When Social Media Isn’t Sociable
Rev. Stephanie Atkins, First Episcopal District
We live in a world driven by social media impacting every generation. It has now become our largest form of communication. We can access it morning, noon, and night for everything from the latest in entertainment, business, and news, to what’s happening in our churches and in the lives of people we know and do not know. FaceBook, Snapchat, X formerly Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and others are featured apps on our mobile devices 24-7. We are inundated with intel around the clock, right at our fingertips-some good and some not so good.
It is hard to escape the 4-1-1 on information, reels, snippets, and clips. If you miss a headline, hot topic, or the daily trending rumors, there is sure to be a replay, commentary, or update on social media. It is our source for what’s going on and what people are talking about.
I am amazed at the number of times, I see the question, “what did I miss?” on my feed. Funny how we feel left out or uninformed if we can’t follow the “post” or comments in a thread. A quick search in Google will surely clue you in so you can join the conversation.
But what happens when social media isn’t as sociable? For many members of the A.M.E. Church, it has been a link to connecting with other members across the connection; while for others it maintains contact with colleagues in ministry, classmates, former co-workers, family, and friends whether near or far, and business acquaintances. The normal “follow,” “friend,” “connection,” or “like,” is about a direct/indirect interaction or an expressed similar interest (“people may know”). However, we have become surfers and viewers surveying content and conversations but are reluctant to “like, love, care, or respond” for fear of being judged, ridiculed, and ostracized for relating to a post, status, video, page, or tweet.
Social media has created a spirit of separatism among us causing us to scroll in fear of scrutiny. We are not sociable or neighborly anymore. We are afraid of being theologically imbalanced if we support a post or double standard disciples if we laugh at a meme. If you comment on a controversial reel, topic of conversation you might be labeled as unapprised.
We have become antisocial, to say the least. We’re friends but not friends. We think we know people without getting to know people. It happens on social media and it’s happening in our churches. We see each other across the aisles, in the pews and the pulpit but we do not stop to say “hello, how are you,” and stay long enough to wait for an answer or to offer someone prayer, because we don’t “do” people.
The next time you send or accept someone’s friend request, send a word, a greeting or inspiration, that someone might know that they are more than just a click, “accept” them and respond. Take the time to get to know the person enough that when you meet in-person, you can approach them to at least speak to them. We are heading to the General Conference; I hope we make real connections. Can we speak and talk more instead of looking with faces of unfamiliarity? Let’s not allow our social media behaviors to govern our Christian characters. God Our Father, Christ Our Redeemer, the Holy Spirit Our Comforter, Humankind Our Family. #WeAreAME this makes us family. Let’s connect, engage and be sociable! Proverbs 17:17
