I’m growing increasingly disenchanted with social media.
Maybe I’m just getting old, but it now seems that even Christians and conservatives are always complaining about some bogeyman or constantly painting themselves as the victim, creating villains out of those they don’t like rather than simply living out God’s truth and making a difference in real life.
The hyperbole they peddle is getting easier to fact-check. The hatred they spew is clearer to see. The lies they weave are easier to disentangle. The negativity is downright depressing, and I’m honestly exhausted by it all.
I’m tired of perpetually-offended conservative and Christian commentators sitting in their ivory towers, baiting people with emotionalism. I’m tired of them saddling their followers with their own opinions and calling it “discernment.” I’m tired of them feeding people’s addiction to self-righteous outrage and fear because it serves an algorithm. I’m tired of their selective finger-pointing, calling out everyone but those in their own camps.
I’m tired of not knowing who to trust. I’m tired of the bickering when both sides are wrong. I’m tired of being one of the very few that care about truth rather than political or spiritual brownie points. I’m tired of the anger, frustration, and division growing more and more like a monster whose appetite cannot be satiated.
I will not use God or His Word as a pedestal simply to look down on others. I will not proclaim people un-Christian because they have stricter or lesser standards in gray areas. I will not continue to assume the worst in others just because they are still being sanctified. I will not draw lines where God does not. And I will not use my platform to grow my own audience at the expense of their sanity and their humanity.
I will be thankful.
I will be faithful.
I will be joyful.
I will never not speak the truth. I will never not seek the truth. But I do not have the capacity to be consumed with what everyone else on earth is always doing wrong. I cannot and will not sift through the echo chamber of rage tweets just to possibly discover one mangled scrap of truth.
Social media is not the be-all and end-all of conservatism or Christianity, and there is certainly more to it than pushing “post” on every possible trending topic just to keep our engagement up.
“Owning the libs” and winning arguments online is a poor substitute for a life well lived, and winning on social media cannot replace winning in real life. I cannot close my eyes and pretend that social media warriors are the only ones fighting the culture war, or that the internet is the only place it is being fought.
Every single one of us can make a difference in our own communities if we do what’s right and stand up for what’s right, but what right things are we standing for if we are stuck in a never-ending cycle of reaction instead of action? What are we conserving by only being anti-left? If we can’t stop obsessing and arguing with each other online, how will we ever get anything good accomplished? And there is so much to yet be accomplished in our great country.
It is up to you and me.
Let us be the ones who lead with love — love for God, our country, and our families. Let’s not let social media determine our attitude towards each other and towards the truth. Let’s not allow blue check commentators to tell us what to be outraged about every day of our lives. Let’s take back the control that social media has on our society so that we can actually work towards a better future.
Stop letting people on either side tell you what to think or how to live. You control your own life. This is America after all, and every one of our days are given to us by our Creator.
Go outside, breathe some fresh air, and then come back in and count your blessings. Serve your family with love, do your work with integrity, extend your heart and hand to your friends with generosity, and lead your community with courage and humility and faith. Make a difference where you are every day.
Let’s start living our lives being the citizens our country needs and the Christians God calls us to be. When we do so, maybe, just maybe, we will see a glimmer of hope on the horizon because, in our hearts, we know that what we do in our real lives is infinitely more important than what we say on social media.
Lauren is a wife, mother, and writer with a passion for boldly speaking truth. Writing and speaking for over a decade, Lauren has reached millions worldwide. She is known for her Biblical approach to controversial topics and humorous approach to counteracting the lies of the world. You can find her on twitter and Instagram at @laurendemoss.
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