Let's face it: Facebook is a social tool. What we do with it, shows the deepest corners of our hearts, whether we admit it or not.
I've only ever "blocked" someone from Facebook less than a handful of times. Each time, it's been because this person was using their Facebook as a weapon (against me or against someone else). I've never been sure why they thought it was appropriate: Saying and doing things that amount to a sort of bullying. It's possible, I suppose, they just disliked me or wanted to humiliate me publicly. I always assume the former. Because there are real life consequences to unfriending and blocking someone.
But, for lots of folks, Facebook is a social weapon. They used status updates to tell folks about their own status anxieties as well as scores from other relationships. They've used their comments to make fun of others or bash ideas with which they didn't jive. They used Facebook as a weapon, which is one of the many ways someone can use their social network profiles.
There are, of course, other ways one can use Facebook. Some use it as a diary. Emotions are important, no doubt. For some people, though, their emotions are so important that we would all be remiss if we didn't know how every event of every day was. These friends of mine, and many of them truly are my good friends, post personal information that they'd honestly be embarrassed if someone tried to use as a conversation starter. "I saw on Facebook today that you wanted to kill someone. How'd that go?"
Facebook as a diary can no doubt be funny, but it can also be offensive. Folks can see it as a reason to block you -- or, at a minimum, remove you from their feeds. So, in the immortal words of Ice Cube, we should "check ourselves before we wreck ourselves".
(Related to this use of Facebook, I think, is the cry for help. We all know this sort all too well.)
Others use Facebook as a soapbox. I know I do occasionally. After all, the things we care about with our lives will shine on something so personal as Facebook. But, as I've discovered, two things are bound to happen with this soapbox use of Facebook. First, you'll win followers. Like-minded people who "like" certain posts and not others. You may even get outstanding numbers of "likes" for certain things (for example, blog posts). But, secondly, you'll also isolate people you care about. While you may be a Republican who loves your guns, not everyone is. So, prepare for scathing comments and even a few people unfriend you. As I've told any number of preaching students: Preach wisely, for it will define you.
Still others use Facebook as their photo album. Want to see my babies on a horse? In the pool? What about on an inflatable horse in a pool? What about on a real horse in an inflatable pool? Let's not forget my baby wearing sunglasses. Or while riding a goat. Or while punching my throat.
Yeah, you know this sort, too.
Who am I kidding? I am this sort.
Others will use Facebook as marketing. Want to join my new business with Arbonne? Or as comedy. Think of all those pictures I share to my wall.
And, if we're honest, nearly all of us use Facebook as attention-seekers.
And, if we're brutally honest, we've all done every one of these.
This, then, begs a question: How should Christians use Facebook?
My personal approach -- though I nearly always stray from this at some point -- is to use Facebook as a social tool. I try to use Facebook as a means for loving God and loving others. That doesn't mean posting just Bible verses, though. It doesn't mean sticking simply to religiously-themed posts, either. (Let's be honest again: Those get annoying ... fast.)
There's a helpful exercise I do every month or so, that helps ensure I'm largely doing this. I'll look back over the past couple of weeks (typically when my Norton Safe Web runs its magic over the contents of my wall) and watch how I've portrayed myself to my friends. Am I being the light of the world? Am I being the salt of the earth? Am I portraying myself and Jesus in such a way that's interesting enough to make Jesus interesting?
Because, if the research is correct, all this status anxiety is saying something about God, too. It's saying that our joy isn't full.
Ultimately, then, I think posting to Facebook should be seen a lot like having a public relations firm. For me, it's a social tool that's used to show Jesus. If it doesn't, I'm being a lousy ambassador.