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The Beatitudes of Social Media

The Beatitudes of Social Media

In our new book, 10 Best Decisions a Graduate Can Make, we help young people make wise choice for their futures — but often these are timeless tips we all could benefit from. Here are a few tips to becoming social media savvy. 

Blessed means “happy.” When using social media, you and your relationships will remain happy if you follow a few simple considerations to protect your love and life:

Blessed are those that tweet unto others as you would have tweeted unto you.   Do to others as you would have them do to you.  (Luke 6:31) Before you post, put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

Blessed are those who use an inner GPS. God promises to bless those who walk in integrity (Psalms 84:11). We encourage people to create an inner GPS and ask three questions before saying or doing anything.

Does this decision show respect for:

  • God?
  • People?
  • Self?

Blessed are those that converse in real time what they want said and posted in cyberspace. Have a conversation with those you love about what posts, photos, and content they are comfortable having you share on your account or posting to their’s. Everyone’s comfort level and privacy level is different.

Blessed are those that learn the tools of the trade. Pictures posted should be ones that would protect and honor another’s image. From the moment a post or photo goes viral, it is live and it may never be recoverable no matter how quickly you delete it. I like to say,”To err is human, but to hit delete is divine.” If you do make a mistake, quickly delete, and let others know who might be impacted.

Blessed are those who are savvy, “If it looks like a hack, moves like a hack, it must be a hack.” If you happen to click on something you think is from a friend or trusted source and it is not, quickly change your password, then alert those that were impacted.

Blessed are those that use discernment and Direct Message: If you are going to say anything at all private, use the “off the public path” Direct Message on Twitter, Send a Message on Facebook, or better yet, text to his or her phone, email or call. The general rule: The more important, volatile or intimate the message, the more it should be given in person or at least with a phone call, voice to voice. The nuances of emotions are not carried well through electronic methodology.

Blessed are those that build and bless with words. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 enlightens us to the type of words to select: encourage one another and build up one another. Erin Bury, Sprouter community manager, advises, “Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t want plastered on a billboard with your face on it.” [i]

Blessed are those who bring good news. Isaiah 52:7 reminds us,How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'"

Blessed are those who are “iron sharpening iron.”  Proverbs 27:17 says,As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Social media is the new “talk radio” or public square of opinion.

Blessed are those that post using icons and characters reasonably. DO NOT POST EVERYTHING IN ALL CAPS OR PEOPLE WILL THINK YOU ARE YELLING. And every statement you make does not need a ":)" after it.

Blessed are those that share humor and levity. Proverbs 17:22 reminds us, “A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing . . .” To give a blessing in the Old Testament meant to give a set of words “to speak well of another person” or “to provide with power for success or prosperity.” Be a blessing on and offline.

© Abbreviated from 10 Best Decisions a Graduate Can Make by Pam and Bill Farrel (Harvest House), Released date March 2012. Order at www.Love-Wise.com.

[i] http://www.mirnabard.com/2010/04/99-favorite-social-media-quotes-and-tips/

Bill and Pam Farrel are international speakers and authors of over 35 books including best selling Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti. Free relationship articles and other books and resources like Pam’s newest 52 Ways to Wow Your Husband can we found at www.Love-Wise.com