Facebook Facts!

Facebook Facts! I was having a conversation with several coworkers the other day and we were discussing the electronic media and our students. I was talking about how that students, yes your kids, have similar withdrawal symptoms when their cell phones are taken away from them as meth addicts do when they stop drugging.

Then as adults we too talked about how that we have our own vices. Me? Coffee. But I am better than I used to be, I only drink it now when I am awake. One said that if our Internet went down then we might as well go home! You know we all have them don't we?

I found some facts about facebook that I thought were fitting for our electronic world. Facebook has become a worldwide phenomenon and some of the numbers are striking to us as parents as we deal with our teens. Facebook facts:

• Facebook has twice as many members as there are Christians in America.
• 72% of parents monitor their teen's online profile. (I think this should be 100%)
• 50% of parents check their kid's profiles at least once a week. (Really? Don't think it should be daily?)
• 98% of parents said their teen's online privacy is important. (Note: if it is on line, it is not private!)
• 80% of teens say their profiles are configured to hide information from their parents.
• 18% of students have been disciplined or embarrassed because of information they have posted.
• 82% of parents want to delete information from their teen's fb profile.

                                                   Resource: TRUSTe and Lightspeed Research

As I was looking at these facts about our new social network lives I was also looking at a review on the movie "The Social Network" and in the review I read the final line which said this, "Nothing is private, and everything is permanent." This line was talking about the things that we post on Facebook will be there, somewhere, in cyberspace forever. To quote a friend, "it's like having a billboard on the busiest interstate telling everyone that goes by, with your name attached, what you have posted."

From the spiritual point when I read this line, isn't this true in eternity? I mean to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ everything we have done is permanent and not even close to being private. Christ knows we are sinners. Christ died for sinners. Christ loves sinners. Christ knows I am a sinner. Christ extends grace to us that we can be forgiven and in all of eternity, we will have that forgiveness of our sins and relationship with Him.

So in a fun way I have learned to be more intentional in my walk with Christ today, it's permanent, and he knows me. Thanks for all your help Facebook Facts!