negative side of social media

[good samaritan]

We recently had a first time visitor come with several of their friends who each were not members at our church. This one particular visitor recently friend requested me on facebook and I accepted. After church last night I read where he posted that he tried the church thing again and again he was judged. He went on to say it was at our church.

I had to comment. Come to find out, the person judging him was one of the visitors he came with not anyone from the church. Had I not called attention to it, this young man would have defamed our little congregation falsely. Social media allows us to reach so many and it amazes me how carelessly people type comments without considering all the many people those comments affect.

[CC1]

There is certainly a downside to social media but for me the upside far outweighs it. FB has put me back in touch with people from my childhood I had lost contact with decades ago.

[good samaritan]

I prefer the days when you called someone on the phone or invited them out for a meal. A lot of people are more free to type something they would never say in person. IMO. We are able to stay in touch with people though. People otta have some training on social media. I think we may teach a class at our church later on about communicating positively on social media.

Just like guns. Guns don't kill people, but people kill people. Social media is not the problem, but the way many people use it. I think we need to emphasize the importance of good wholesome communication. If we speak evil of people on facebook it is no different in doing it with our mouth. We will be accountable.

[Servant's <3]

Don't have a facebook.... don't want a facebook. Don't think facebook is inherently evil, but I do think the majority of people who use it let it consume far too much of their time/lives. Also a lot of people on facebook do and say terrible things.... If I'm not on facebook, I'm not exposed to those things.

Are there good things on facebook, I'm sure there are. I wonder if you have to muddle through all the bad to find it.

[KeptByTheWord]

Our family is not on FB. We do obviously use the internet to communicate through email but prefer still to stay in touch with people that we care about either face to face or by telephone, or with cards. I still make handmade cards to send out on birthdays, special events, etc., and I hand write the greeting as well.

I agree with GS and his premise entirely. I think that while there are upsides to social media, the downsides are far worse. So much sadness takes place when people aren't accountable face to face with the one they are saying things to or about.

Social media is a form of communication that never should be the main or only form of communication in relationships, but that, sadly, is exactly what has happened in many cases with FB.

[n david]

I've thought of deleting my FB account, but haven't because of the number of friends which live in other states. It's the easiest means of communicating and sharing news, ideas and events.