The Greek playwright Sophocles once said, “Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse.” While any new technological innovation brings certain pitfalls, online platforms like social media have the opportunity to provide many benefits to society as well.
As of October 2025, researchers from Statista reported that 5.66 billion people worldwide use social media. To put that data into perspective, that is almost 70% of the world.
Given its prevalence in the world, the negative aspects of social media are undeniable. These include its addictive nature, cyberbullying, mental health implications and spread of misinformation.
Nevertheless, in a society dominated by headlines about the toxicity of social media usage, it is easy to underestimate the good social media brings to our lives. This raises the question: why do we keep returning to social media, even when we know it can be harmful? Certainly, there must be something beneficial or even fruitful about it.
Without a doubt, social media plays an integral role in connecting the world. Since the inception of Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook in 2004, countless individuals have turned to the platform to share updates about their lives with distant loved ones, reconnect with old friends and even utilize a space to make new friends with like-minded strangers around the world.
From the beginning, social media has played a role in connecting deployed military service members with their families at home and sustaining long-distance relationships.
Social media has also united churches from various locations — providing a space for individuals to find community during times of forced physical isolation, like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beyond the community aspect of social media, many people turn to the tool for educational purposes. Social media gives us a platform to learn skills and get ideas from each other that we may never have learned otherwise.
For Christians, this educational facet of social media opens the door for countless opportunities to share the gospel and inspire others to pursue a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.
Psalm 96:2-3 says, “Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!”
In a matter of seconds, Christians can share the life-changing news of the gospel on a worldwide stage. In the blink of an eye, one post can be shared, reshared and viewed by thousands. That is the power of social media.
When used responsibly and ethically, social media can be viewed as more than just mere entertainment. Rather, social media can be a tool for community, education, networking, creativity and marketing. Above all, social media opens the door for people all over the world to trust Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
Christian influencer Sadie Robertson Huff has transformed the world of evangelism by sharing the gospel on her social media platforms – leading those online to Christ. Christian music artist, Forest Frank uses his gift of songwriting to make music centered around the gospel for millions to hear.
With its deep integration in society, social media is not going anywhere anytime soon. Rather than asking how to eliminate it, I believe Christians ought to learn how to engage with it in more healthy, life-giving ways.
In our increasingly innovative digital world, social media does way more than just shape culture 24/7. Social media has the potential to reach over two-thirds of the world with the gospel message and shine the light of Jesus against all the darkness.
Solem is the social media manager for the Liberty Champion.