An Unhappy Medium

     I don't think that I've ever had a healthy relationship with social media. From the time that I first created a Twitter account straight up until now, it has dominated me to some degree (1 Cor. 6:12). I have been unable to control the amount of time I spend on it, the content I consume, and the needs that I look to it to meet. It has proven over and over again to be a means for me to sin in various ways. It is a provision for my flesh (Rom. 13:14). It is a hand and an eye that is causing me to sin (Matt. 5:29-30). Therefore, I must distance myself from it. I must gouge it out and cut it off if I am to follow Jesus. I am leaving social media with no intent to return.

That's the short version. If you're interested in some more of my thoughts, keep reading. I'd like to share my plan, clarify what I don't mean and what I do mean, and pose a few questions to help you discern whether you should follow me in this transition or live with me as with a weaker brother.

First, my plan. In a couple of days I am going to delete my Facebook account. Not remove the app from my phone (tried it), set time limits for myself (tried it), or log out on my computer (tried it). These are all helpful ways to limit your usage of Facebook, but they don't accomplish my desired result: to be done with the thing forever and done with social media forever. This is my desired result for a simple reason: social media has been a reliable, constant, effective tool that I use to sin for almost a decade, and it's benefits are no longer worth the cost (more on this later). From now on, I will rely on my wife to share pertinent Facebook information with me and share my life, thoughts, and stories with others on this blog. I am excited to write more, grow in organizing my thoughts, and learn how to share more and better with others. That is my plan.

Here is what I don't want to communicate in leaving social media:

1. I think social media is bad. I think that social media has tremendous potential to bring joy, unity, compassion, and understanding. It can keep people connected who would otherwise lose touch. It can reunite old friends. It can facilitate social progress and political reform. It can bring loads of laughter. In fact, it has done these things. But I also am deeply convinced that social media is unimaginably dangerous, and that most users are dangerously underestimating its power. It can reinforce harmful biases, breed unnecessary and unproductive competition, provide a platform for otherwise inexpressible hatred, dehumanize the user, and pit us against one another by pretending to meet our most basic human needs. In fact it has done these things. It is not bad, but the good it provides is easily hijacked by a sinful race to produce an explosion of novel and deplorable sin.
2. I think people who use social media are doing something wrong. I am leaving social media because when I use it, I sin. I wish this wasn't the case, and I have spent years trying to convince myself that this isn't the case, but it just is. However, I agree with the Apostle Paul that "nothing is unclean in itself" (Rom. 14.14) and rejoice with my brothers and sisters who use social media for good. It causes me no shame or harm to leave while you stay, so long as we both are convinced in the Lord.
3. I think social media is "The Problem" in our world. In other words, if we can fix this, we will fix our world. I believe that sin is our problem. Sin blinds, cripples, and kills. It blinds in such a way that the blinded hates the sight he once had. It cripples while convincing the crippled that health is his great enemy. It paves a smooth and pleasant road to death, prodding the weary sinner with always-out-of-reach respite. Social media is not the problem, but it has revolutionized the way the problem does its awful work.

Here is what I do want to communicate: Social media is not worth it for me. I have found the pleasures and benefits of social media to be minuscule in my life when measured against the crushing weight of the sin it has occasioned. It has been the platform on which I have boasted, lusted, coveted, hated, mocked, idolized, betrayed, and countless other gross offenses against God. It sets before me constant temptation. Very few rewards could be worth that to me, and I certainly haven't found them in social media.

Now, a few questions you may want to ask yourself. Be honest. You'll reap in benefit what you sow in honestly.

• What sins do I commit that I would not commit if social media did not exist? 
• Is my conscience clear regarding the amount of time I spend on social media?
• Is my conscience clear regarding the content I consume on social media?
• How does social media affect my relationship with with Jesus? My family? My church? My friends?
• How does social media impact my public witness? 
• If I gave God full control of my relationship with social media, what would change?

All these questions will stacks weights on the scales, some positive and some negative, for you to answer this final question: Is social media worth it for me? If is it, please continue to build the kingdom of God with the gifts he has given you. Please accommodate my weakness. If it is not, I beg you to change, for the sake of your very soul. Sin is not to be trifled with, but the grace of God is sufficient for those who would turn from it and follow him.