Authentically Depraved

[caption id="attachment_1966" align="alignright" width="216"] This is the March-April Issue.[/caption] I’m sure you’ve heard the reports that social media is making us more lonely. You can probably confirm this statistic in your own experience. In an article for the latest issue of Modern Reformation magazine (May-June, 2013) titled “Alien Authenticity,” Ethan Richardson explores this phenomenon, along with the insatiable longing we have for our every experience or unique distinction to be validated online. I have lamented before about Facebook’s “like” button. Back when I wrote that article, I still hadn’t succumbed to reducing an exchange with someone to a “like,” as if I am some sort of authority on the likable. And now, I “like” away, approximating the modern-day cyber-smile. With each “like” we affirm one another with that validation we so crave. With all the “likes” we are getting, you would think that we are feeling authenticated and connected. But interestingly, the rise of employment in the field of mental health and counseling is exponential. Is our primary source of communication, with our growing numbered lists of friends actually making us feel more alone?  Richardson doesn’t accuse social media as creating the isolation, but highlights how it stirs the pot. We have been raised in the age of self-esteem. I’ve been told that I am special and unique by my parents, Sunday school teacher, and half the songs on the radio. Meanwhile, TV shows and movies are eager to promote following our dreams to find fulfillment. Richardson comments:

The emphasis on distinction and destiny has created in today’s emerging adult an onerous belief in the importance of unmitigated choice in one’s destiny, as well as the equally onerous need for those choices to be validated at every turn. The product, then, is a tirelessly anxious and affection-hungry generation (13).

And so you see the endless posts containing what Darian made for dinner, and how Rixie just ran 3 miles. Candace must post which part of the house she cleaned today, and Wayland feels compelled to check in on his dining location. When Facebook asks us what’s on our mind, we don’t respond with, “I’m feeling rather insignificant today and need someone to notice my unique contribution to society.” Nobody likes a Debbie downer to invade the artificial construct that we all support on social media. But let’s face it, we are all constantly seeking someone to tell us that we are good, even if it is a self-proclaimed authoritative liker. Richardson tells us why. We are seeking a proclamation to our identity that we do not have. There is a Christian term for this in theology. It is called imputation.

It is the way God justifies man in Christ—we are given an alien righteousness, in light of Christ’s suffering on the cross and obedient life. The characteristic that we long for—that we long to see validated—is the righteousness we know in better terms as “authenticity.” In the world of “likes,” with our Facebook profile, a Twitter feed, and a resume, we are often tempted to create a closed-circuit imputation system. Our hope is that, by way of the profile we curate publically, we can impute to ourselves the self we long to be. Social media, in this sense, serves as a platform for our own self-mediated authenticity, and ultimately for our own self-justification (15).

Isn’t it just amazing how this need reveals itself in every part of our lives? We can’t really blame social media. We are stirring our own pot no matter what method we have to propagate our needs. Only, our true needs can’t be met in this kind of affirmation. We need to hear we are good from God alone. That’s why our appetite for affirmation is so insatiable when we try to fill it by social media. “God in Jesus brings the only imputation that doesn’t need reloading” (15). When we are honest about our own depraved authenticity, we can embrace the good news of the gospel. When we find true authenticity in Christ, we don’t need piddly affirmations that cannot sustain. When we have affirmation by the One who matters, we won’t be compelled to seek validation from every accomplishment for the day. And we also won’t feel the need to fish for compliments or pity in Debbie downer posts. Then we can seek healthier ways to connect in the cyber world. So what are these healthier ways? For starters, sharing, networking, encouraging, amusing, and just plain asking a question are some of the benefits that I find on social media. What about you? I think one great take-away from Richardson’s article is to ask yourself a question about motive before you post. Am I seeking validation that Facebook and Twitter cannot provide? If so, no amount of Facebook friends or Twitter followers will be able to quell my loneliness. Another question—Is the “like” button bad? Sometimes. But more in the sense of a fake smile. For me, I am going to try to compare this cyber-smile to the real world—I give them, not count the one’s received.