As I sat in class today, I listened once again as Social Media was negatively portrayed as the influencer of all evil. In many ways, people use Social Media for evil, but it can also be used for good. While considering the negative attitudes of Social Media, I thought of three reasons that many have a negative impression of Social Media.
The first reason for negative impressions of Social Media is fear. It is easy to forget how new the medium of Social Media is. While the printing press was invented in the 1400s, the earliest hint of the invention of the internet was in the 1950s. It will take a generation or two for people to accept that the internet as a viable avenue of communication. People fear what they do not understand.
The second reason for negative impressions of Social Media is the media. With so much media broadcasting news and information nearly every minute of every day, there are plenty of stories that exist of the negative uses of Social Media from amplification the message of a small rogue group to be central to the coordination of terrorist attacks. This information only confirms the fears of the new technology.
The third reason for negative impressions of Social Media is the technology itself. As I noted, the internet itself is fairly new and the platform social media is even newer (some would say 1997). This newness of technology increases the chance that many do not understand how to operate the various Social Media platforms that are out there.
While I believe that Social Media can be used for great opportunities of our age, it is easy to understand that through fear, media, and technology negative impression continue to be pervasive in our world. However, I believe that Christians have a unique opportunity to develop Social Media in a platform for the gospel.
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Richard Muniz says
One hundred percent on the money, Chaplin!