I
am fascinated by a growing number of people throwing Facebook under the bus, claiming it to be an unhealthy and
evil enterprise.
In
their defense I’ve witnessed young and old, disclose too much personal information,
lie, and lose themselves in a crowded and complex virtual society.
But
Facebook is not the problem.
We
are the problem.
Facebook
is a thing. And as tempting as it is, we should not hold “things” responsible
for our inclination to sin.
Its
not the thing. It’s us.
It’s
not the alcohol, it’s me overindulging.
It’s
not the gun, it’s me not dealing with my anger.
And
its not Facebook, or Myspace or any of the others.
It’s
we who are not setting and maintaining healthy boundaries. We are the creators
and members of a culture that has difficulty balancing its needs for transparency
and connection with our competing needs of privacy and solitude.
Making
Facebook the problem enables us to avoid taking responsibility for my actions.
And it fails to address the real problem.
We’re
exerting too much energy demonizing the thing and not enough helping people
understand their basic human needs and the boundaries necessary to keep them in
balance.
I
don’t suggest that its virtuous to have a Facebook account. There are good reasons
for not using it and/or disallowing others from using it. But lets be clear that we are not scapegoating
Facebook for our problem—especially in the name of Christ.
So,
would Jesus use Facebook?
I
don’t know. You’ll have to ask him.
I do
know that he wouldn’t demonize it or make it the problem. He’d see beneath the
symptoms to the deeper needs giving rise to it and spend his energy meeting
people where they are, and calling them to more. We should do the same.
I am currently conducting In-Services (including Safe Environment) and Workshops for teachers, ministers and parents entitled "What Every Adult Needs to Know About Facebook, Myspace and the Cyber-Social LIves of Today's Young People."
My presentation for teens is "Find Me, Friend Me and Follow Me--But Please Don't Hurt Me--Tips for Having Fun and Staying Safe in Cyber-Space" (email me for more information or to have me present to your group at roypetitfils@yahoo.com)
