2,617. That’s how many times a day the “average person taps, pokes, pinches, or swipes their personal phones.” (WSJ, May 17, 2018).  Think of it!  2,617 touches on your phone throughout the day.  For the average user this results in a whopping 2 hours and 25 minutes per day touching your phone.  As for teenagers, every study reveals that the numbers are far higher than that.  And much of these 2,617 touches are in search of “online validation.”

In a separate news article called “The Teenage Social-Media Trap” (WSJ, May 5, 2018), it demonstrates just how serious a problem our culture has with online validation.  Consider the following:

• Personal Validation – “Am I popular? Attractive? Do I fit in” Many people today are answering this validation question by how many photos they are tagged in, how many comments they get, and how many friends they have.  To show just how much of a problem this is, teenagers are now able to pay for online validation by “purchasing 500 ‘likes’ for $6.99 through a website” before posting their photo.  Imagine that!  Purchasing validation for $7 from people in a digital program to impress your followers that you are validated.
• Status Seeking – In the social media world, digital status seeking is often the key to define a person’s popularity. People post their “best of” pictures, which are perfectly curated, and present an image of themselves that makes them the envy of all their followers.  All their posts and pictures present a false reality, however, hiding the ugly side of oneself.  But people often do it to gain status and seek popularity.
• Self Worth – In the digital world, someone’s “follow ratio” is a really big deal. That is, “how many people you follow versus follow you.”  If the ratio is out of balance, it creates a huge blow to self-esteem, which some psychologists are saying is creating a massive mental health problem among teenagers.

Now, imagine we touched our Bibles 2,617 times a day!  Imagine if the average Christian tapped, poked, pinched, or swiped the pages of the Scripture 2,617 times a day looking for Holy Spirit Inspiration!  Imagine the results it would have on the same categories:

• Personal Validation – God has blessed us. He chose us.  He predestined us.  He adopted us.  He has made us accepted in the Beloved.  (See Eph. 1:3-6)  Nobody needs to pay $7 for 500 fake likes when we have the love of a heavenly Father bestowed on us for free!
• Status Seeking – God has redeemed us. He has forgiven us.  He has lavished us with wisdom.  He has made known to us the mystery of His will.  (See Eph. 1:7-10)  Why would we need to seek the status of the world by showing our “best-of” photos when we are completely loved by a God in spite of our “worst-of” moments!
• Self-Worth – We have a huge inheritance, granted by the Father. We heard the gospel, believed it, were given the Holy Spirit as a down payment, and one day will receive the full possession of our eternal reward on the day of Resurrection! (See Eph. 1:11-14)  Who cares about the “follow ratio” of online media when we have a massive “inheritance ratio” because of the work of Jesus Christ.  What matters is not how many people follow you, but that we are followers of a rich God who loves us, approves us, validates us, and rewards us.

Take a Break!  One clinical psychologist quoted in the article says, “The hyper-vigilance that some adolescents feel forced to maintain online is anxiety-provoking and hijacks time away from more important things like homework and sleep.”  Before the advent of social media, she adds, home used to be a place where kids could relax, take a break, and enjoy life without the pressure of peer influence.  Social media has changed all of that so that many teens never have a break from the search of validation and approval.

My friends, it’s time to take a break! 

• Take a break from seeking personal validation through digital media and find validation in Holy Spirit inspiration.
• Take a break from status seeking through digital popularity and find our approval and acceptance in the One who made us and died for us.
• Take a break from gauging our self-worth by how many followers we have and dedicate ourselves to be followers of Jesus, the Savior, who loved us and gave His life for us.

As for the 2,617 touches on a phone every day, let me end with a story.  I once heard (whether true or not I cannot say), that Billy Graham used to have a Bible open in every room of his house.  Whenever he entered a room, he would go to the Bible and simply read a verse or passage, letting that verse soak into his mind.  In other words, he would go through the day “nibbling” on the pages of Scripture, tapping, poking, pinching, and swiping God’s word.  May that story inspire us to a much better way of living!

You are loved,

Craig Trierweiler