Earlier this month, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the birth of his daughter and his plans to give away 99 percent of his Facebook shares, valued at $45 billion, throughout his life time. The donation will fund a charitable initiative to try to make the world a better place for children in the next generation. As soon as I heard the news, I was busy calculating how much money the Zuckerbergs will be left with. Even after giving away 99 percent, they would still have $450 million in stock! ‘No wonder,’ I thought to myself, ‘If I were them, I would give away 99.9 percent!’
With all kidding aside, it is admirable that the Zuckerbergs decided to make such a generous donation. What impresses me even more, however, is the fact that they made this decision so early in life. They didn’t wait till their 60’s or 70’s, till after having indulged themselves to the fullest first. I find it quite refreshing and inspirational. I hope more young people follow their suit.
Ironically, about the same time, I came across an article addressing the negative effects of social media such as Facebook or Instagram upon young people. The article states the suicide rate among 15 to 24-year-olds in the U.S. has increased steadily over the years. College counseling centers report that a majority of their clients suffer from severe psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. So what is going on? Is life really that bad for our young people?
There is no simple answer as to why our young people struggle so much, but the article points to social media as one of the contributing factors. It points out how kids (and adults) post pictures of their unrealistic life on social media, and viewers believe it and get jealous or even depressed by it. We Photoshop. We touch up. We edit. We exaggerate. Social media fails to tell the whole truth, and many young people feel like they are the only ones struggling while everyone else is doing great – taking amazing family vacations, enjoying delicious meals, being invited to special events, etc.
After having read the article, I visited Facebook, and sure enough I too felt conflicted:
She never ages (But I have tons of age spots and wrinkles)
They are going on another vacation (I have too much work to enjoy my life)
They are engaged! (What’s wrong with my children?)
And I am guilty as well. We took tons of family pictures at Thanksgiving, and before my daughter could post them on Facebook, I inspected each picture to pick out the best one. It didn’t matter how everyone else looked as long as I looked good!
With or without social media, the fact of the matter is that our fallen human nature yearns for the praise from men more than praise from God. It seeks the approval of men rather than the approval of God. Unless we find true satisfaction and fulfillment in who we are in Jesus Christ, not in what we do or what we have, we will never be fully content no matter how successful we become. The words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinth. 4:18 is a good reminder that there is more to life than meets the eye. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Let us rejoice over the promise and the amazing ‘picture’ of heaven described in the Bible. And that’s not an exaggeration. It’s the whole truth. I ‘Like’ it a lot!
From Pastor Sara’s Heart
December 13, 2015
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