Beth looks at Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, and Google+, and shares how each of these can be used within church and personal contexts. She “looks at Church teaching and ways in which we can use social media for good, and indeed, for prayer”.
For beginners, the book covers a different social media platform in each chapter, and gives very practical tips on using that particular platform.
Each chapter is titled with a different bible verse, such as “where two or three are gathered” (Matt 19:21) and encourages the reader to look at different uses of social media that will truly benefit the community.
One statistic Beth shares is that Facebook, in terms of users, has almost the population of China and India together (Vogt, The Church and New Media, 2010).
Social media has changed how news is shared and how people connect across countries. Beth shares a story about @SistineSeagull on Twitter. A seagull was spotted on the conclave chimney before the smoke was released to announce Pope Francis’ election. Someone created a Twitter account for the bird, and shared humorous comments while the world waited for the important announcement.
The book is written for beginners, and although I have used social media for years, I was inspired to ensure the things I share bring glory to God.
My favourite quote in the book comes from Archbishop Eamon Martin. “Be missionary, be aware that, with the help of the internet, a message has the potential to reach the ends of the earth in seconds.” This is an amazing truth. Is what we are putting on social media influencing the world for better or for worse?
This is a quick read, only 80 pages, and very easy to follow and put into practice. I would recommend it to anyone, beginner or not, who wants to know how to use social media most effectively.