The Associated Press brought us his thoughts about how Facebook (and MySpace, a whole other topic mostly about kids and bands) can foster friendships and understanding, but warns that they also can isolate people and marginalize others.
I see this in my own life. Sometimes I am more “into” making a blog post and responding to comments than I am into the people around me. It is easier to check email than it is to walk up to someone and dig into life with them, so most of the time I’d rather do the former, not the latter. My flesh prefers the path of least resistance, and I miss out on some good soul nourishing moments.
Like Stiles, I think I’m not alone on this. New Media is becoming quite ubiquitous, and it affects our lives in places we normally aren’t used to inspecting.
Therein lies the danger. As the people of God, this needs to be on the forefront of our minds as we venture into the world created by new social technologies. Remember, there’s always a tradeoff, and worldview ideas are embedded in each technology.
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