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The Dangers of Social Media (At Least For Me)

Most of you have heard me comment on how I believe social media can negatively affect some portion of our lives. But today I don’t want to talk about its effect on our schedules or our community. I want to talk about its effect on me. I took a week off, and you may or may not already know the reason.

For those of you unfamiliar with what I’m talking about or who just need a refresher course, I spent a couple of weeks blogging about a few less discussed spiritual disciplines that God has been using in my life this summer. We have had a few people read and comment on them. Then in the last blog, we had a few people respond with a disagreeing point of view. Now I don’t mind when people disagree with me, but I get my pride involved from time to time and get my feelings hurt the same as anyone. Most of the time I hold my tongue (or my typed response, as the case may be), but unfortunately that day I was careless. In fact I made the same mistakes I was accusing someone else of making. I posted a foolish tweet where I used strong words, calling names really. It was childish and irresponsible. But the thing is… unbeknownst to you, my loyal readers and followers, I AM childish and irresponsible some of the time. We don’t put that in the liner notes or in the media bio, but it is nonetheless a part of my life. I make mistakes. Big ones. And this particular one has made me look at my place in social media very closely this week.

I don’t know how much good my blogging or tweeting does. I don’t know if people are being affected by my poor writing skills and random thoughts. But I am quite sure that at least three people will never be affected by my words, music, or ministry again. I don’t know how to weigh the value of that. Is my offhanded comment going to make enough impact that I should risk the impact of the ministry that I have invested years of my life building and learning how to do? Does my blogging and tweeting really make people feel connected to my music and ministry the way my industry advisors tell me it does? Now, I don’t necessarily want you to respond about me personally. I just want you to think about these ideas, and then let me know what you think.

Social media gives us the opportunity to make very public mistakes. We have more opportunity to offend and hurt with our words than ever. Is that a good thing? I know we have more opportunity to do good as well, but does that actually happen? And honestly, aren’t most people like me, in that good words affect us a little, but hurtful words cut us deeply? Can one comment I make undo however many dozens of blogs I’ve written, however many tours I’ve done, and the five records we’ve released?

I’m not looking for your comfort or encouragement. I’d like you, as a part of the most socially connected generation ever, to walk through this issue with me. I’d like to hear your thoughts. I have already learned that I have to be more thoughtful and wise about what I write. And if any of you have ever been hurt by my words, whether this time or another, first I would like to ask your forgiveness. Second, I would like to hear from you as well. And I promise not to snap back at you this time. Especially not in 140 characters or less.

Thoughts?

Todd

Sep 06, 2011 54 Posted in Blog Tagged
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  • Troy Foster

    Keep singing Todd……you’ve not cut anyone’s ear off yet with a sword, nor sold the master for 30 shekels.

  • Wayne

    Hey, just read your blog. This is the first time I have read one of your blogs, so I am not familiar, and do not need to be familiar with all the details of what transpired. I just wanted to say, those that are in the spotlight may never know the impact, both positive and negative, they may have; but we are all going to make mistakes in this life, and these mistakes will leave some scars. What happened here is showing those that read the blogs and follow you how to handle it when we mess up. You said some things in public, and now you have apologized in public. This has as great if not a greater impact on peoples’ lives. To see how to handle mistakes and sins is of far greater value in today’s society than gold, I believe. Let me leave you with one final thought. As a king, David messed up big time on several occassions and yet God called him “a man after God’s heart”. I think the way you are handling this shows you are right where you are supposed to be (sorry I couldn’t help but to voice my oponion about you personally :) )

  • http://thelastminutetrainer.blogspot.com/ Pete

    Todd … I think those of us who choose to blog choose to put ourselves out there for examination. The deeper you try to go the greater the personal risk. Social media has become the new town square. In the old days, when someone misspoke in the town square they apologized and people accepted the apology knowing that it could have been them just as easily. One of the things I value about your music is that you often go deep. It is likely that you will find disagreement when you go deep. I stumbled on your blog today … good stuff. I think the idea of silence while listening for God is valuable and very much missing in our busy, ‘productive’ western culture. I find that when I’m listening I’m less likely to snap at someone (whether verbally or virtually) and more likely to find a better response (sometimes no response is the best one).

    There is too much shallow noise floating around the internet and the radio waves these days. I’d rather see us go deep and run the risk of stepping in it once in a while.

  • Carolyn

    I can’t seem to open a Pauline letter now without smiling. Loving that as a result of this dialogue, I am more keenly aware of Paul’s assurance of Who he represents and Who gets the glory and who he is not bothered at all about offending. I’m not trying to put you in his shoes. I didn’t witness the “offense”. All I’m saying is I find it a little funny that we get offended by the words of men. Are we reading the Word of God?

  • http://none Brigid

    Todd, the truth is not always pleasant. How many times does the bible show us this. Jesus is the the truth the life and the way . But He lost a lot of disciples speaking only truth. a perfect example is John 6 22-71. if we read the whole text, we see that many left him, because This is a particular hard teaching for many Christians and still is even today. But if Jesus is truth and we believe he is, we have to believe him, and if we can’t we pray for the grace to believe it. Our faith all comes from Him anyway. Reacting to their objections, just means you are human, and if you were perfect you would already be in His company,not ours. Some of the objections were pretty harsh, but I commend you for allowing them published. If Public speaking is our caling, it is always risky. So just keep approaching it in that context of good intentions, based in truth, that is all The Lord wants from us. This reminds me of Your cd “Better Questions has a song entitled “Don’t say a Word” I love this song. and it is so true. I don’t beleive you would ever intentionally speak an un-truth, Many leaders’ I have found speak their opinion and claim it as truth. but when put up against scripture it just doesn’t add up. But it is spoken anyway. I think if those same leaders would listen to this song, it would provoke their own discenment on what they lead others into. Pastoring is a HUGE responsibility, I beleive the pastoring you offer through your music and blogging is done through much prayer and keen discearment. So I trust you for it.
    I know your human, but I can see how you are trying to bring the good news of Jesus to others, even if it is a hard teaching to bring. so keep bringing it on brother. Thank you for that!

  • http://whatgoddoesforme.com Donna Sharp

    Todd,
    I recently felt led by God to start a blog, however I have refused to join facebook, text all the time, or participate in other forms of social media, because I felt its leaves way to much room for the adversary to misinturpret our words, expressions, and to hurt those who most need God’s Love. When we miss a text, we think they didn’t respond, if someone is to tired to post we feel ignored, if God gives me a word for one person and another one reads they might apply it to them. That’s why I felt I shouldn’t be involved but I am finding out however that being led by the Spirit of God doesn’t always mean tip toeing around worrying about what others think if he tells me to share. Fear of man and fear of offending each other has led us to a place of acceptance and luke warmness of things that God clearly says no too ! Jeremiah had to speak to those who bound him, put him in shackles, and eventually also put him in prision. Jesus clearly said we are to speak to the nations, go to the wilderness, and save the afflicted, I am learning I can’t do that if I am not involved in this social media wilderness. God is quite capable of taking disiplinary action of us individually if we say what we shouldn’t at least he does for me :) . Listen to him and your heart and then SPEAK TO THOSE WHO NEED US MOST !!!!! I TOO HAVE BEEN CALLED OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE !! BUT SO WAS JEREMIAH and many others. We can’t worry about offending each other it’s time to listen to the Holy Spirit and ask him to touch your lips with the coal and say what you are told. We must be that voice in the wilderness like John calling out to those lost sheep. He is coming call to him when you can be heard. You obiviously have been chosen to speak. I have offended others, but he told me I do not send you to a unintelligable people, be prepared they will not listen for they are rebellious but you are to go. So Todd, just like you, I am going….to the place where this generation is, and today that is here. Follow his peace whatever and wherever that leads, his peace, not the peace of this world. Be Blessed Beyond Understanding !!!!

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