Watch Your Tweet, Grandpa

There is no doubt that social media is a big part of our current culture.  To even a casual observer it would seems that is especially the case for teenagers.  A recent report from Pew Research confirmed the common held opinion; almost half (48%) of today’s teens admit to being online almost constantly.  It is not just teenagers who seem to be constantly engaged with their mobile devices.  The fondness for our mobile devices seems to span the generations.  I was not surprised recently to come up on a car whose driver was obviously pre-occupied.  That happens all the time.   I was shocked this time when the driver was an elderly woman who was texting behind the wheel.  That caused me to ask the question: what kind of example are we as older adults setting when it comes to our use of mobile devices?

Unfortunately it is not just the issue of the use of mobile devices while driving that troubles me.  I have to wonder what kind of image we are projecting through our posts on social media.  If Millennials and members of Generation Z have a negative view of older adults and the church is it because of the messages we are posting online.  Granted, most of us probably have a limited number of teen and young adult friends of Facebook, but that is not the point.  When we use social media as a platform to voice our personal opinions on social, political or spiritual issue are we reinforcing the negative feelings that young folks have of older adults. 

I recently read an online article by Impact 360, the ministry that has partnered with the Barna Group to produce the most recent profile of Generation Z.  The article posed the question: What are the behaviors being modeled for the next generation on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms?   The author included some scriptural references that caused me to think:

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Col. 4:5-6)

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Eph. 4:29)

It is important to remember it is “Social Media” not a political platform.  Facebook, Twitter and the other forms of social media are tools that should be used to keep people update on our lives and to build others up.