Welcome to social media, dear! Welcome to connecting with friends, sharing memories, swapping inside jokes, and learning more about your social community than you probably ever wanted to.
Not gonna lie, my gut reaction to having you join the millions on Facebook surprised me a little. Maybe its just the mama bear in me, but a small part of me worries about it for you. Everyone has insecurities, and guys are certainly included, but social media is a breeding ground and a platform for those insecurities. So, ok fine, I guess I can allow you to grow up. Sure, ok, wear the heels and the mascara. You’re not my baby sister anymore... although my mind’s eye still thinks of you as a freckle faced 8 year old romping around in the mud with a tu-tu skirt. But let me just give you a heads up on a few things you can expect from this strange, awesome world that we log onto every day.
People will tell you what is and what is not beautiful.
You will see articles saying that everyone is beautiful, that your weight makes you beautiful, that your hair, smile, and personality makes you beautiful. Articles saying that you should defy social norms, old school standards of beauty, and embrace your true self for whatever it is.
You will also see advertisements, gimmicks, profile pictures, collages, IG links, pinterest boards full of ways to make you be “THE VERY BEST THAT YOU CAN BE!!” Expect to be absolutely bombarded with hundreds of opinions of what beauty is and what it is not. Expect people to look way more put together in their cover photo than you will ever see in real life. Nothing is wrong with putting your best foot forward, but expect to feel the need to work at being beautiful. But don’t expect that pressure to come from me, your parents, or from the Lord. Your number of “Likes” or “Loves!” on that selfie is not a reflection of how beautiful you are- inside or out. How does God define beauty? How does God want you to reflect that beauty? Look for your affirmation to come from the only place that it can actually exist.
A Facebook post wont solve that for you.
A Facebook post may actually only confuse your definition of beauty.
PS Never doubt that when I look at you, all I see is the sweetness of your features,the care in your smile, a little sister that somehow grew up overnight and has always been a natural beauty. Don’t let them tell you anything else.
Oh, the dating game.
You will see relationship updates, fights, diamond rings, tears, and jealousy. You will see blogs, tweets, and comments that will try to define what a good relationship actually is. Facebook cannot be the meter that decides for you whether or not you are good enough, that he is good enough, or that “this relationship needs to happen!” Everyone, and I mean everyone, will have an opinion on everyone’s significant other. Expect this to only get worse as you get older, but don't expect a change in your relationship status to give you ultimate joy. I’ve seen it over and over again, and while relationships are good things, they are not the ultimate thing. Being listed as “single” doesn't mean that you are depressed, “in a relationship” doesn’t mean that you are happy, and having to change back to “single” doesn’t mean that you or that the relationship journey was a failure. Seek the Lord, serve Him with all of your heart and allow him to direct your paths. It’s a scary world when your most intimate relationships are on display for the world to see and to judge, but allow God to be the ultimate deciding factor, not what social media will say about you/ your relationships.
PS Facebook doesn’t need to know all of the mushy gushiness that is going on inside of your soul. Do all things with moderation ;)
Christians will disappoint you. And, thats ok.
You will disappoint yourself. You will either wish that you had said something, not said something, said something in a better way, etc. Just because other believers are making mistakes on social media does not mean that they are awful, it just means that they made a mistake. Choose to love your family in Christ- even when they post about Joel Osteen, nasty political stuffs, or just beat each other up in general. Be wise, be forgiving, be loving. Learn to keep your mouth shut :)
And, with that, you will see a million and two blogs about Christian living, the church, personal standards, hot topics, etc. Just because it is in black and white doesn’t mean that it’s true, but just because you’ve haven’t thought about it before doesn’t mean that it isn’t true. But, don’t let Facebook determine your theology (trust me, this happens a ton because it’s easy to do), don’t let a blog substitute personal study, and don’t let a well worded phrase make you flip flop on an issue. Study out the Word for yourself before you let a post do a 180* on your head.
The..... junk....
Ok, so, there is so much trash out there. Do your brain a favor and know when to stop reading, stop watching, stop scrolling, stop commenting, and so on. It amazes me what people decide to post, and just because they did doesn’t mean that you have to put it in your brain. Even the amount of stupidity that goes on does something to one’s sanity and overall mental health. Turn off the garbage, walk away from the ludicrous posts. On the flip side, don’t allow yourself to add to the abyss of disgusting, embarrassing, or “out there” Facebook posts. Social media really is a chill connection that doubles as marketing platform for your personal life. Think about it as an advertisement of your life. If you don’t want it advertised for the world, but just a friend or two, private message it. You can always act like a lady, and you should.
That only scratches the surface on the topic, but remember that we were friends long before Facebook said so. 
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