Gabby Douglas and What We Say on the Internet
Social media has made a way for strangers to share their opinion, often anonymously, and with little to no accountability. It’s awfully strange to me. I’m not setting myself apart from the crowd. I’ve definitely shared my opinion through social media, but it isn’t typically with strangers or even people I don’t know that well especially if my feelings are strongly negative. There’s a difference, which I think is often missed on social media and blog comments, between critical thinking and downright unkindness. That vitriol and lack of restraint reared it’s ugly head recently when Olympic champion, Gabby Douglas, chose to stand at attention rather than place her hand on her heart during the National Anthem portion of the gymnastics team medal ceremony. Her mother commented that if people knew what Gabby was going through, they’d think twice about criticizing her. She also called it bullying.
As massive as the Internet is and given the number of people who attacked Gabby, I can’t help but wonder if Christians were among the attackers. I think we have a tendency to pile on and so when the seed that Gabby was being less than patriotic was planted, perhaps those who would profess Christ jumped on too. Gabby isn’t the first to be affected by this and she won’t be the last. We will find someone else to tear apart, and for what? For their benefit? In hopes that they’ll be encouraged in the Lord? After prayerful consideration of our words?
What if when we approached social media (as we hope to with all of life) we allowed God’s Word to be our guide and instruction rather than our emotions? It seems that we are often given to piling on and following the bandwagon of what I believe is shameful bashing, fear mongering, and bullying. God has much to say to us in His word regarding our words, but one verse that stands out to me is Ephesians 4:29: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” I believe this challenge to us fits the occasion. I’m, obviously, not challenging those who don’t adhere to the Word of God as Truth. Instead, it’s the Christian who Paul is most concerned with in these passages. We have been given a new life and this new life should be reflected in our speech. It’s hard—no doubt—but it’s what God has called us to. I fail in this and need Jesus. We all do and He’s available to us.
Experiencing the internet as a place where there’s more encouragement and good news than there is discord and strife seems like wishful thinking. But that being said, if the internet is going to be a place where we find ourselves spending time, what if we, as Christians, overwhelmed it with words that were edifying? What if we led the way and changed what the history books will write about the internet’s impact on culture and the psyche of its partakers?
I’m not 100 percent sure how to do this. But for my tiny part of the social media world, perhaps we can begin by resisting the temptation to pile on and shame others. Maybe the next generation will do a better job at handling the instant news and the instant access to others and the instant ability to share what one thinks largely without consequence. But maybe, just maybe, our Father can be glorified by our interactions today. That’s my prayer and I hope you will join me.
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