The Christian & Facebook

Is the world obsessed with Facebook? Consider these staggering statistics.

* As of 2011, there are 500 million active Facebook users; that’s approximately 1 in every 13 people on earth. Half of them are logged in on any given day.
* 71.2% of the U.S. web audience is on Facebook. About 70% of the Facebook userbase resides outside the U.S.
* 48% of 18 to 34 year olds check Facebook right when they wake up. About 28% check Facebook on their smart phones before even getting out of bed.
* The 18 to 24 college-age demographic grew the fastest at 74% in one year.
* The 35+ demographic now represents more than 30% of the entire userbase.
* 48% of young Americans said that they got their news from Facebook.
* A record-breaking 750 million photos were uploaded to Facebook over New Year’s weekend.
* Facebook was the most searched term in 2010 for the second year running. “Facebook Login” and “Facebook.com” were the second and fifth most popular U.S. search terms in 2010, respectively.
* Combined, Facebook-related searches accounted for 3.48% of the top 50 searches of 2010; that’s a 207% jump from 2009.

In just 20 minutes on Facebook there are…
* 1 million links shared.
* 1,484,000 event invites.
* 1,972,000 friend requests accepted.
* 2,716,000 photos uploaded.
* 2,716,000 messages sent.
* 1,851,000 status updates.
* 1,587,000 wall posts.
* And 10,208,000 comments made.#

I think it’s safe to say that a large portion of our society and the world has become obsessed with Facebook. But is it a healthy obsession? The internet can be a fascinating tool. It can be used in a very productive and beneficial way. However, it can be just as destructive and just as detrimental to those surfing the web. Like a lot of things, we must be wise about using this resource. We must have our filter turned on. And we must be careful not to allow ourselves to become obsessed. Many of the 206 million internet users have been sucked into cyberspace to the point that they no longer live in reality, and Facebook is just one of the more popular sites that have consumed the individual.

Should a Christian be on Facebook? Yes, if they understand the proper usage. Yes, if they keep it in its proper perspective. Yes, if they use Facebook as a means to tell the world about Christ. No, if they allow it to control their lives. No, if they use Facebook in an unChrist-like manner. If a Christian is using Facebook to spread gossip, to slander, to lie, to post pictures that are clearly inappropriate, to have a cyber-affair, etc., then, NO, they shouldn't be on Facebook, or any other social networking site for that matter.

Facebook has become a god for some. The essence of idolatry is bowing down to something other than God; giving our allegiance to something that is not God. It’s not just about bowing down to a statue or worshiping a graven image. It’s allowing something else to take control of our heart. Few of us would ever think that our use of Facebook or the internet or video games, etc., could ever reach that level, but consider the amount of time and energy that is given to these things. Is an inordinate amount of time spent engaged in these activities, especially when compared to your personal bible study, prayer or even worship? Are you ignoring the will of God to devote time to these things? Generally speaking, how is your relationship with the heavenly Father? Are you giving the much needed time and attention to this most important relationship, or are you too entrenched in technological entertainment to foster an intimacy with God?

Another pitfall connected with Facebook concerns the honoring of our spouse. Perhaps the greatest benefit to Facebook is the fact that it allows one to reconnect with old friends. You can catch up, get reacquainted and talk about the good old days. It’s a wonderful tool when it comes to reestablishing relationships. But, like a lot of things, it can be abused. More and more individuals are having cyber-affairs on Facebook. Men are reverting back to their teen-age years and reconnecting with old flames. Women are flirting with men from their past. It’s an emotional affair. It’s an illicit relationship, just without the physical sex. The cyber world can be a barren wasteland. Sin is around every corner, and it has infiltrated Facebook. Some older men and women post very immodest and revealing pictures that border on pornography, all for the purpose of catching a wandering eye. Are you secretly looking for that old boyfriend or girlfriend? Are you already caught up in adultery through the sending of messages and photos? Are you being unfaithful to your spouse by using Facebook in this manner? If so, log out, deactivate your account, smash the computer into a thousand little pieces, do whatever it takes to be faithful to your God and to your spouse.

Is the allure of Facebook causing you to steal from your employer? All across this nation, employees are sitting in their cubicle, staring at a computer screen, but often what appears on that screen is not the work they have been hired to do. Countless employees are logging on at work, not so much to do their work but to shop online, to surf the web and, yes, to use Facebook. Many employees are not giving a full day’s work because they’re spending time at Farmville or posing as a Mafia Don or a sorority girl. Are you spending your hours at work or at play? If you’re spending work-time by playing on Facebook, how is that not stealing from the company? Are you not robbing your employer when they are paying you to do a job, but instead of doing that job you’re playing on the computer?

Are you lying on Facebook? Is the person you present on Facebook the real you? Are you being deceptive by selling yourself as someone you’re not? Some go out of their way to fool others and themselves into believing they are something that they’re not. It may sound and seem rather harmless, but lying is still a sin.

Are you gossiping on Facebook? Gossip saturates our society. Virtually everyone likes a juicy piece of gossip. Facebook allows the gossiper to get the latest rumor out even though they are unable to speak face to face with another. Don’t post things that should be kept private. Don’t post and re-post sensitive information. And don’t use Facebook as a platform to relay hear-say, half-truth or rumor. Like lying, gossip seems so harmless, but it’s still a sin.

Letting your light shine applies just as much to the cyber world as it does the world we live in. If, as a Christian, you’re going to use Facebook then understand the opportunity it affords you. How many of the 500 million active Facebook users in the world are Christians? My guess is the percentage is extremely low. That means Christians have a wonderful opportunity to show and preach Christ to others. And we must always remember that whether it be online or out in the real world, we represent more than ourselves. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom. 14:7-8). We are representative of the One we follow; therefore, everything we say, everything we do, everything we think, everything we look upon, everything we type, must reflect our identity.



# Facebook Statistics, Stats & Facts for 2011. Digital Buzz Blog. Jan 18, 2011. http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/facebook-statistics-stats-facts-2011/.