Cyber Relationships
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I am not a big fan of technology for many reasons, but I really love how it has allowed me to keep in touch with family and friends far away, and those near whose lives are just as busy as mine. I love how technology has been a tool to reach many in my ministering. I love the flexibility to be able to connect with complete strangers and touch their lives. I love how technology allows me and others to keep up with one another in a variety of ways like email, text, and a host of social media outlets. But if there is one relationship danger in technology, it is allowing our REAL relationships to be defined by it. Let me explain…
Admittedly technology is giving us more and more time to fill our lives with more busyness. We are making less of an effort to connect with people in person, because we can “facetime” on the run. We can text in meetings, in church, cooking dinner, or doing almost anything other than driving. We can make sure people are “OK” in 30 seconds by checking their timeline (this last one is pretty sad, but I won’t go down that rabbit trail). But it is also becoming easier to begin defining our meaningful relationships by how we interact in cyberspace. This is dangerous and disturbing. Think about it, Facebook is now even filtering out the information we see regularly based on what we “Like.” So if I don’t hit the “Like” button on my good friend’s posts regularly, or if my friend doesn’t post anything regularly, I may never even see what they are sharing. If my friend and I have subconsciously become trained to think that a “Like” means “I care,” what happens between us when I no longer see their social media posts?
This bring me to the biggest point in my argument. We have to intentionally make a difference between our cyber lives and our REAL ones. I try to be very transparent no matter how I am relating to others…in person, online, or by phone. But I make a conscious effort not to live the whole, and certainly not the most important parts, of my life via technology. I hold back MUCH, for the sake of relating PERSONALLY to those who mean more than a “Like,” “Comment,” “Tweet,” or “Send” button. (The “Call” button is a little different, and is very important.) As much as I take advantage of technology for business, ministry, and social purposes, I prefer to define my personal relationships by how we relate personally and individually.
So if I never “Like” or “Comment” on your social media, but when I see you I give you a hug and ask about your life and family; if I never retweet one of your tweets, but I buy your product and send you customers; if I never post about how wonderful a friend or person you are on Facebook, but I call (and yes even text) to ask how I can pray for or serve you in private…take my care for what it is: personal instead of technical. I ask that you to work hard this year at applying the same rule to all of your REAL relationships; keep them personal, and never let them be defined by the technical.
As advanced and useful as technology has become, what goes on outside of technology is much more important than the limitations of 140 characters, and the number of likes, views, shares, and messages sent and received that technology has to offer. We, and all of our R.E.A.L. relationships, are worth more than that! Let's RELATE to one another like it!
Blessings,
Dawn~
~Pouring my life out in worship, like Costly Oil~
Admittedly technology is giving us more and more time to fill our lives with more busyness. We are making less of an effort to connect with people in person, because we can “facetime” on the run. We can text in meetings, in church, cooking dinner, or doing almost anything other than driving. We can make sure people are “OK” in 30 seconds by checking their timeline (this last one is pretty sad, but I won’t go down that rabbit trail). But it is also becoming easier to begin defining our meaningful relationships by how we interact in cyberspace. This is dangerous and disturbing. Think about it, Facebook is now even filtering out the information we see regularly based on what we “Like.” So if I don’t hit the “Like” button on my good friend’s posts regularly, or if my friend doesn’t post anything regularly, I may never even see what they are sharing. If my friend and I have subconsciously become trained to think that a “Like” means “I care,” what happens between us when I no longer see their social media posts?
This bring me to the biggest point in my argument. We have to intentionally make a difference between our cyber lives and our REAL ones. I try to be very transparent no matter how I am relating to others…in person, online, or by phone. But I make a conscious effort not to live the whole, and certainly not the most important parts, of my life via technology. I hold back MUCH, for the sake of relating PERSONALLY to those who mean more than a “Like,” “Comment,” “Tweet,” or “Send” button. (The “Call” button is a little different, and is very important.) As much as I take advantage of technology for business, ministry, and social purposes, I prefer to define my personal relationships by how we relate personally and individually.
So if I never “Like” or “Comment” on your social media, but when I see you I give you a hug and ask about your life and family; if I never retweet one of your tweets, but I buy your product and send you customers; if I never post about how wonderful a friend or person you are on Facebook, but I call (and yes even text) to ask how I can pray for or serve you in private…take my care for what it is: personal instead of technical. I ask that you to work hard this year at applying the same rule to all of your REAL relationships; keep them personal, and never let them be defined by the technical.
As advanced and useful as technology has become, what goes on outside of technology is much more important than the limitations of 140 characters, and the number of likes, views, shares, and messages sent and received that technology has to offer. We, and all of our R.E.A.L. relationships, are worth more than that! Let's RELATE to one another like it!
Blessings,
Dawn~
~Pouring my life out in worship, like Costly Oil~
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