Social Media… Keeping your Account “Wholesome”

**Please know that I am NOT trying to accuse anyone of doing these things. I am trying to give some tips on keeping a wholesome account that God (and your parents) would approve of**

Today, I am here to talk about the pros and cons of social media. Social media is great in so many ways, but it also destroys us. Social media is a way to follow our favorite celebrities and DM (Direct Message) our friends. We get to see what our friends and family are doing, but what we don’t realize is that while we are doing this, an hour has passed. And then two hours. We get so caught up in looking down at a screen when we should be looking up, and be in the moment. I am not saying that no one should have social media, just that we can try to be more aware and limit our time.

I for one, would never stop looking at a screen if it weren’t for my parents having to take the device from me. Everywhere you look at least one person is looking at their phone. Next time you’re eating out, look at how many people are on their phones instead of enjoying good old fashioned conversation and interaction. Back in the “olden days” phones weren’t invented yet. I’m sure if my generation lived in that era, we would have been completely fine without phones or devices because we didn’t need them. Now, the world revolves around our phones. Am I right? The world should revolve around God, who is way more real than the content on our phones. We get easily sucked into the world of Social Media without even noticing. 

This is why my parents have decided not to give me a phone yet. They don’t want me to be like that and I don’t want to be like that either. Yes, I have other devices and have experienced them being taken away (along with the Social Media). I realized that after a while, I was completely fine and could actually go a little bit longer with out any devices. 

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Pros of Social Media-

• Contacting friends & family
• Seeing what friends & family are doing
• Browsing for some ideas (room decor, etc.)
• Stalking celebrities (We’ve all done it!)

Cons of Social Media-

• Inappropriate posts
• Distraction from the present
• Posting pictures that make yourself seem “more appealing”
• Causing you to think that certain things are “cool” when in God’s eyes, it’s not

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The list can go on and on. The one thing I noticed while making this “Pros/Cons List” is that I came up with the cons much faster than the pros. Additionally, I could have easily added a lot more to that list. This tells me that I need to stand firm in my faith and post things that God, our main “approver,” gives two thumbs up towards the pictures that I want to post. It is very easy to get caught up in certain poses or attire that you would have never worn before. Here are a few ideas to keep your account(s) wholesome:

1. Maybe choose to have a private account so that friends and family are your only followers.
2. If you have a public account and don’t want a private one, that is totally fine. Just make sure God (and your parents) approve. 
3. Also make sure your parents are following you. This way they can see all of your posts. This will help keep you accountable of what you post. If your parents don’t know that you have an Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc, make sure they are aware. If you know your parents are seeing your posts, you most likely wouldn’t post something they wouldn’t approve of. 

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Storytime (this is a true story):

One time, a dump truck hit the power line in front of our house which connected to dozens of other houses. We were without cable for two weeks. That means no WiFi and no TV. At first, it was absolutely miserable, but after we got the cable fixed, it was weird watching TV again. That sounds crazy, but it’s true. Yes, the first week or so was so horrible that I was forced to read a book (all day). Okay, not the entire day, but you get what I mean. I started to truly interact with my family and spend so much more quality time with them. 

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Trust me when I say this, you will start to want to make every post “Instagram Worthy.” Meaning we start to change ourselves to become appealing to our followers (and potential followers). What I always do is before I post anything, I say to myself, “Would my parents approve of this? Would God approve of this? Can this be misunderstood? Am I seeing this picture in its entirety? Will I be ashamed/embarrassed if my parents want to have a “sit-down” conversation about this picture?” These questions are important to ask yourself because posting certain things will change your image. It will change the way your close friends and family see you and it will change the way you see yourself.

Maybe this is you. If so, I encourage you to try deleting the one app that you spend the most time on (A social media app, not Text, FaceTime, Email, etc.). Try it for at least 5 days and maybe you will want to take more time off. It’s up to you! Here are some examples: Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

There is actually a way to see your most used apps. Here is how- (on Apple Devices ONLY)

Go to your Settings App. Now, scroll down until you see “Battery.” Click on it. Towards the bottom of your screen, it will show you your “Battery Usage.” (It may take a second or two to load) You can see your most used apps by percentage. You can choose to see your most used app(s) in the last 24 hours AND the last 7 days. 

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I hope you enjoyed this and will try deleting your most used app. Have a blessed day!

xoxo, Madison 💕