Social Media and Spending

I have noticed a direct correlation between the time I spend on social media and my desire to spend money.

Social media feeds discontentment. It draws your attention to all that is new and shiny and “good”. It preaches to you that if you had that too, life would be better. We are literally targeted by ads, and yet act as if we are immune.

The Bible warns about protecting our eyes, yet we are far too loose with allowing them to lust over small screens with flashing colors.

I enjoy social media. There is value to having an outlet for the creativity instilled in us from our Creator. We are designed to celebrate beauty. There is a gift to being able to share bits of our lives with others, no matter the distance, and find community with shared experiences.

But social media is filled with poison. The entire concept is designed to seduce and suffocate the consumer. Social media feeds off of our insecurities, fuels our discontentment, and steals our time. It is an addiction.

I will be honest, I struggle with my own relationship with social media. I love the creativity of pictures. I love viewing my own content as a little photo album of my life. I love celebrating life. I want to glorify God through my blog, and part of that includes sharing that in spaces where people might read it.

But I also have been growing more and more conscious of the impact it has on my days. I want to be careful to make sure I am the one holding the leash, not the other way around.

I haven’t solved this riddle. I can see the value in completely removing myself from social media, and I also feel the calling of the Lord to use my voice, in which case, I want to steward the platform He gives me - no matter its size.