Facebook Fix

Carl G. Jung, one of my favorite theorists, said this: “Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” I could very well substitute the last word in his quotation with the word “Facebook,” and the statement would still read true. Facebook has become a form of modern day addiction that is belittled because of its subtleness. Nevertheless, just like morphine or dope, the results are disastrous.

Facebook is indeed a wonderful social hub with lots of benefits. It allows friends and family to connect/reconnect. It’s a great source of advertising and delivering messages such as the good news of Jesus Christ; making it perfect for ministering. It’s also a High-tech pen pal that provides a great platform for meeting and keeping in touch with people. Yet, these very advantages can become disadvantageous factors.

When the motive for logging in changes from the occasional socializing, there’s a problem.

The place that brings people together can become the place that stalkers use to cross boundaries. Persistently checking to see an individual whereabouts, as well as status and photo updates is creepy! What’s even creepier is always commenting and constantly sending messages.

Facebook also becomes the camouflage for those nosy meddlers and gossipers, who hide under its covering to eagerly scope out “juicy details” in order to make mischief and start discriminating rumors.
Then there are those who insist on always logging in—or who never logs out—in order to record every single detail of their lives. They post how long they’ve slept, what they’re having for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the clothes they’re wearing, where they’re going, and when they’re coming back. (Making it easier for stalkers if I might add!)

The worst kind of Facebook junkies are those who get their fix from constantly posting everything just for the kicks of getting “Likes.” They’ll go wild taking selfies at every location, in every angle imaginable, so they can upload it and count how many people hit the like button. Scouring the internet and message boxes for cute pics, sassy slangs, and outrageous videos becomes a full time job. The only pay-off is generating more likes.

Addiction is a form of obsession; it destroys free-will and robs self-control. The Bible says in 1 John 2:16, “…the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.” We need to guard our hearts less we make Facebook an idol. If we spend most of our time every day on the website with the big blue “F” icon, we need to get our priorities straight. It’s time for a spiritual intervention if we can’t seem to function without getting our daily Facebook fix. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).