It is Time to Commit to Holy Living On Social Media

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Engagement in social media can be perilous. I have been burned many times by what I thought was an innocent post or comment. What I hoped would be a straightforward engagement, turned out to be contentious, hurtful, and combative.

Ad-hominems were thrown without thought or regard for the other. It is as if behind the screen, behind the avatar of our digital presence, there is not a human, but an inhuman enemy that must be defeated with witty put downs and low blows.

I am sure I am not the only one who has had these nasty experiences online. A Pew Research Center study found that 64% of Americans say social media has a negative effect on the way things are going in our country today. 

“Those who have a negative view” the report says, “of the impact of social media mention, in particular, misinformation and the hate and harassment they see on social media.” Most of us feel that social media is increasing the polarization and facilitating the creation of echo chambers that pit us in different warring sects. In this volatile environment, it is too easy to dehumanize the other and to use strategies for winning the culture wars at any cost necessary. 

That this is unchristian and evil is hopefully clear to many of us, especially in a nation that claims to be majority Christian, and yet here we are. 

What Can We Do About It?

It is time to commit to holy living in social media. It should be clear by now the powerful impact social media can have in our lives and in our nation. We should no longer underestimate how influential this medium is. 

I believe there is a tendency in some circles to regard the digital realm as “not real” and less important than the “real world” of flesh and bones. To do this is not only to dismiss the power of social media in our lives, but to also create the illusion of separation between our online persona and our real life persona. This illusion allows us to behave differently than we would in person, because we imagine that what we do in the digital realm doesn’t really matter, because it is, after all, “fake.”

This false distinction is evident in our culture by the proliferation of acronyms like In Real Life (IRL) that appear to distinguish our lived experiences in social media as separate from the realm of what is “real.”

We perpetrate this illusion to our own peril and to the peril of our nation. Make no mistake, God will still judge every idle word we speak, whether online or in “real” life (c.f Matthew 12: 36).

So here is my commitment to holy living in social media, and I hope that you and every Christian will join me in making this commitment!

1. I commit to uphold the dignity of every human being in everything I say and do. I understand that behind every avatar there is a human being that is made in the image of God, and that they are therefore endowed with unthinkable dignity, and that I have no permission from the Creator to do anything that will try to rob them of that dignity. (I understand there are fake accounts, what we colloquially called “bots”. But if I choose to engage someone on social media, it is under the assumption that there is a real human behind the account. Otherwise, why would I engage a bot?)

2. I commit to treat others with kindness, giving them the benefit of the doubt. I commit to practice the virtue of kindness in social media by treating all with respect and dignity. I will offer the benefit of the doubt and restrain from painting any negative motives for the actions of others, unless I have compelling evidence to the contrary. I will not engage in ad-hominems, and when I need to speak the truth, I will refute the message, but never the person. I do this because “love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor. 13:7).

3. I commit to engage with differing views in good faith, and refuse to see the other as my enemy. Christ commands me to love my enemies and to pray for those who persecute me (c.f. Matthew 5:4). As an extension of this command, I commit to not engage the other with differing view as an enemy that I need to knock down, but to practice love should I choose to engage with them. One way I commit to love them is by engaging them in good faith, without the objective of winning an argument. Another way is to engage by honing my critical thinking skills, avoiding logical fallacies, and improve clarity and purity of thought as a way to practice the virtue of purity. 

Can you imagine what our engagements on twitter would look like if everyone made these commitments? Can you imagine if Christians on Facebook would lead by example, and treat each other with love and respect? Can you imagine the powerful witness we would give to the world, when people with different opinions are able to have civil discussion imbued with the love of neighbor? This is only possible if we make a serious commitment to holy living in social media.

From now on in my digital life I commit to these three statements as a way to practice holy living in social media. I hope you join me as well.

If you have committed to do this with me, would you please let me know and share this with others?