How social media is killing our culture

Once upon a random time, in a random place, a random guy staggered towards me, leaned in and randomly said, “So, they call me Slim.” Why that random guy chose that random time and place to say something so random still baffles me to date.

7 years ago, that random moment happened. Suffice it to say, I would actually go back in time and cherish it much more than my present moments. Credit to him for having the drunken courage to walk up to me and not just stalk me on social media. With the social networks linking everyone, that special effort is gone.

• No more phone calls and love letters—just tweet and Snapchat.
• No more 6 month interview of asking personal questions—just go through their timeline and Instagram pictures.
• No more formal introductions to the family—just upload a profile picture and change your Facebook relationship status.

It’s my opinion that the compromise at this juncture leads to exponential compromise when it actually gets serious.

I miss the feeling of being wooed. I miss being picked up from home and returned respectfully  before and after a date. I miss having the butterflies in my stomach when I know I’m going to see the guy I have a crush on. I miss checking my appearance in the mirror before answering his call and making him wait at least 3 dial tones before answering. I miss the privilege of exchanging passport sized photographs (specially edited at the studio) just for my purse and for his wallet. I miss the exchange of love letters, poems and sweet nothings that would get me through 6 weeks of boarding school. I miss that old high school love, that teenage love.

Change is good, I’m definitely not opposing it. However, why do we have to lose ourselves in the process? Why do we have to lower our standards because he can get it somewhere else? I’ve witnessed so much instability in the generation between mine and my parents that I wonder how our future leaders are going to be. The divorce rate and the number of single parents has gone up exponentially, creating a lot of bitter youth that just turn to drugs and immorality for their hopelessness. Which begs me to question, if our parents’ seemingly ‘conservative and upright generation’ managed to get away with the marriage bill, what about the ‘twerk generation’ coming after us?

Change is good, but we serve a God that doesn’t change. We serve a God that is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and he’s clearly not dead. His word applies to us thousands of years after it was spoken and it still holds power. Remember, we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. We have been set apart to follow in Christ’s footsteps and he definitely didn’t release songs like ‘Birthday Song’ or ‘Talk dirty to me’. There definitely wasn’t all that drama we see on Love and Hip Hop. Had we just listened and obeyed, we wouldn’t have so many people dying of HIV, cancer or ebola.

I challenge you to let His morals and teachings be part of the change you are participating in. Follow instructions on how to court a lady from the Bible (even if it is offering her mahindi choma like Boaz and Ruth) as well as the original relationship commandments. I challenge you to respect the institutions of family, friendship and marriage. I challenge you to treat your partner according to the institution they are part of in your life. Treat your husband/wife like one, not like a clande. Treat your girlfriend/boyfriend like one, not like a spouse.

I challenge you to help transform the ‘twerk generation’ to be part of the ‘kingdom generation’. Only then can we experience the change we need.