Do you need a Social Media Diet?

“Social Media demands a lot of us on top of our already demanding lives. There’s a difference between interest and commitment. So let’s connect as we need to and renew our interest and ourselves.”    Simon Mainwaring

Pastor Jay Y. Kim in his book, Analog Church, shares of an experience at a local restaurant after being convicted about the overuse of his own smartphone at home, keeping him from being present with his family:

  “I was having lunch alone. The restaurant was near a local high school which has an open campus policy, so shortly after I sat down to eat, several students began to file in together for a quick bite before heading back to class. Once again, I’d been on my phone—this time actually checking email. But when I saw the students walk in, I decided to people watch for a while, paying special attention to how they would interact while sharing a meal. What I saw saddened me but did not surprise me. In total, fourteen students ate at that restaurant during the lunch hour, all of them sitting in friend groups, not a single one of them alone. And in total, thirteen of them had a phone in their hands for the vast majority of the time, occasionally looking up to chat with one another, but for the money ost part, losing themselves to their digital content, all while sitting so tantalizingly close to other actual human beings. They were, in the words of Sherry Turkle’s aptly titled book, “alone together.” Entranced by the endless sea of digital possibilities, these kids were missing out on the very unique gift of analog presence surrounding them. While they were busy communicating with the digital world (many of them sending texts and Snapchat messages), they were squandering the opportunity to commune with the real people in their midst. This is what community often looks like in the digital age. Lonely individuals falling prey, over and over again, to the great masquerade of digital technology—the ability to lull us into a state of isolation via the illusion of digital connection.”

  Smartphones are ubiquitous and if we’re honest, they’re very addictive.  Imagine for a moment though if you went to your refrigerator to find all of the  same things that you look at your phone for. Along with food stored there, you opened the door for a friend’s contact information, your stereo system, to post a picture, etc. Would you be very tempted to overeat?

  Part of the victory over poor eating is not having those options readily available. Our smartphones are filled with lots of “junk food” that’s filling us up, taking the place of true life. It’s very easy to overindulge on social media. Like continually grabbing junk food, it becomes a bad habit. Some suggest a complete social media fast. For most that’s too drastic. Yet, I think a “social media diet” is a healthy choice for most of us.

  Personally, I’ve found that social media and media, in general, is often too toxic for me. I seek to limit how much I ingest. I want my phone to be MY tool and not be its slave. Here are some benefits of a media/social media diet.

  More time for what’s really important. By limiting social media, you’ll be amazed at how much time is freed up. It’s impossible to have a quality conversation with those that we truly care about if we’re scanning our phones. In the U.S. (aside from work usage), the average person spends a little over 7 hours a day watching TV or looking at their mobile device.

  The Bible says that we’re to be “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16). We’re not promised tomorrow and neither are those that we care about. A “diet” gives us time for what has lasting value. With a bit of a media diet think of the free time for more social interaction with others, reading books and material that redirects our focus on our eternal Heavenly Father, not this temporal world.

  You’ll have a clearer mind. Most notice almost immediately by dramatically limiting media that they feel more clear-minded. Being in front of a computer or phone screen for an extended period of time can even cause physical issues such as headaches, dry eyes, and eye irritation.

  Most find it easier then to focus on what is going on where they are in the present and less on what everyone else is doing. While it’s important to engage with friends and family, constant posts and scrolling through news feeds can make your mind feel jumbled and distracted.

  It enables you to experience life in the moment. Stepping away from media allows us to be more in the present moment and utilize our minds with intention and purpose as God intends for us. Media is very distracting. Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone with the TV on, or when they’re scanning their phone? It’s nearly impossible.

  A media diet enables you to enjoy life’s moments and relationships with more intent. It opens our hours to be filled with the time God has given us and helps us to better see His working in our lives.

  It can help you sleep better. Studies show that the use of a screen prior to bed can cause a great disruption of sleep. The longer you’re on them prior to attempting to sleep, the longer it will take to actually fall asleep. You’ll probably find that a media diet helps you feel more rested. The effects our screens have on our quality of living are more than most of us realize. And a good night’s rest is a great starting point for a new day!

  It will help you have stronger relationships. Loneliness has become an epidemic. While we’re interacting with people via our phones hundreds of times a day, most of us have very few meaningful interactions with people on a daily basis. You’ll find that this frees up time and you won’t feel so rushed, leaving more time to relax and spend quality time in conversation.

  We were created for relationship with our Heavenly Father and with each other, limiting media is an awesome way to get away from faux relationships and back to the real thing!

  It will help you have a stronger relationship with your Heavenly Father.

Even for those of us who live kingdom-minded lives, it’s so easy to become distracted. When we slip out of focus with God, we see it in our lives and so does the world. We become more easily agitated, we feel busy and anxious. All of these things are not only detrimental to us, but also to our relationships and our testimony for the Lord Jesus.

  As we mature in our faith we begin to see that any focus that is not fully on the Christ is out of focus. We need to be in the Word, growing and maturing so we can better serve His Kingdom and better enjoy this abundant life that Jesus died to give us. If you’re not regularly in God’s Word or find your time rushed, a media diet will free up time to help you know better the Father who loves you so much that He gave His Son for you and has a wonderful plan for each day. That time and communication is essential for your spiritual health and for your life to have significance.

  The best time to start a new healthy habit is today. Try it! Let me know the wonderful changes that God gives you from a media diet.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

One man and One red cup

“I’m glad Jewish people didn’t get upset at Starbucks. Just imagine how tough it’d be for baristas to write ‘Happy Hanukkah’ on every cup.”

Over the last week a red cup/Christmas controversy about Starbucks and their purported anti-Christmas conspiracy exploded on social media. It all started after former pastor, Joshua Feuerstein, posted a viral video to Facebook stating the company was removing “Christmas from their cups because they hate Jesus.” But what most don’t realize is that Josh Feuerstein has been at this for years, posting hundreds of videos of himself screaming mini-sermons into his smartphone camera. While he has almost 2 million followers on Facebook, (it’s not clear how many became fans after the Starbucks takedown went viral) most had no idea who Feuerstein was before his video. Feuerstein’s often incendiary views are part of his whole public persona. Apparently, he loves to fan the flame of public opinion.

  Yet, to my knowledge, no notable Christian leader or group has joined his one man boycott. On the contrary, most Christians are vocally opposing it. Many have watched Feuerstein’ grandstanding from the sidelines and even had some fun with the silliness of it all. His “anger” gave billions of dollars of free advertising to the very company he supposedly disdains. There are though important lessons for us as Bible-believers from this entire stunt.

  Too often outrage is our default mode. It seemed that most Christians who were “outraged,” weren’t outraged at Starbucks but were outraged at the supposed Christians making this an issue. Liberal media outlets like The Huffington Post had a field day ridiculing Christians incensed over this, but they’d have real difficulty finding those legions of Christians who were so angered over this. Most were just outraged that someone had made it an issue. Anger is dangerous, yet that seems to be the first weapon of choice for the average Christian whether it’s toward the secular media, the devolving of the culture, government, etc. Many will rationalize that Jesus got angry. That’s true but the reason that Jesus’ anger was so powerful and garners our attention is that anger was so rare with Jesus. It was anything but His default mode. He truly lived out His name, “the Prince of Peace.”

  There is true power even in one voice. With a world population of 7 billion and some 320 million Americans, most of us feel very, very small, even minute. Yet, just one man, Josh Feuerstein, literally caused social media to erupt. English poet, John Donne was right, “No man is an island.” Or, as the Bible insightfully reminds us, “For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself” (Romans 14:7). You are the only Dad or Mom that your children will have. Even if you’re past the childrearing years, you’re still influencing them. Our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers even our Facebook friends are watching. Yet, what are they learning about Jesus, life, and what has true value from us?

  Those don’t know Jesus will usually act like people who don’t know Jesus. America is not a Christian nation. If it is, why do you lock your doors at night? Starbucks has never claimed to be a Christian company. Howard Schultz, the founder and CEO of Starbucks is not a Christian, so why would we expect him to live by biblical values? He is not only a coffee aficionado, he’s a true humanitarian who passionately seeks to take care of his employees and have a positive work environment. I find that his dedication to what he believes, puts me to shame as a Christian. His books, Onward and For Love of Country are powerful books and challenged my own heart. Add to that, many believers are employed by Starbucks. I have a childhood friend who manages one and uses her position as an opportunity to share the light of the gospel. We quickly forget that for us to be effective as “salt” in a decaying world, we must get out of the saltshaker. Both biblical heroes, Daniel and Joseph, were leaders in pagan cultures, using their positions to do God’s will and bring Him glory! God has placed you and me where we are for the same purpose.  

  The media has far too much influence on us. Most of us are far more familiar with current events or celebrities than we are with the eternal God or His timeless Word. Media is part of “a-muse” which means to “not think.” Biblical Christianity demands “musing” or “thinking.” The media whether it’s a news report, sitcom or movie communicates primarily to our emotions, not our intellect. The vast majority of it is little more than mental junk food. While feelings are part of God’s design, they’re not to be in the driver’s seat of our lives. First our intellect, then our will and finally our emotions are to direct us. Unfortunately, when most watch the media, they stop thinking and thus are manipulated. Add to that editing and censorship of only what fits the worldview of those in control, and you’re frequently only receiving a fraction of truth and reality. So we must stop and think.

  The war on Christmas is an old one. I’m not sure why the new red cup is even an issue. In the past, the Starbuck’s holiday cups had nothing to do with Christmas. There were snowflakes, ornaments, snowmen and sledding pictures. Other than the ornaments, those are staple items wherever there is winter and snow for several months each year. Add to that, we don’t know when Jesus was actually born. Most scholars think that He was born in the fall, not the winter. But Christmas is really about Christ-mas, not all of the other traditions that have squeezed Jesus out of the picture.

  Some ingenious marketers from the Victorian era began the trend of turning Christmas into a gift buying commercial event. In 1939 President Roosevelt moved the Thanksgiving holiday back a week to extend the Christmas shopping season. Today Christmas has very little to do with the birth of Jesus. Walk through the aisles of most stores and you’ll have difficulty finding a nativity scene. Recently, when I was at Home Depot, I saw Star Wars figurines that you can decorate your lawn with during the Christmas Season. I still haven’t figured out what Yoda has to do with Christmas, but I’m sure that they’re selling tons of them.  

  But the real war on Christmas takes place in our own hearts. Most of us feel overly stressed during the Christmas season – to buy the right gift, send out all the cards, to have a Norman Rockwell family Christmas feast, etc. I know that I do. We quickly forget and miss the opportunity to thank God and share with a lost world that Christmas is not about red cups or all of the other hype. Christmas is about a loving Father sending His only Son to take on the form of a man so that He could die a horrible death for our sins. Christmas is about giving that one gift 2,000 years ago – God’s gift to us! “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). 

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