Issue 3 2018 A Journal for Seventh-day Adventists in Military and Public Service SOCIAL MEDIA FRIEND OR FOE By Mario E. Ceballos, D.Min., BCC Director/Endorser, World Service Organization, Seventh-day Adventist Church n today’s world and as we helpful tool to get a job or lose one. continue to move into the future, It helps you get a college acceptance Isocial media platforms take a letter or get rejected. The problem more prominent role in information is not social media, it is how is used. distribution. They control how we Social media can help you be in the communicate with each other, the know, or the lack of it can isolate you delivery of education and news, and keep you in the dark. productivity improvement, health information, and more. There is THE FACTS also an abundance of information or Around seven out of ten Americans fake news, crime dissemination to (70 percent) use social networking include harassment, bullying, and sites such as Facebook, Instagram, decreased productivity. The reality Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. On is that the print media–news and social media sites, users may develop books–as well as radio and television biographical profiles, communicate are increasingly moving into the with friends and strangers, do electronic and online methodology. research, and share thoughts, photos, As with anything in life, there are music, links, and more.1 two sides to the coin–the good and the Opponents of social networking bad. Social media can build up your say that the sites prevent face-to- reputation or destroy it. It can be a face communication; waste time on 2 Perspective Table of 4 How’s Your Social Life? Contents 8 I Win, You Leave? 12 Just a Simple Click 14 A Full Circle Faith Journey 18 The Soldier Who Tried to Hide 24 NAD Director’s Thoughts 26 A Life of Faithful Service 27 Pacific Rim Frontline Report 2 PERSPECTIVE The problem is not social media, it is how is used. Social media can help you be in the know, or the lack of it can isolate you and keep you in the dark. frivolous activity; alter children’s media is also known to be responsible brains and behavior making them for jobs lost. more prone to ADHD; expose It is up to you. You need to use users to predators like pedophiles caution not only in what you post and burglars; and spread false and in social media, but also who you potentially dangerous information. A befriend in social media. Here are a study published in the journal Science couple of rules to follow. found that lies spread six times faster than the truth on Twitter, and “fake Everything you write on a news” is retweeted more often than computer, whether it is an email true news.2 or a post in social media, have Let’s look at the pros and cons of 1 the potential of going “viral” for social media. the world to see. It can never Law enforcement uses social media truly be deleted. Cyber-forensic to catch and prosecute criminals. experts can find it, even if you Seventy-three percent of federal, state, press the delete key and local law enforcement professionals surveyed believe “social media helps Everything you do, do for the solve crimes more quickly.”3 Glory of God. “Let your light Social media sites help students do shine before men; that they may better at school. 2see your good works, and glorify Social media sites help employers your Father who is in heaven.”5 find employees and job-seekers find work. Ninety-six percent of recruiters This issue of For God and Country is use social media in the recruiting dedicated to social media. We desire process. Eighty-seven percent use that you will learn from it and apply it LinkedIn, fifty-five percent use to your life. Facebook, and forty-seven percent 1 4 socialnetworking.procon.org use Twitter. 2 Social media can be your best Ibid. 3 friend or your worst enemy. It has Ibid. been said that the best friend of the 4 Ibid. divorce lawyers is “Facebook.” Social 5 Matthew 5:16, KJV ADVENTISTSINUNIFORM.ORG WORLDSERVICEORGANIZATION.ORG 3 HOW’S YOUR SOCIAL LIFE? By Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries Staff f you’re engaged with social media, In the United States during the you’ve probably done it at one 10-year period from 2008 to 2018, Itime or another. As you sat down personal social media profiles grew at your computer or picked up your from 10 percent of the population cell phone, you’ve thought, I’ll just to 77 percent using a profile.2 “The do a quick check of my Facebook page. number of worldwide social media Suddenly, you realize that quick check users is expected to grow to some 2.95 became a two-hour deep dive into the billion by 2020.3 lives and opinions of others. What do these impressive numbers According to We Are Social, more have to do with your social media than 4 billion people worldwide are use? Did you know that the Bible using the Internet. “Nearly a quarter speaks about using social media? It of a billion new users came online doesn’t mention Facebook, Twitter, for the first time in 2017. Africa has Instagram or any other platform seen the fastest growth rates, with the specifically by name. However, the number of Internet users across the principles of using these types of continent increasing by more than 20 communication methods are found percent year-on-year.”1 throughout Scripture. 4 As Christians, we want to reflect thoughts in ways the sender might the character of God and show His intend for them to be received. Ask love to others. The Apostle Paul yourself if you want others to know wrote, “Let the message about you only as the person who can be Christ, in all its richness, fill your revealed in a Facebook post or a 140- lives. Teach and counsel each other word tweet. with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual DO YOU WANT TO TALK? songs to God with thankful hearts. It happens. A group of people And whatever you do or say, do it as comfortably seated together, mobile a representative of the Lord Jesus, devices or laptops in hand. Not a word giving thanks through him to God is being spoken, but conversations the Father.”2 are taking place. Texting, Facebook, It doesn’t take scrolling through Snapchat, and other apps are where much of social media to see this the messages are being exchanged. principle is long forgotten by many Although social media seems to users. Social media can be used for be so open and accessible, it can good in spite of the many negative create virtual walls that affect human influences it can produce for others interactions. These walls can make to see. As you engage in posting and individuals feel lonely and isolated, reading any social media content, even when they are with other people. consider these guidelines. If you are always up-to-date in the lives of your extended family and IS IT REAL OR IS IT FAKE? friends, you might find that when you Today’s news cycle is 24/7 and, are together, you have nothing to say. often, news no longer is news. You The stories have been compressed can’t go through a day without hearing into text messages and posts. It’s that some news item or story is fake. easy to fall into the trap of allowing False information can be blended with the silence to descend and everyone a small amount of truth, and it gushes resort to pulling out their phone and forth as though it’s spewed out from a burying themselves once more in firehose. A constant exposure of truth electronic media land. mixed with error lowers the ability of discernment. If you are fooled by WHAT’S A USER TO DO? daily news, how will you be affected Do we have to abandon online when you need to tell the difference interactions altogether? As with most in spiritual matters? Could you be things in life, social media itself is deceived when you need to be watching neither good or evil. In your daily life, Bible prophecies being fulfilled? it’s how you manage the use and the Fake news isn’t the only thing content you post. that can become less than the real Periodic self-checks are an excellent deal through social media. For method to ensure that you are staying some individuals, their participation within appropriate self-imposed drives them to develop a pseudo- boundaries. They are also effective ways identity. When you interact through to participate in online communities. technology, it’s more difficult to read Create your personalized checklist body language. Texts and posts can’t by considering several categories that always express emotions, feelings, and can be affected by your social media 5 usage. What questions do you need to constantly check in to make sure you’re honestly ask yourself as you conduct not missing out on the latest update? your self-assessment? Is your profile the first thing you check before you do anything else in the YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE morning and the last task you complete Does your use of social media bring before you slide into sleep at night. you closer to God? Are you spending This could indicate that you have an more time chatting and posting than addiction and need to address it now.