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OK, all you Facebook lovers out there, I was reading up on this article about how a survey found out that people who use Facebook have lower overall grades.
Hmm… I don’t know if there is a direct one-to-one correlation (the researcher is from OSU so we have to look at this more carefully… ha!). But the funny thing is that those same exact people surveyed also said that being on social networking websites do not interfere with their studies. Oh the ironies of life. I always find it amusing when reality and perception never match up.
Regardless of how well the surveys were conducted or how sound the study was, there are several principles that are in play. Here are some things to consider:
2) Sowing and Reaping. In the study, there was a stark difference between the number of hours studied by Facebook users and non-users. The difference? Facebook users studied anywhere from 1-5 hours/week compared to non-users who studied 11-15 or more hours/week. Excluding geniuses and those who do not know how to study effectively, the fact is that we have to put in the time to study in order to do well. I don’t know if I have ever said, “Man, I think I have studied way too much for that exam!” But I have found myself saying, “Man, I wish I could have studied more for that exam!” Nothing comes easy. In our consumer-oriented generation, it is easy to think that things will come automatically for us. This is what many Christ-followers think about their spiritual lives. But the reality is that what you sow is what you reap.
3) Focus. You can always spot them out from a crowd. The people who are living life with a purpose have a focus like mosquito to human skin! (I know, bad illustration). It is amazing how a vision can help give people a focus in life. Have you ever been confused or not really sure about what to do with your life? In those moments. did you feel as if you were focused? Probably not. I know that is how I felt many times even after becoming a pastor. There is something powerful about a vision or direction in life. It just helps us to focus. Even if you don’t have a clear vision for your life (the specifics), we all do have a vision for the Kingdom and what Christ wants us to do in our calling as a Christ-follower. If we can tap into that, I am pretty confident that you will be able to do what God has called you to do. The reason why it is hard to study sometimes is because we don’t see how our studies fall into the overall plan of God… but it DOES! As you excel in your studies (not necessarily getting all A’s but doing the best that you can with the time and talents that God has given you) there will be open doors for the future – whether it is a job, graduate school or even opportunities to share Christ with classmates.
4) Community. One of the big reasons why Facebook (and other social networks) are popular is the ability for people to connect with one another. It is amazing to get “caught up” in looking through all the pictures and videos that our friends post up and the next thing you know, you have just spent 2+ hours on Facebook. What this shows is our innate desire to be connected and to have community. Facebook and other social networks help us to connect to people, therefore I don’t think it is necessarily a bad thing. But once in awhile it is good to use the time that would be spent on Facebook to do community with people face-to-face.
You can read up on the article here.