** Whoops, currently being edited
Since the explosion of social media during the past few years, a particular question has unceasingly continued to cross my mind. Why is social media so popular and, dare I say, addictive? I've tried to make sense of it through my own personal reflection and experience. Since joining facebook around 7 years ago, I'd say that I've deleted my account a good 20 times--only to reinstate it, every time. And I know quite a few others who have done the same. So why can we count on sites like twitter, facebook, and blogspot to attract and (imprison) the online society? Please consider with me one possible conclusion.
Although at the moment I cannot find the exact quote that I am thinking of from John Piper's Desiring God, I'll never forget his point that our joy is multiplied when we are able to share experience with others. Consider the reason stories are told. If something particularly out of the ordinary happens during the day, a desire to share these happenings with another grows for the simple joy of hearing and sharing. A good story makes people happy--especially for the teller of the story. Joy is also had if there were a particular person who experienced that story with you, mutual bond is formed and can never die. (Memories.) Ultimately, my point is that joy is multiplied when people get to share their thoughts & experiences with others.
Secondly, upon reflection, I've decided that I think what people want most in life is to experience loving, self sacrificial care and engaging, thoughtful conversation with others. People desire community; God created them to desire it. People desire to share their experiences with other others; and they want them to care, self sacrificially.
My point? Society can be counted on to continue to post photos to facebook, update their twitter status, and describe their day on blogspot because they've found a way to share experiences with others. People want others to know "What they are thinking" or "What they are doing" because they want to have a voice, they want to be heard, they want to share and connect. Comments on a particular experience is a plus but whether others care or not--it's not an issue--once you hit "Publish," "Tweet," or "Post" the words are out there and available for others to read, and, ultimately, to care.
This is the reason social media has exploded. It has resonated with the deepest longings of the human heart--connection to other people, community.
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