Social media brought significant changes in our lives. It helped us make new friends, network with people who share similar interests, stay in touch with faraway loved ones, and even launch businesses.
But with every opportunity comes a cost. Social media is no exception. Over the years, many articles and studies that explore the harmful side effects of prolonged social media usage have been published. These effects are so profound that they may even impact our walk with Christ.
Chris Martin recognized these dangers and wrote Terms of Service: The Real Cost of Social Media. Martin’s new book, The Wolf in Their Pockets: 13 Ways the Social Internet Threatens the People You Lead, helps people in authority recognize social media’s danger in the people they lead and how to guide them.
He writes, “This book is written for Christians who have some measure of authority, Christians who lead people and effect change for the better in their local communities, churches, or homes. We will be working to answer the question, ‘Since social media is shaping the people I lead more than I am, what do I do about it?’”
The book has 13 chapters, each about a different way social media changes us. These include areas such as entertainment, purpose, friendship, sex, anxiety, and worship. Each chapter follows a pattern: a short Bible lesson on the topic at hand, a discussion of social media’s effect on it, and practical advice to overcome it.
The Wolf in Their Pocket is easy to read, and Martin makes interesting points about the use of social media in our lives. I like that Martin doesn’t call us to abandon social media altogether, but encourages us to think critically about it.
He writes, “Refrain from uncritically embracing every new social media platform and feature that pops onto the scene. Ask hard questions about these platforms. Reject the temptation to slide into passive ignorance because you don’t want to put in the work to understand these ever-evolving means of communication and entertainment. Find a healthy middle ground of intentional engagement that keeps you above the fray, but not unaware of how social media and the broader internet may affect you and is certainly affecting the people the Lord has given you a responsibility to lead.”
The quote is fitting as many Christians, myself included, joined the new social media platform Threads with little consideration.
Despite its insights, I did not quite enjoy reading this book. When I first saw The Wolf in Their Pockets, I was afraid I would not be the right audience, as I was neither a church leader nor a parent. A few pages in confirmed that this book was not for me. The only parts of the books I liked and looked forward to reading are the ones explaining how social media affects us. Terms of Service would probably have been a better fit.
I also disagreed with the author of the chapter on conspiracy theory. I objected to the examples he uses as conspiracy theories, considering the evidence on these things (“COVID Vaccine disinformation” and US 2020 elections). He would probably label me a conspiracy theorist for being critical of world events.
But overall, The Wolf in Their Pockets is a good resource for church leaders, parents, or anyone who disciple others in this digital age. If you just want to learn more about the effects of social media on us, Martin’s other book, Terms of Service, might be a better option.
Moody Publishers graciously gave me a complimentary copy for an honest review.
