Photos capture the scene, but often comes at a cost. Discover the rare joy of unplugging.
The Early Days of Social Media
This sharing is my take on a Bible Study session via Zoom during the pandemic. I did not join the meeting, but I took the time to ponder and write about it, which I later shared with this friend who spearheaded this intimate Bible Study group.
Before there was Facebook, first there was Friendster. Not long after, MySpace came to surface. But before all of these, there was something way simpler.
Honestly, I did not care much about either until friends from school were at least on either one, if not on both.
They were young, much younger than I was. They had much time on their hands. And yes, they were successful at convincing me. I thought I needed a fun diversion to have balance, so I got in.
So there I was on Friendster. It was great! I loved that it served as a junction where people meet up.
It is a practically convenient alternative to making overseas calls if you have connections or relationships outside your country of residence.
It certainly had obvious advantages over the use of email when it comes to re-establishing connection.
I couldn’t be on both, though. I did not see any need for a second social platform account.
Maintaining more than one social media account would be excessive, just my thoughts—a redundancy.
And time-wise, I didn't have a nice chunk of it to do it efficiently. I am a wife and a Mom. I was in school full-time. My attention had to stay with my family and studies.
Anyway, I have already switched to Facebook before the decline in Friendster’s popularity.
The environment was very similar to Friendster. There was not much of the usual learning curve, which is a typical expectation when trying something new or different.
I mentioned above that I preferred Facebook or Friendster over email because it took away the painstaking labor of downloading photos onto my computer before I could even attach photos.
Unlike Facebook, it didn't have the flexibility to do it straight from my mobile phone.
And then Messenger video-chatting came into existence, upping the human connection to the next level. I have family and friends from half a world away, and the niftiness of video chats at no charge included is too good to ignore.
This feature eliminated the need for prepaid cards to make international calls. And, those prepaid cards were not available everywhere.
Yes, I still remember like it was yesterday when phone bills were through the roof because there were no prepaid cards yet.
For this reason alone, it's easy to appreciate the money and time-saving benefits provided. So what's not to like, right?
And finding friends? Wasn’t it fun finding friends from a lifetime ago, and doing those harmless searches because we lost sight of nearly everyone?
It was easier locating the guys, not so with the gals, unless they carry the maiden name.
The real fun begins once the connection has been reestablished—from the catching-ups to picking up on where things were left off.
If we are talking about decades-long of having no communication, the first few weeks would be filled with big-time belly laughs. That includes recalling the fun and the not-so-fun memories that had escaped our memory.
Who can relate?
When Sharing Became a Performance
On another note, to see how everyone has changed, slaying life's thorniest issues: relational, work, everything, it begs the question, where did the time go?
You may wonder why I tapped into the use of social network in this post, but that's because it was the Bible Study topic. The author outlined a legitimate concern around festivities and people’s use of social networks.
I am sharing this today because it was fitting as we are entering the final days of preparations to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.
With the topic in mind, expect to see posts from so many. Photos will flood the newsfeed.
I nodded in agreement as I continued reading the article. People seem to not know when to draw a line in the sand over things such as:
- How much to share, what to share, and how often?
Nearly everyone would post to their heart’s content.
The Cost of Capturing the Moment
For years now, social media users have fallen into the trap of being so present in their online social life, myself included. Many of us are more into what to post on timelines—which photos to share instead of enjoying the moments.
Our attention is divided between being in the moment and being present online.
Crazy, don’t you think?
Anyway, proof that there is a consensus on this matter, there was another article I read just days before learning the topic of the Bible Study discussion that also spoke about this trend.
It was no coincidence, not only because I no longer believe in coincidences but because there is an ongoing need to acknowledge this.
It should not come as a surprise that many more would touch on this topic.
A Lesson from Bible Study
Honestly, I fell for it, too, when I was overly active on Facebook because this has become a customary practice, but more on this later—in another blog post.
Frankly, I feel that there is a need to return to the simplicity the we had come to know. That's basically doing the things like we've always done them before all these social media madness.
Why won't we try to go back to focusing on making memories that will be passed on to the next generations without thinking so much about our social media presence?
Truthfully, it's where the core of our energies should really be. Out attention should be on those gathered around us.
Our mind concentrated on the gathering—rather than busying ourselves on what to post and how many, and the constant checking on the phone for messages, comments, or reactions.
It's mind-boggling how most of us spend time chronicling the events that is taking place, instead of enjoying the moment-by-moment in play. The times have changed, for sure, but we can still be in control.
In addition, the Bible Study article author posed a few questions. One that I could recall:
- How have we used the gathering to encounter God?
So true. Perhaps there was one who had fallen off track and could benefit from a sincere chat. Did we miss the opportunity to share God?
Gatherings are a perfect place. Everyone is dealing with something, just to varying degrees.
Now, this article I read talked about the qualities of a good guest at a party, noting that it is taboo to chronicle the gathering with nearly minute-by-minute updates on social media posts.
The author added, and I paraphrase, that the constant stare on the phone to check who commented on what, and how many reactions, can be too distracting, if not offensive to the host and or to others in attendance.
By the looks of how things are now, many continue to miss basic ethics. How so, you might ask?
Well, knowing there was an invitation means that to grace the gathering would please the host. True, accepting the invitation gladdens the host.
To give the impression that we are there, mind and body showing interest in the occasion, and not on our social network timelines, says so much more to the host.
The author also mentioned acknowledging the host’s efforts. It is easy to overlook the planning process that went into action when guests were more enthused in chronicling the event.
The Invitation to Be Present
Good point, huh? Now, here’s where I add my perspective, tying the two articles:
To me, this life is like a gathering. Only on a much grander scale. God is the host. Invitations were all sent.
Technically we received the invitation at the time of our conception. We were born to know the goodness of the Lord and for us to love Him back.
Our active participation in this grand plan began the moment we entered school. As we increased our knowledge, so did our knowledge of God—supposed to be, right?
When we are focus on the stuff that steals our attention from the host (God), the distractions could multiply by the day, leaving a bare minimum to appreciate the things God presents to us minute by minute.
We could miss out on the joy found in the Scriptures and apply them in the varying seasons of life.
It is good to build associations online, and social platforms are an effective way to establish them, but...
Make it purposeful.
It cannot be shallow that there is no opportunity for personal growth— both yours and those in your circle.
We could all use each other's learned lessons.
Limit time on social network platforms. There are a lot of valuable things outside of these social network platforms.
Let's keep in mind that when we spend time with God, the Host, only then do we become aware of the instructions we seek. By that, we sharpen our tools continually.
Yes, I know I need to work on this myself, too. And we are all in this pursuit.
This Christmas, and all the upcoming celebrations we're going to have as well, let us approach every gathering like what Christmas is supposed to be like, not too busy to hear the knocking on the door by the King of Glory.
If you enjoyed this, you might also like my personal favorite story:
"A Rare Surprise: A coincidence or a God-incidence?" Discover how an unexpected moment in August became a beautiful reminder of faith.
And thank you for reading! If the story speaks to your heart, I’d love to connect with you on Facebook.
I also invite you to subscribe free to receive blog updates. No spam, no sales pitches—just thoughtful updates from time to time.
A Note from my Heart
I’m Emilie, a seeker of faith who finds God in the quiet pews and the divine surprises of everyday life. I write these reflections to invite you into a slower, more soulful way of seeing the world.