Reclaiming Social MediaParaugs

What is the Reward?

Social media has embedded itself into our habits because it provides a rewarding experience to our brains. 

Anytime we log on, we never know what to expect. We could get likes, a new comment on a post, or we could find out good news about our friends. This unpredictability gives our brains a sense of thrill.

But our normal, everyday life is not always thrilling. Sometimes, we get bored.

As a result, we’ve built the habit of checking social media whenever we crave this reward.

The problem here is we’re conditioning our brains for escape. When the pain of boredom comes, we escape. When the discomfort of messy emotions arises, we dive into our phones instead of diving into our hearts.

Escaping life is not what God calls us to. We know this from the example of Jesus. 

Jesus had plenty of opportunities to escape His life. 

When Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, Jesus could have followed His temptations and taken the easy way out.

When Jesus was in the Garden, He could have escaped the cross.

But Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us that Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him. He could have escaped, but He knew there was a greater reward ahead of Him if He pressed on.

Our escape might not look like avoiding the cross or dodging temptation in the wilderness, but we are escaping the very life God called us to live. 

Social media does have its benefits in helping us invest in people’s lives. But when we use it to escape and heal our boredom, we might miss out on the joy that’s in front of us. 

We are in a moment 100% of the time. We can make something of it and glorify God through it. Or, we can escape and scroll through social media to heal our boredom. 

My theory is that if we do the former, the moment will reward us. It might not be an immediate reward, but God will see how we are pressing deeper into the moment. And that reward is enough.

Today, pray that God will help you dive deeper into moments when you’re tempted to scroll through social media. Ask Him to help you break this habit and show up in moments of boredom and temptation.