TVFG24 - Pst Okey

MESSAGE 2: THE YOUTH AND SOCIAL MEDIA

TEXT: Daniel 12:4, Ecclesiastes 7:29

Social media has proved to be an essential part of our daily routine. It has become a means to mold people’s lives and because of that, while it improvised human benefit, it also comes with a lot of danger.

Although, if it is harnessed well, it yields a great result.

POINT TO CONSIDER

POINT 1: THE ADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOW TO MAKE GOOD USE OF THE INTERNET AND ITS VITAL TOOLS.

POINT 2: THE TRAP OF SOCIAL MEDIA, ITS CONSEQUENCES, AND CONSIDERATION.

POINT 3: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO ACHIEVE OUR 3 FOLD VISIONS AND 10 BILLION SOUL MANDATE.

POINT 1: THE ADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOW TO MAKE GOOD USE OF THE INTERNET AND ITS VITAL TOOLS.

Social media offers us vast opportunities, how to advance, improve, and become better youth. We must learn how to navigate this platform wisely to have the benefits that are inherent in it and to maximize life.

MAJOR IMPORTANT ADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA

  1. Opportunity for growth: Wherever you are now, is not where God has determined for you. You need to go higher in all rounds, even socially and Intellectually, Proverbs 4:2 and 7. As a growing youth, there are keys you need in life.

Keys like:

  1. Knowledge.
  2. Understanding.
  3. Wisdom.
  4. It provides access to information and is a great resource. There are forms of information you need to enhance your academic performance. There are countless tutorials on the web and seminars, and you can learn practically anything on platforms like YouTube, etc. Develop new skills.
    In any discipline, you can use social media to improve.
  5. Networking and Collaboration: social media connects youth with like-minded individuals. Helps youth connect with colleagues that have the same orientation and believers like you. They share the same ideology. You can gain from each other.
    Networking is an important aspect of social media, and it leads to collaboration.
  6. Access to information: we all know that information is power. It gives us quick and easy access to quick updates. Like Google helps us stay involved.
  7. Entrepreneurship: platforms like TikTok help people market their products. It is a powerful tool for marketing and ensures it reaches a large audience.

Do not negatively use social media.

POINT 2: THE TRAP OF SOCIAL MEDIA, ITS CONSEQUENCES, AND CONSIDERATION.

While social media has the positive side, it also has the negative aspect.

These traps include:

  1. Addiction and time wastage. So many people, unfortunately, are now addicted to social media.
    The challenge is in addiction.

Social media can be highly addictive, strolling through TikTok aimlessly.
The time you are meant to use to study your Bible, study your books, and do other activities, being addicted to social media has made people neglect responsibilities because of social media addiction.

  1. It also creates laziness: Missing out from real-life relationships. People are now married to their phones, without time for their loved ones and those who care about them.

These are some traps of social media.

  1. Comparison and low self-esteem: It often shows fake people’s lives causing us to compare ourselves to others and can lead to depression and anxiety. Not everything we see online is a reflection of reality. There are a lot of wicked people and manipulators.

Before accepting what you see on social media, it has to be sieved and compared with reality.

  1. Cyberbullying and mental health issues: people are being bullied and influenced by certain negative influencers. Cyberbullying and negative comments can influence mental health. Misinformation is also one of the traps of social media. There is a lot of false news and wrong content; scammers are full on social media. It is better to be discerning.
    You can use autopilot to check if any website is negative.
  2. Privacy. What you post can be misused, leading to theft or potential harm. There is information that is private and not for the world.
    Don’t expose your plans and actions. We must be careful of what we post on social media.

HOW TO OVERCOME SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCE.

Understanding how to navigate social media is crucial, the primary aim is to understand, Daniel 1:8
If you do not set a goal in dealing with social media, then you can go in for anything.

The internet has the power to destroy anybody, so be wise while using it. Know the site to use.

HOW TO SET GOALS.

  1. There has to be clarity and direction on what you want to achieve. Set clear goals instead of aimless strolling. Whatever you think is a function of what you see, hear, feel, and taste. Everybody here is a product of their thoughts. That is why you are always encouraged to study the Bible. Don’t expose yourself to dirty information on the net.
  2. Build a positive online presence: the content must challenge whoever sees it, Job 31:1 Know the site that cannot be visited. Whatever you are doing now, there is always an after-effect.
    So, you must be careful. Don’t post negative things, it should motivate.
  3. Time management: it is very important in life, Ecclesiastes 3:1-7, there is always a time frame for everything. To be great as a youth is a great privilege…
  4. We must understand that social media also helps us in skill development. Daniel 1:17, it is one thing to have a skill, another thing is to develop it and be a professional in it. Social media helps to advance this skill by setting goals. Youth can develop specific skills like Graphic design, digital marketing, and content creation rather than wasting resourceful time.
  5. Accountability: Youth can track their progress; it helps them learn from experience and make adjustments.

TIPS.

  1. BE SPECIFIC.
  2. BE REALISTIC. You know your capacity. So, don’t set goals you can’t meet.
  3. STAY POSITIVE.

POINT 3: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO ACHIEVE OUR 3 FOLD VISIONS AND 10 BILLION SOUL MANDATE.

As Christians, social media helps us spread the gospel and reach the soul positively. According to UN 2024, 8.1 Billion
Compared to the total number of internet
5.44 billion are accessing the internet.
This is important to consider as a means to accomplish our mandate and visions.

What we have is a strong tool to achieve this mandate and vision.
We should be an online evangelist..

HOW WE CAN ACHIEVE IT?
We should share scriptural content, and devotional guides through platforms like Facebook, TikTok, etc.

Join or start online Christian communities.
Influence others. Be a positive influencer by promoting decency, kindness, and faith.

Collaborate with other social media Christian creators.

Promote charity words.

Use hashtags and keywords. E.g., #Christianity, #Faith…etc, to reach out to a wider range.

These are the areas to maximize social media and ensure the gospel is reached all over the world.

Share our vision and mandate.

Social media is a powerful tool that can either build us up or bring us down, it is essential to know the importance and benefits and use it to our advantage. Stay grounded. Spread the gospel of Christ. Use it to glorify God.

You have a very strong tool in your life, and it cannot be allowed to waste, use it wisely.