Are you a Christian Leader Ambivalent About Social Media? Perhaps you should be more respectful.

So in the first post of this series I laid out the three most likely positions when it comes to social media platforms. And number two was ambivalence.

Not really into it, but you've maybe got a social profile on a platform or two.

Which ultimately can become quite a disrespectful stance to have. Just like any social situation, there are rules to abide by on social media platforms. And one of the key rules that enables social media platforms is that you need to be social.


Whilst there is a danger for high users of social media platforms to become primarily self focussed and narcissistic, there is another danger for the ambivalent user of social. That is to become someone who is present, but is really never there. Like a drifter through a party who is happy to walk through and look on at all the going ons, but never engage a conversation. But in the instance of social, the voyeur becomes even more invisible.

This may not seem like a big deal. And it can work. So long as you never want to begin to engage in a true moment of need. Just like any social situation trust is built over time.

Tweet: If you're on social media, but not engaged, you're not going to be building any level of social media capital or trust.

In other words, you're not building any online relational bonds, that enable you to engage when matters become serious.

Like any friendship, a lot of the relationship is built together in the good times. And it's that foundation that enables engagement in the tough times. To share words of comfort. To share words of encouragement. To share words that exhort a new view of life. You have to have been genuinely involved with people. That like of the photo from the beach. That comment marking a special occasion. That shared post that's just so uplifting for everyone else. Social media is a powerful extension of our ability to grow and continue to build relationships.

Yes often times, there will be face-to-face contact as a basis for online social connection. But the offline relationship can be altered as well. By the lack of online connection or by the extent of the online connection.

Social media platforms are not a fake way of growing and building relationships. They are just a different way. Sure there are pitfalls. But, remaining an ambivalent user ultimately says that you don't really care about this different way of engaging relationally. Something you don't want to communicate to those who know social media is now part of the water in which we swim.

Have you ever felt a relationship change because you've failed to engage through social platforms? Perhaps you've experienced a positive change due to getting more engaged? I'd love to hear if you've experienced this before.