Navigating Social Media and Direct Messaging

Information

Social media constantly presents a huge amount of easily misinterpreted information. Don’t read into things that don’t mean anything (e.g. who your social media “friends” or “followers” are, # of likes on a post, # of views on an IG story, who views your stories quickly, an unexpected DM, DM history, etc.). Talk with people to establish proper connections and relationships.

Direct Messages (DMs)

• Aim to be careful and respectful in tone.
• Only DM people during hours when it’s normal to be awake. 11 p.m. – 5:00 a.m. is perhaps a good guide for abnormal hours.
• Messages, while positive and well-meaning, if unsolicited (uninvited and unasked for) will likely result in remaining unread or receiving a short to-the-point response. Consider this before sending a message to the opposite gender and don’t be surprised if it happens to you.
• Private messages (digital or physical) won’t necessarily stay private especially if the recipient is surprised, shocked or unhappy in receiving it. Think carefully before sending.

Theological D&M DMs

• Theological chats are usually best suited to in-person discussions over an open Bible. However, sometimes, when a friendly relationship has been established and there is mutual interest about discussing the Bible and spirituality but distance prohibits in-person chats it’s quite possibly a good idea to engage in a relaxed chat via SMS, email or social media DMs.
• Best to engage with members of the same sex, or in a small trio or quartet, to maintain an equitable power balance and mitigate the risk of temptation. If you strike up conversations with a member of the opposite sex that sometimes go into deep topics such as theology, try your best to stay aboveboard (Col. 1:21-23). Avoiding DMs and prioritising in-person conversations is always a good strategy.
• Don’t always expect immediate replies. Consider the other person’s personal circumstances (e.g. are they in the process of moving?) as you decide whether to message or delay messaging.
• Listen to the other person and ask good questions to determine how best to continue your gospel conversation.