Facebook's Greatest Hits: Someone To Watch Over Me

Welcome to week two of my Facebook Friend Challenge. If you've been with me all along – thanks, and move on to the next paragraph. If you’re just joining us, we’ve been thinking about social networking practices, and noticing that how we operate confirms recent research, which says we get out of social networking what we bring to it. This research has also found, however, that what many people bring to social media is a growing feeling of disconnectedness. We’ve thought about how we, who call ourselves Christ’s, are also called to bring light and hope to the world. We have asked the question, "What do we bring to something like Facebook?" We’re looking to make a difference, even on Facebook, and using Jesus’ example to guide us.

Last week, we thought about looking beyond the image people project, not comparing our lives to others, and generally keepin’ it real. This week, we’ll go deeper into how we might better support each other.

 Photo by Melissa Rose 

Jesus spent the majority of His time with His closest friends, serving them, teaching them, listening to them, and encouraging them. Sure, Jesus had thousands of followers, and hundreds of disciples. But the Bible gives the impression that He saved the best of Himself for twelve guys, one of whom He knew would ultimately betray Him. 

Consider these facts: 

On Facebook, commenting on a friend’s status actually creates a greater sense of connectedness, for both of you, than hitting the like button - yes, people have researched this. A robot could hit the like button. It takes a real friend to make a thoughtful comment based on mutual affection. Being able to act on your friends' updates is especially great. For example, if a friend posts a request for prayer, don’t just tell them you’ll pray. Try to stop and pray for them – and then let them know you did. Finally, realize that Facebook is set up so that the people who post the most are the ones that show up front and center on your home page. If you haven’t seen a friend’s post for a while, they may be on vacation in Belize, or they may be taking a break from the social network – more power to them! But it’s also possible that they aren’t doing well and need to hear from a real friend. It’s easy to take a peek at their wall, or better yet, give them a call, and check in.

In light of the above, and Jesus' example, I’ve been wondering – how many people in a social network can each of us emotionally invest in without spending our entire lives staring at a screen? I’m talking primarily here about personal Facebook use, not professional networking (and we all know the difference…right?) From what I can tell, my friend from Junior High (who I’ve mentioned in previous posts) actually seems to be able to take care of his 998 Facebook friends much to their satisfaction. Ditto with my niece and the many followers of her photographic posts. Don’t ask me how these two I’ve mentioned do what they do – it’s just important that they do it.

Me? I’ve been on Facebook for a couple of months, now. I made a few friend requests. Mostly, I’ve just been experimenting with how many people find me through my maximum privacy settings and minimal profile information (because that’s how I roll). My friends are adding up, and I will soon hit my limit. Only you know how many people you can and should maintain meaningful contact with – but I think it’s important to consider it.

Facebook Challenge, Week Two: Think of a friend who hasn’t posted for a while. Find out what’s going on with him or her. If your friend is having a hard time, hang out with them, on the phone or in person, until they feel better. Alternate Challenge: If it’s been a while since you left more than a thumbs up or a smiley face, take some time and comment on your friends’ posts. Your comments must be more than one word – “nice”, “great”, “cool” don’t count.  “Love it” – one of my personal favorites, is also an automatic disqualification.