Internet Communication: The Good the Bad & the Ugly

James 3:2-12

I've recently been thinking a lot about the pros and cons of communicating on the internet. There are some definite pros. Only on the internet can we type one thing and instantly send it to hundreds or even thousands of people. Only on the internet can we express what is on our hearts and put it out there so whoever wishes to come by and take a look can do so while at the same time those who don't are also free not to. Communicating through the internet also has a way of breaking clogs free. For a lot of people the internet has opened up communication because they since a freedom to communicate that they would never have the gumption to do if it required speaking. For that reasons things that have needed to be said for a long time have been spoken and opened the way for further communication.

Those things and lots of others make it a thing of beauty. But there are also some things that we should all be cautious of. I've noticed I tend to say things to people digitally that I would never say verbally. The internet provides a defense mechanism that at times can cause us to let down our guard with our words. That can be good…when we are expressing our heart. But that can be bad when we are trying to tear someone down. There is something about face to face communication that causes us to guard our words that is not present when we speak on the internet. Also, face to face communication allows us to use non-verbal forms of communication that are not available on the internet. When speaking with someone face to face, even when correcting a person or expressing a frustration with a person, you can smile, put your arm around them or use some other gesture to make sure they know…I am correcting you but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you.

When speaking face to face we tend to not simply talk of one thing. A conversation may look like this…

1. Small talk
2. Meat of the matter
3. More small talk or a different topic.
4. Small talk
5. Goodbyes

On the internet the conversation would simply look like this…

1. Meat of the matter.

The prior gives the opportunity to express care and concern for all areas of a person’s life. The later, at times, can give the impression that we are only concerned with this one thing.

So with all that jibjab here’s the bottom line. Let’s communicate. That’s a good thing. But let’s continue to do what the book of James demands and that is that we guard out words carefully and make sure that as we communicate it is seasoned with love. I’ll try to be better at this. I hope you’ll join me.