What is Facebook really saying about you? Facebook gives away a lot more information about you than you realize. More than just your profile. More than just the pictures you post. More than just your likes and dislikes. More than just what you’re having for lunch and where you’re having it. There’s a lot more that’s freely being shared about you on this platform. What is Facebook really saying about you?
Let me start off by saying this is not a post about Facebook’s privacy policy. It’s not a post about the NSA breaking into your Facebook information. No. This personal information that’s being shared on Facebook is being given away willingly…by you!
I touched on this briefly in a post entitled, “What Does Marriage Have To Do With Facebook, Makeup, and Toothpaste?” But in this post, I want to dig a little deeper. So, what is Facebook really saying about you?
Facebook is divulging how truthful you are.
Early in the Facebook experience, you tend to be extremely careful and cautious about what you post. You only post the good photos. You only post the encouraging, carefully worded post. Consequently, others don’t get to know who they really are.
If the purpose of Facebook is to connect and relate, you have to ask yourself, “How well can I connect and relate to others if I’m only sharing the cleaned-up version of myself?”
But with time and familiarity, the careful caution with which you approach Facebook begins to change and Facebook begins to divulge something else about you.
Facebook is divulging how loving you are.
It’s easy for Facebook to become a place to unload about things. It happens slowly and subtly. It starts with sharing your thoughts. Then it moves to sharing your opinions. Then it moves to venting. Then it moves to ranting. With each step, the need to be loving gets weaker and weaker. And so, people who are supposedly very loving, kind, and even religious can wind up posting some very unloving and disrespectful things.
Remember that unloving and disrespectful Facebook posts will be read not just by friends but by employers, future employers, and other people who are making judgements and decisions about you. You’re showing them who you really are…and they didn’t even have to crack your password.
What you put on Facebook divulges information about you…whether you realize it or not. You don’t need to be fake, but neither do you need to be unloving and disrespectful. Look back at your Facebook posts. What is Facebook really saying about you?
But there’s another level to all of this…
In Scripture, we’re encouraged to “speak the truth in love.” Having this balance is important, because…
- It effects both our representation of Christ and our invitation to Christ.
- Scripture tells us that we’re not to be a stumbling block, and acting unloving and disrespectful is as big of a stumbling block as anything.
- Scripture tells us that we’re to be angry and still not sin…even if we’re upset about something.
- Scripture also tells us that our words are to be gracious and build up others.
When Paul confronted the people of Mars Hill on something that he thought was very wrong, he still was able to speak the truth in a way that was loving and respectful. This is what we should be doing. This is what you want Facebook to really be saying about you.
If you’ve ever seen something one Facebook that you felt was unloving or disrespectful, leave a comment and tell us about your reaction.
Copyright © 2014 Bret Legg
I have had so many issues with Facebook. I usually just try to post funny/crazy things and share pictures with my family and friends on FB. I have found that It is so easy to be offended by things that are probably not even directed at me. Some things were directed at me and I was either crushed or spun into a barely uncontrollable rage, and even if they were not, I had the same reaction. I deactivated my account for about a week recently so that I could take a step back and regroup. When I reactivated it I changed some settings, blocked the games, and adjusted my perspective. I am no longer taking things personally. If someone really has a problem with me and do not personally call me or contact me about, I let it go.
Think it’s wise to take a step back occasionally. Call it a sabbatical if you will. Facebook is a great tool, but like all tools we need to remember that the tool is there for us, not us for the tool. Only 30% of a message is actually in the words of our message. The other 70% is in non-verbal communication (body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, etc.) That’s why you must be careful with Facebook and other social media. Great thoughts.
Facebook teaches you the super power of APOLOGIZING! 😛
This is a lesson that I’ve learned over and over and over again.
It also teaches the super power of FORGIVING! Because it’s pretty hard to hold something against someone for the very same thing that I did last week.
24/7 Communication. Yep.
In many instances, the printed word is interpreted to be a very different message than the spoken word.
So true. Only about30% of what we communicate comes through our words. The rest comes through non-verbals.