Thursday, January 15, 2009

Reflections on my Facebook Experience

I have enjoyed my month on Facebook and sense that it has been helpful. So, I plan to continue facebooking until I deem it unhelpful.

Here are a few random reflections:
1. Facebook is about people, not technology. I think I had this backwards in my mind.
2. I would never have been able to sit down and think of all the people from my past that I have found on Facebook. I forgot I knew so many people.
3. Facebook has helped me preach the gospel to myself. Knowing that I've got friends who have little or no gospel influence in their lives has helped me think about how to communicate the gospel to my own soul.
4. The status updates are a means of accountability. I must be honest with myself. I can't write, "Justin is aware of his need for a Savior," if I'm not aware of my need for a Savior.
5. I have ignored quite a few "friend" requests. I'm trying to keep my friend list to people who I actually know and have a relationship with. Although I'm delighted to have met a few friends through Facebook.
6. How in the world do people keep up with 500+ friends? Doesn't it just become meaningless at that point?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Justin-
Happy New Year!

I am glad to hear about your experience. On the comment about keeping up with 500+ friends, well, it is impossible. For me, I use facebook as an outreach for college ministry and I have "friends" that I do not know very well or at all, however, when I set up events for TRUTH, Sunday Bible Study, or other college ministry related activities, I can invite them personally. The one thing I do after each semester is go through and remove people. The other thing that I have found very useful with the status updates is that the students are very transparent in their updates and you can pick up on things about them and then try to minister to needs that they have intentionally or unintentionally communicated.

Oh, and I look forward to your status updates, they have been encouraging and convicting at times!

Thanks for being my "friend" on fb! ;)

The Taras' said...

LOL. I am glad that you didn't reject us as "friends". I feel a since of special-ness now. :) I have no idea how people keep up wiht so many folks on there. I only have like 4o and I can't keep up with them.

Its cool that you are sticking with it! Much better than most sites (ie-myspace)