I am a big proponent of social media.  And by social media I mostly mean Facebook, as that is the main site that I use.

Can it be a time waster?  Sure.  And I have gone through spells of spending more time than I should playing games (Castleville anyone?) or just mindlessly clicking refresh on my notifications.

But to me the pros far outweigh the cons.

On Facebook, I can stay connected with people.  People from eons ago in my past, people from the state I grew up in, people from the state I lived in for two years…and now people from my current state.  I am tremendously thankful for that.  Moving can be very difficult and even though the Internet is a poor substitute for face to face talking…..it can also be a lifesaver.

On Facebook, I have connected with some great groups.  Whether it’s people from my Norwex team, my amazing July First-Time Moms group, or my healthy eating group…..they have all been beneficial.  There are great ways online to meet new people and make friendships.  Honestly I don’t think people believe me when I tell them that the Moms on my Moms page (about 100 strangers) are my friends.  Amazing how you can form a bond with people you haven’t even met (although I have now met 2 of these lovely ladies in real life!).

I feel like Facebook/social media often gets a bad rap since it is just a time waster.  “Get off Facebook and go talk to someone face to face and make real connections.”  I totally get the sentiment, and I definitely do think that our society is way too plugged in these days.  However, used well, Facebook can be very helpful.

You can even use a site like prayrlist.com and pray through your Facebook friends list!  You can choose to pray for each friend weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually.  Great way to be intentional on social media.

Also check out Reach: How to Use your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God for more ideas on being intentional.  (As always, read the book and hold it up to Scripture!)

I may not have deep meaningful conversations with everyone on my friend’s list.  I might occasionally stalk do research on pages of people I haven’t seen in forever.  (Come on, I’m not the only stalker, am I?)  But I don’t think it’s necessary to go in-depth every single time you talk to someone….or with every single person on your friend’s list.  Facebook is designed to stay in touch with people and it has been so great for me!

What do you think?  What is your favorite social media platform?

-Bonnie