10 Questions for Exploring the Implications of Social Media

Here are some questions to help Christians explore the implications of social media – these are my ten so far. I would love to hear what you think – either in answer to any of the questions, or suggestions for other questions. Respond in the comments below.

1. How would you describe your personal use of social media? (are you a social media fan or skeptic?)
2. Is social media is making you or your society less sociable or more sociable, why?
3. Read Nicholas Carr’s article, ‘Is Google Making Us Stupid?’ (The Atlantic, July/August 2008). Do you think Google – and social media in general – is making us stupid or not, and why?
4. To what extent do you think that social media can bring about genuine social transformation? Or is it just a placebo, breeding a new generation of “slacktivists”? (See the video “Social Media for Social Change.”)
5. Is it possible for a public figure to have private Twitter and Facebook accounts? Why, or why not? What is the relationship between our private lives and public profiles?
6. In your experience, has the church taken a positive “early adopter” attitude or a more negative, reluctant “luddite” mentality to social media (see the video “The Church and Social Media”)? How do you think the church should respond?
7. What are the best examples you have seen of the church using social media well?
8. How can social media help the church to engage in a more global conversation (see the video “The Church and Social Media”)?
9. Why do you think the use of social media has such a polarizing effect on different christian leaders and thinkers?
10. The apostle Paul explained how he became “all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). What should the contextualisation of the church look like in a digital age?

You can read some more on Krish’s blog.

Photo credit: © Eric Fischer. Used under a Creative Commons (CC-BY-2.0) licence.