Lujeka Assumi
Assistant Pastor,
Sümi Baptist Church Kohima
What is a worldview? Basically, a worldview is a set of beliefs about fundamental aspects of reality that ground and influence all one’s perceiving, thinking, knowing and doing. 1989 Oxford Dictionary defines world view or worldview as a contemplation of the world, a view of life, a concept of the world held by and individual or a group. Worldview is a vast subject that has great significance, it needs to be elucidated but without much expatiation, this writing is an attempt to help younger generation apprehend how social media is impacting their worldview, engaging their reasoning process, faith, belief and the decisions they make.
Social networking sites like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter etc has the power to decisively alter how we perceive and think about the world around us as we participate in the relational components of the internet. Internet shut down is perhaps one of the biggest fears than death, Internet is now one of the most important needs and its importance is getting pricier each passing day. According to a Pew Research Center, the data shows that Teens spend an average of 9 hours a day. Social Media users need to be aware that, the more we invest our time to these social networking sites, our thought process is trenchantly affected by the things we learn from them. In today’s tech-era, information is just one click away. There are uncountable volumes of articles, books, ungodly sites and writing easily available. But it’s a matter of how Christians extricate between factual information that helps us grow spiritually and fabricated information that creates void in our relationship with God. Internet has made the world so transparent that nobody is myopic from what’s happening in a global village. Though Internet has gifted fame to few people, the likes Ranu Mondal and Priya Varrier etc, but more than making some people celebrity, it has brought more damage to people’s lives. Privacy is now ripped apart, online fraud agents are increasing, online fake dating has overtaken genuine relationships etc.
Neil Postman, a prominent American Sociologist and Educator states that media ecology looks into the matter of how media communication affect human perception, understanding, feeling and value; and how our interaction with media facilitates or impedes our chances for survival. Neil Postman also argued how the advent of television revolutionized how people engaged with everything from politics to education. His hypothesis was centered on how technology gave birth to a visual culture. The Indian Lok Sabha Election of 2014 and 2019 is a perfect abstract revealing the massive impact Social Media contributes towards politics. Effective social media communication is more stressed then large public gatherings. Social Media has overtaken Politics, education, family, individual and religion seems to be a next victim.
Due to the ever increasing of technology, there is a significant and profound change in human perspectives. In 2017 BBC published an article and reveals that YouVersion Bible App users spent 35 billion minutes using the App and has highlighted 636 Million Bible verses they find helpful. People’s choice to read digital bible over paperback is overwhelming. Rev. Pete Philips, Director of Codec Research Centre for Digital Theology at Durham University narrated how he was first ejected from City’s cathedral because he read bible on his phone while sitting in the pews. Phones were not allowed in the holy place and people were asked to leave if found using. And the following year in 2009, Durham Cathedral updated the phone policy and people are allowed to use phone to take photos, read Bibles etc. People’s preference to go digital is ok only if it is not getting lethal towards our traditional Bible reading habit.
Undoubtedly, social media helps us to reenter the lives of people whom we have lost contact for a long time. Every user benefits from the information and connection but, Christians should also be aware about the potential pitfalls on social media, possibly it could well kick up the carnal nature in us. Since the world is designed by Instagram, facebook, Snapchat and YouTube. A world without social media is unimaginable as every user is allowed to present our best version. Masses of people who are prone to Social Media needs to understands that our culture are consumed, spirituality is not found on Social media, it’s a platform where self glorification is given utmost importance. Though there’s no quick fix to stay away from unavoidable Social Media culture, every believer must know that Biblical/Christian worldview we vindicate should not be infiltrated by ungodly things we see, hear and learn from social media that stands in inverse with our belief. Let us responsibly use social media not beyond mere communication.
