Social media has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt—at least for me—that it is probably the worst technological advancement in human history. I’m not saying people can’t use it for good or that no good has come out of it. It has proven to be an amazing communication tool for spreading the gospel, connecting people, and sharing information rapidly, but at the end of the day, the damage it has done far exceeds its blessings.
It has given every person a platform to share thoughts and opinions, which billions of people believe is a good thing, and to a small degree they might be right. However, not all opinions carry equal weight. Nor should they. Social media has convinced people that they need an opinion about everything and that they absolutely must share it publicly. Add that to the overload of information that comes from constant access to news all day, every day, and you get the perfect recipe for crushing anxiety, depression, division, and hatred.
Platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok attempt to become omniscient, a characteristic that belongs to God alone. Humanity cannot handle a constant influx of information or knowing what is happening in every corner of the earth at all hours of the day. God designed us to live in smaller communities, to share life together face-to-face, and to limit our interactions and knowledge of ongoing events to where we live.
Essentially, we are repeating the sins of our ancestors at the Tower of Babel. In the book of Genesis, Scripture tells us that all mankind united as one. The problem, of course, is that mankind had already fallen in nature and inclined itself toward sin rather than obedience to God’s will. Our ancestors chose to work together to build a tower that reached heaven—to become deities and enter heaven as equals with God on their own terms instead of His.
God confused their languages to prevent this horrendous act of blasphemy from reaching completion and to stop mankind from destroying itself. God forced mankind to split into different people groups according to language to keep them from attempting the tower again. And today, we are repeating that same mistake through social media.
Humanity is once again trying to make the world smaller and unite as one—not by building a skyscraper, but by sharing information and using knowledge in an attempt to gain omniscience. We seek deification through our own efforts rather than union with Christ. One look at any random comment section gives you all the evidence you need to see the disastrous consequences.
Exposure to a seemingly infinite number of opinions, news stories, thoughts, and feelings hasn’t brought us together; it has fractured us so deeply that it’s difficult to imagine how we might ever find common ground again. This division carries serious consequences for daily life. Need an example? Look no further than the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
A man radicalized through social media chat applications killed Kirk, a conservative icon in both Christian apologetics and political discourse. Rather than simply disagree with Kirk’s views on controversial issues, Tyler Robinson absorbed propaganda and opinions that normalized sexually deviant behavior and treated violence as an acceptable response to ideological disagreement. Over time, this material filled Robinson with rage until he reached a boiling point and chose to eliminate what he had been told was the source of his hatred: Charlie Kirk.
This event should have served as a wake-up call about the dangers of social media. It should have shown us the importance of limiting time spent online and encouraging people to return to the basics of authentic, real life with real relationships. Instead, it appears to have done the opposite. Leftists openly celebrated Kirk’s murder on social media—celebrations that cost many of them their jobs—which perfectly proves my point.
At this stage, I’m not sure what the solution is beyond stressing the need to unplug regularly. No one can put the social media genie back in the bottle. We all use it to some degree. It can serve as a helpful tool—but only when used properly, which means stepping away for the sake of mental and spiritual health.
I can’t speak for others, but I truly shudder to think how bad—how violent—things might become down the line.
