a sign of the control it had over me . This control scared me and made me angry because I had willingly put myself in an unnecessary position to compare my insides to others ’ outsides , to be controlled by my appearance and people ’ s opinions , and to hurt others and myself with my comments , posts , or digital footprint . This unnerved me because it was a dangerous trap that had been disguised by an attractive , socially acceptable , and necessary staple of popularity .
After I deleted my social media accounts , I began to notice how other teenagers my age were trapped in the same digital world that I was . I wanted to understand why this was happening . What exactly are we as a society risking with the constant attachment to our screens ?
We are risking both practical and emotional problems by our screen habits . Social media and the internet are very recent inventions , which means studies are just now emerging about the
Every scroll of my thumb brought a new judgment , comparison , or observation that was followed by a feeling of either self-righteousness or self-degradation .
physical and psychological effects they have on us . Studies have shown that looking down at a phone for an entire day has the same effect on the spine as carrying an eight-year-old or four adult sized bowling balls on your neck . “ Neck muscles , in their proper position , are designed to support the weight of your head , about 10 to 12 pounds ,” Dr . Bolash , a pain specialist at the Cleveland Clinic said . “ Research shows that for every inch you drop your head forward , you double the load on those muscles . Looking down at your smartphone , with your chin to your chest , can put about 60 pounds of force on your neck ( health . clevelandclinic . org ).
Furthermore , studies show that when your phone receives a notification , a small dose of serotonin , the neurotransmitter responsible for happiness , shoots through the brain , causing a small high . Psychologically , “ new research suggests that comparing yourself with others on Facebook is more likely to lead to feelings of depression than making social comparisons offline ” ( psychcentral . com ).
These growing risks show that due to the internet ’ s short existence , we cannot foresee the amount of risks involved in something we have integrated so deeply into our lives . If this is true , should we not treat our national “ epidemic ” more seriously ? These risks combine to show that we are raising generations addicted to potentially harmful devices .
Children are growing up without privacy as their parents digitally document every moment from birth on — sometimes even before birth . Speaker , author and cyber expert Tyler Cohen Wood explains , “ Children now have an entire life history , down to the pregnancy announcement before they were born , on social media . The ramifications of this can be far-reaching ” ( Care . com ).
Teenagers own an all-access pass to bullying , sexting , and pornography because even the most strict parental controls can ’ t fully block every vulgar website , TV show , post , or profile on social media apps . Kids also observe parents obsessing over their own social media — texting during dinner , or checking twitter while driving . Children conclude that , like their parents , they need validation from a virtual world in order to be accepted . We are fostering a generation that lives through a rectangle in their hand and believes that they cannot live without it .
With all of this being said , the true problem here is a heart problem , not a device problem . The smartphone and its apps are not inherently evil . In fact , used correctly and in moderation , these are beneficial devices that cultivate education , connection , and community . In a world where people seldom journal , social media can act as a way to document our lives — as something to look back on years down the road . Social media can also produce confidence in young people as they share their thoughts , feel heard , and project themselves to others . Digitaltrends . com said “ there ’ s universal agreement on one thing : [ social media sites ] promote both honesty and openness . It seems people really enjoy being themselves , and throwing that openness out there for all to see .”
I have experienced these successes firsthand . I have seen new sides of people through Snapchat that I never would have seen before , which grew our friendships . I have seen others longing to be more authentic in their profiles in order to combat shallow connections . Despite these significant positives , people are often grateful for opportunities to “ unplug ”. Why is it that every time we leave our phones behind for a weekend , or a week , or a month , we feel set free for that time ? We rave about how beneficial it was to our heart and soul , but then we go straight back to them without skipping a beat .
Our hearts are crying out for relief . As we spend day in and day out trying to control our image , we grab it and hold it in a fist , unwilling to let it go and give it to Jesus . Even those without any accounts , like myself , struggle with image control by posting nothing . Therefore , eliminating social media from life isn ’ t the perfect answer either .
Instead , we must each address our hearts and our approach to our phones . Jesus said in Revelation that he has come “ to make all things new ” ( Rev 21:5 ). That includes our image and how we try to present it . So maybe we can take part in bringing redemption to the digital world together . We are called to be in this world , but not of it . Maybe that means we are called to be a people who bring redemption to a technologydriven world . Maybe it means putting our phones away , looking up , and being wholly present wherever we are . Maybe it means deleting our accounts altogether . Maybe it means sharing the words of Jesus on our digital platform . Jesus said , “ let your yes be yes and your no be no ”, so maybe living out the gospel means communicating full truths on our profiles , not half-truths , or the best versions of ourselves .
As we go forward , learning to navigate our technological lives , let us be mindful of our heart problems , celebrate others who overcome , and encourage one another to be image bearers of Jesus by cultivating one of the greatest skills of our time : using social media with grace , confidence , moderation , and love . And as we do , may we remember that the “ greatest of these is love .”
Anne Florence was chosen from among a pool of candidates who submitted a 1,500-word essay to a panel of CPA faculty judges on the topic , Life Through a Screen : The Benefits , Risks , and Wounds of Social Media . The criteria included insightfulness , potential impact on listeners and peers , balance , humility , and gospel-infused beauty .
The panel of judges then submitted the top three essays to Pastor Scott Sauls and the CPC Public Forum Team for the final selection .
As the winner , Anne Florence served as a speaker at the Life Through a Screen Forum and received a $ 300 prize .
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