Using Social Media For Good

Sometimes [our tongue] praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.

As Laura walked into school, she saw students huddled together and whispering and laughing while she walked by.

“Laura!” Her friend Kara rushed up to her, grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her to the side of the hall. “Look at this!” Kara pulled up a popular social media site on her phone, showing Laura a meme of her with mean words written across the photo.

Laura’s face burned. Had all her friends been laughing at this picture?

A young man she’d considered a good friend had posted the cruel image. With tears running down her cheeks, Laura texted her mom, telling her what had happened. Later that morning, her mom picked up Laura and her brother for lunch with their dad.

“You know,” her dad said, “I would never treat your mom that way because I would never want to hurt her feelings. If someone is calling you names, that’s not showing respect toward you.” Then, making sure her brother was listening too, he said to both of them, “See how sad your sister is right now? You should never make another person feel that way. How we treat each other matters.”

Laura never did receive an apology from the boy, but she was able to put it behind her, telling herself that she would not cause another person the kind of pain she’d experienced.

We can use our words to curse others or bless them. When we remember that everyone is made in the image of God, that should cause us to pause and think about the things we say before we say them. Asking, “Would I like it if someone did or said this about me?” is often all it takes to stop us from hurting people. We should be girls who use our words to compliment and encourage and pray for and rejoice with others. Let’s be girls who choose our words wisely, even on social media.

Things to Think About

• When did someone say or do something to you that wasn’t kind? How did you handle the situation?
• Who do you know who has been mistreated, and how could you support them? What could you say to bless them instead?

DAILY ACT OF FRIENDSHIP

Pick someone nearby in your home or school and lift them up with a compliment or word of encouragement.