The way we communicate today is far different than even just ten years ago. Today we rely heavily on social media for news about world events as well as friends and family. With Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. there are so many options available.
Social media is a very instantaneous way to express yourself, which can be good or bad.
Personally, I use Twitter and have other social media apps linked to it. I like Twitter because I can see tweets immediately. This morning I was looking up a young man who followed me and saw that one of his tweets was a retweet. I looked at the retweet and it led back to some porn. It took me about 30 seconds to come to the conclusion that he is probably on the wrong road.
What many young people don’t realize is social media is now an unintentional resume. I can almost assure you that if he were applying for college, a job, a sponsorship, or even wanting to date my daughter, this would eliminate him immediately.
When I was about 15 or 16 years old I can remember asking my pastor whether or not I should attend an event. I’ll never forget his sage advice, “If you’re questioning whether or not you should, that is probably your answer.”
It’s very easy to get a feel for the “heartbeat” of a person by looking at the things they post or tweet. People, especially young people, need to be aware of the impact this can have for them. With one tweet and the ensuing retweets, you can reach hundreds of thousands of people. You’re literally talking to the world. Right now we’re in the transition of people figuring this out.
There have been times when I’ve had the urge to use social media to vent. That’s the time to pause, stop and think about the consequences. Because once you put it out there you can’t get it back, even by deleting. I thank the good Lord I stopped and thought it through before putting out anything that could be perceived as negative.
Social media is also used in positive ways. The ice bucket challenge and fundraiser for ALS awareness went viral in an unprecedented way. There’s no telling how much money was raised or how many people learned about ALS.
Just remember that today there’s very little privacy and now more than ever you need to be guarded about what you say and do. You don’t want to say bad things or have bad thoughts. Strive to have a good, positive attitude and it will impact not just your social media but also your life.
I would like to wish my nephew, Stetson, a speedy recovery from his recent back surgery. This should put him in good shape for the 2015 rodeo season.
Until next time, God Bless, and I’ll see you down the line.
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