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MEDIA BYTES

By Rev. Marty Levesque

THE IDEA that social media is on its deathbed is a recurring theme in many circles; the chaos of Twitter, the emergence of TikTok and the general malaise of Facebook. Platforms will rise and fall, but social networking remains a fundamental aspect of human interaction.

The misconception that social media is dying stems from a few factors.

1) Platform Fatigue: As new platforms emerge, users may become overwhelmed and tired of existing ones. However, this doesn't necessarily mean the end of social networking.

2) Privacy Concerns: Data breaches and privacy scandals have raised concerns about the safety of personal information on various platforms. While these issues are valid, the data shows they haven't deterred users entirely.

3) Changing Trends: The popularity of platforms can fluctuate over time. For example, MySpace once dominated social media, but its decline didn’t lead to the death of social networking. Rather, the decline of Twitter leads to the rise of others, like TikTok.

While the landscape of social media may evolve, the underlying need for connection and community remains constant. People continue to use social media for various purposes such as building relationships and connecting with friends and family.

Social media allows for information sharing, and the dissemination of news, ideas, and experiences. Pinterest blogs have replaced the classic Church Cookbook. Substacks have replaced the newsletter, and blogs.

 And of course, social media still provides much opportunity for entertainment. The general consumption of content, such as videos, memes, and games. And there are clear business and marketing opportunities for reaching and engaging with seekers and parishioners.

As technology advances, social media platforms will likely adapt to new trends and challenges. While specific platforms may come and go, the concept of social networking is here to stay. After all, the story of Jesus Christ has been Liked and Shared for 2000 years.

Rev. Marty Levesque is the rector of All Saints’ in Waterloo. He served as diocesan social media officer.

martylevesque@diohuron.org