There are likely many more Facebook sins, but the
following four seem most obvious:
1. Self-glorification
It’s is all-too-easy to go from simple,
honest sharing (which is quite innocent) to image-creating and
impression-making (which is not). Posts guilty of self-glorification have an
air of falseness to them. Not that they are inherently false. One might be sharing something that really happened, but it’s all
tailored to create a particular impression.
The motives behind such falsehood are
probably numerous, but it seems that one in particular predominates: social
competitiveness. The desire to feel superior has long marred human interactions,
and Facebook seems to amplify its ugliness.
To identify the sin of self-glorification
in oneself, it’s helpful to ask: Do I post in a manner that is aimed at
creating a certain impression? Or, do I count the number of “likes” I get from my
posts, and do I ever compare those numbers to other people’s posts? A “yes” answer
is a sign that one has given in to the sin of social competitiveness.
2. Hatred
If, after reading the above, you
say, “Yeah, I hate people who glorify themselves!”, you may struggle with the
second sinful use of Facebook: hatred. Even if hatred toward others is never
expressed, it is undoubtedly still sinful.
Ultimately, those who glorify
themselves and those who hate them for doing so are playing the same game. Each
wants to feel superior to others. The self-glorifying seek that feeling through
posts that put their supposed superiority on display. Meanwhile, the hateful
seek the same feeling by thinking ill of anyone whose posts bother them.
To identify the sin of hatred in
oneself, ask, Am I frequently angered by other people’s posts? Do I look down
on or speak ill of what other people have shared? A “yes” answer to either
question is a potential sign that one’s Facebook use is tainted with hatred.
3. Lust
Another sinful use of Facebook is
lusting after others. Such lust may be sexual, in which one is lusting after a
person. Or the lust may be covetous, in which one is lusting not after the
person, but after his/her life.
Either way, perusing Facebook
lustfully is deeply problematic. Even if one is unmarried, lust is not innocent.
It is rooted in the objectification of a human being – that is, turning someone
who is made in God’s image into a mere object for one’s gratification.
To determine whether one’s use of
Facebook is lustful, the following questions may be asked: Do I frequently find
myself looking at a particular person on Facebook? Do I look far-too-long at
his/her posts, or do I think way-too-much about them? Needless to say, “yes” =
bad.
4. Excess
This is (sadly) the most widespread
sin of Facebook use. Excessive time spent on social media is not merely a
morally neutral folly. It is, rather, a terrible sin against God and against
human community.
If one takes seriously that God’s
greatest commandments are to love him and love one another, then the sinfulness
of excessive Facebook use becomes apparent. Put simply, love requires being
available to the beloved. But how often does Facebook make one unavailable to
others and to God?
While it’s difficult to say what
constitutes excessiveness, the following questions may help: Do I spend more
time on Facebook than in face-to-face interactions? Do I find it difficult to close
my computer or put down my phone, even when a real (as opposed to virtual)
person is near? Just as above, a “yes” answer is one from which we need to
repent.
One Last Word
Ultimately, in all these cases there is a violation of love.
If one cannot use Facebook in a manner that does not violate love, then the
following admonition should be heeded: “If your right eye
causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you
lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And
if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is
better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into
hell.” (Matthew 5:29-30) In other words, get thee off of FB.
Lastly, I found the following video helpful
in curing my own sinfully excessive use of Facebook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KskJgEwdFYc
