Here we are, almost halfway through the month of December, a
couple weeks into Advent, and so close to Christmas you can almost count the
days on two hands…how are you feeling? At peace, at rest, and prepared to
celebrate the true reason for the season? Or do you find yourself overwhelmed,
overstressed, and overloaded? Do you log onto Facebook each day and find
yourself deflated, demoralized, and just asking yourself how everyone in your
newsfeed seems to have more than you and do more than you…and you log off
feeling bummed out? Don’t do it! I invite you to revisit the way you are using
Facebook this Christmas season…or the way it’s using you! Here are three tips
to help make Facebook work for YOU this Christmas season!
1.
Clean Up Your Newsfeed
Are certain “friends” blowing up your
newsfeed with drama? Do you find yourself obsessing over one person’s constant
updates about her great cooking skills, extravagant vacations, and general
together-ness? Do you feel depressed, inadequate, and ineffective as a human
being after viewing certain people’s status updates? Why are you torturing
yourself? For Pete’s sake, just hide their updates from your newsfeed! If you
feel like bumming yourself out someday, go ahead and look them up. But save
your sanity and get that negativity out of your face. Flip this around. Are
there certain Facebook friends who always seem to inspire you, brighten your
day, or make you laugh? Be sure to like their posts often; this will make them
show up regularly in your newsfeed.
2.
Be the Good You Wish to See on Facebook
You know those people who drive you crazy
on Facebook? The ones who post 10 duck-face selfies a day…the ones who
vague-book about something mysterious going on, waiting for someone- anyone- to
ask what’s wrong…the ones whose posts make them sound absolutely perfect in
every way…Don’t be that guy! Take a moment to scroll back down through your own
wall posts over the course of the last month, and apply the preschool
think-before-you-speak test to your posts. On the whole, do most of your posts
meet the following five criteria:
T-
Is it true?
H-
Is it helpful?
I-
Is it inspiring?
N-
Is it necessary?
K-
Is it kind?
Ok, unless you’re really into image
crafting and you’re trying to make yourself over into a nicey-nicey fake
version of yourself, you’ll find that there are times you just want to vent a
little bit and be snarky on your Facebook wall. But this idea still sticks- are
you spewing hate and rage all over your wall, or are you looking for a little
camaraderie and laughter from some folks with common issues? Give an honest
look at what you’re putting out there, and if you don’t like what you see on
your own wall, make a change.
3.
Add God to Your Newsfeed
This is the best strategy I can offer to
bring you peace and perspective via social media this Christmas season: if you
are looking for a way to put God at the center of your life this Christmas, get
to Him on Facebook! He doesn’t have His own page, but there are plenty of
faith-based pages out there that can point you to Him every time you pop onto
Facebook.
Like the following pages:
Once you add these to your “Like”
list, you’ll find that every few posts in your newsfeed are suddenly sprinkled
with scripture, inspiring quotes, printable verses, and POSITIVE Christian messaging.
Even if your newsfeed still has the kinds of posts that make you wonder, "What am I doing wrong that I can't be more like THIS guy?" At least those thoughts will be tempered by thoughts of "What can I do to be more like THIS Guy?" :)
Now click back over to your Facebook page, and get to work:
make Facebook work for YOU this Christmas!