The Power of Social Media

Have you ever thought twice about posting something on social media? Maybe it was a not-so-flattering picture of yourself, or maybe it was a random thought that would be best to keep to yourself. It’s interesting how much we try to shape and manage our image on social media. Recently, I’ve been reading, So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson. In this book, Ronson follows different stories of people who have been shamed through social media. He shows how quickly and detrimental the effects of these shamings can be on people’s lives and careers. It’s an interesting phenomenon to have access to such a wide audience, and also how much this worldwide audience can affect someone’s reputation. Someone’s mistake can be forever recorded on the internet, and masses of people have access to it. While it may have been foolish for someone to post an inappropriate remark on social media, does it warrant for someone’s life and career to be ruined due to it? I guess it does depend on the nature of what the remark was. I just wonder about the mass power of social media, in being able to communicate to so many anonymous people – and how the masses can also easily glorify or vilify someone on social media.

While I don’t like to admit that I actually watched the documentary on One Direction, as some friends asked me to watch it with them, I do find the spread of their fandom quite interesting. I still don’t really understand how it came about – but they went from average teenage boys, to world renowned superstars, with screaming girls following them everywhere they go,  in a few months time. Social media helped quickly spread the word about One Direction, as millions of fans followed them on Twitter, and literally followed them to wherever they go. I’m not a fan of One Direction being compared to the Beatles since I don’t think their music is anywhere on par with the Beatles, but the widespread craze that they have created around them has interesting parallels. Social media can be used to blow up fandom to a whole new level.

Thus, the use of social media by the masses can have great power to change people’s lives. I wonder what the effects of the use of social media has on the Church, and how social media can be used to tear people down and put others on pedestals, thus continuing to perpetuate the celebrity culture in the Church today.  And as the the famous words from Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben once said, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” As people who are living as representatives of Christ, we must steward our access and use of social media in ways that will be beneficial for the Kingdom, and be thoughtful about the ways we interact with others across the world wide web.