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October 1

Social Mania

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  ––2 Corinthians 3:18

Nearly 2,400 years ago Plato described a phenomena that is becoming increasingly true in our Digital Age. In “The Allegory of the Cave,” the famous philosopher described a cave that was occupied by prisoners who had been chained at birth and who could only look straight ahead at the cave’s wall. Behind them were fires, several statues, and puppets of birds and animals being manipulated by the prisoners’ captors. The prisoners’ entire reality was what they could see on the cave wall in front of them: mythical shadow animals and people.

Eventually, one of the prisoners escaped and stumbled out of the cave into the glaring sunlight. For the first time he realized that all the images on the wall of the cave were false, and that reality was much different. He’d been living in a fake world of misperception. The escaped man then re-entered the cave, but it was so dark that he had a hard time finding his way back to the prisoners. He tried to convince them that they’d been tricked by false shadows, but they decided to stay in the darkness, rather than risking exposure to the outside, unknown world.

The lesson Plato gives us in his classic allegory is powerful: our perception of reality can be false or manipulated, and it is only when we expose ourselves to the sun and its light that we see reality in its fullness. Today, we spend increasing amounts of our time on social media sites whose goal it is to keep us engaged—by any means possible. Make no mistake, if it takes false images, fake news, and AI-manipulated images and reels to keep you there, it’s allowed. Today’s social media is like Plato’s cave: we live increasingly in a world that is a false reality—a shadow world not based on what is real or lasting.

Man of God, are you isolated in a dark cave of fantasy or shadows far from the bright rays of reality? Whereas the escaped prisoner’s salvation was walking out into the bright light of the sun, ours is when we shake off the deceptions and lies that social media—and our broken culture in general—feed us and step into the truth of His Son, and the light He uses to guide our paths forward. Though born 350 years before Christ, Plato’s allegory is nonetheless a powerful prophetic warning to us today.

Look, I am not here to demonize all social media—used properly, it can be a great way to share Christ’s love with a hurting world. But let’s be honest, the amount of redeemable content we consume on our favorite apps and social media sites is shrinking by the year, it seems. For example, do you now find yourself wondering more and more whether that photo of a beautiful mountain stream is AI? Or whether there’s an actual human being behind that new friend request you just received?

Use discernment with what you let into your mind; ask the Holy Spirit each day to protect your spirit from the deceptions of social “mania”; vow to keep things positive when you post or comment. Ask yourself: Is this something Jesus would say, post, or comment on?

Father, walk me out of the cave of false realities found on social media, and help me to walk in the light of Your Son.

43 Responses

  14. You could post this devotional everyday and I wouldn’t tire of it!! I share these everyday with my “life” friends but I’ll also be sharing this one with my family. Great job.

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