Esme from Sussex, aged 16, describes the feeling of isolation as a Christian teenager on social media
The first social media platform started in 1997. Twenty-three years later, social media has become its own online society. At 16, I am part of the first generation to not grow up without the Internet.
Therefore I know from experience that social media presents unique challenges for younger Christians that aren’t talked about as often as they should be. When people mention social media, they talk of a weird, wonderful, yet dangerous place where hackers and scammers abound. However the true danger for Christians is a feeling of isolation.
Constant bombardment
The main cause of this, unsurprisingly, stems from the LGBTQ+ movement. Social media is a centre of the current sexual revolution movement. Teenagers love activism and throngs congregate on these platforms where gender and identity issues are, put simply, a minefield. One misstep on Twitter and you’re ‘cancelled’, publicly rebuked, dismissed and made carrion for digital vultures (as happened to J.K. Rowling recently). The more famous you are, the worse the backlash. The opposing arguments are buried. With this culture trending online, social platform algorithms bombard people with relevant content. Constantly.
Let’s focus on the social media app TikTok, used predominantly by teens. Sometime last year, there was a song ‘trending’ on TikTok, eloquently titled F*** You. I hated it. Whenever I used the app, it would appear in practically every fifth video I watched. Currently, people use the sound to condemn their exes. At the time, this section was popular:
‘So you say
It’s not okay to be gay
Well, I think you’re just evil’
It hurt. I tried to look at artwork and photography (resolutely skipping the LGBT art) and this song was drilled into my head, to the point that I still remember it perfectly. I knew it wasn’t aimed at me specifically, I knew that the person behind my screen had no clue who I was, no clue that they were calling me, at 15, evil for trying to follow God. It’s hard to describe how that felt. I know that, had I been weaker in my faith, any less secure, it would have destroyed me. I don’t want people to hate me, inevitable as it is, and I could have strayed from God had I not been certain that He was right. I don’t know how many were discouraged by that song.
Faith-corroding content
The Internet is not only filled with so much LGBTQ+ content that you cannot escape, but also with false teaching. These factors combine, forming a web of faith-corroding content. I felt as if I was the only Bible-following Christian in the world. This leads to insecurity, leading to doubt, leading to pain and rejection of God.
There are things that us Christian teens must always be wary of. Beware of becoming too involved in new shows, books or film series and their fans, as they might disappoint you. Beware of sharing your opinion, lest everyone insult you as cruelly as possible, lest you lose friends. You will see influencers threatened because they follow the Bible.
Currently, about 2.2% of people, globally, identify as LGBTQ+. Online, it seems like 80%. It is isolating, because how can you feel strong in your faith when the entire Internet hates Christians like you? How can you boast in God when influencers show millions of people that they’re disgusted by you, even if it’s not you specifically.
Proceed with caution
Social media isn’t inherently bad. There are many wonderful communities online; I myself have made some amazing friends and connected with those I never really interacted with offline. So don’t regard social media as a hive of despair and hatred, but do be aware of what teens, like me, will be struggling with on the Internet; not cyber-bullying from schoolmates, or Internet addiction, but the feeling that they are alone in their faith.
‘Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal’ (2 Cor. 4: 16-18).
