5 Reasons Social Media Is Not A Healthy Habit

1)  Social media causes us to be selfish.
Even if we don't realize it at first, we are always more interested in how WE appear, how WE look to others, how others perceive US, and always needing to look OUR best.  Am I right?

2)  Social media causes us to be prideful.
Yes, you love how many likes you get on that Facebook post.  And you love the fact that you gained two followers today on Instagram.  And it's cool to see that over 50 people have seen your snap story.  You feel popular.  You feel liked.  You feel good.

3)  Social media distracts us.
It's a common sight to see people on their phones – whether while walking, eating, or visiting.  Why?  Is whatever is on your phone more important than investing in reality?  When we're bored, stressed or want to get our minds off of our own lives, we just tend to default to our social medias.  We want to distract ourselves from whatever is worrying us.  We find relief in watching, and scrolling through, others' lives.  And without even realizing it, we get our minds off our own problems by taking advantage of them…not on God's always ready, always willing, and always loving ears and arms.  Social media is so accessible and instant, and we use this as an excuse to not talk to God.  How horrible is that?

4)  Social media causes us to compare ourselves to others.
And when (not 'if') we find ourselves lacking in certain things, we beat ourselves up and strive to a standard of perfection that is worldly, not godly.

She's way prettier than I am.
She always posts the best pictures.
How can she always look so perfect?
He eats way healthier than I do.
He's always getting to travel.
Why can't I look that good in the morning?
My room is never that neat.

5)  Social media becomes our identity.
Separating your online identity from reality can be a bit of challenge sometimes.  Even when people try to be 'the same online as they are in person', this isn't always the case.  The more likes you get, the more important you feel.  We post pictures on Instagram in hopes that our followers will like and comment on them, and through that, we feed our ego and remind ourselves that 'Hey, it's okay.  Our followers like us.'  But how often do we turn to God for our worth and value?  Do we not go to Him for evaluation and identity anymore?  It's difficult to not base our significance on how many likes we get on our photos and posts or when our blogs don't receive as much attention as we thought it would or wish it did, when social media is the outlet for personal glory.

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I am not saying that social media is evil and we should delete all our accounts and apps.  Social media can be – and is – very useful and convenient, but I believe must be used in moderation.  I still have my blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, but am currently taking a sabbatical so have chosen to take a rest from using my social medias.  They were causing to be distractions for me and each of these 5 points could apply to my life in regards to them.

We can long for our popularity on social media to grow so that we can feel all sorts of good about ourselves, but the truth is, the hole in our heart that seeks fulfillment and value is a piece of our lives that only God can truly filly and satisfy.