Social Media and Global Missions
January 2018
Being able to connect with friends and family is not a new value. As social beings, we have always depended on various forms of communication to build our relationships. But, how we connect and communicate has changed dramatically in the last century. So, in tow with these new platforms, a curious question can be asked.
How has communication technology affected Global Missions?
After the telephone and radio were invented in the 1890’s, communication technology began to skyrocket in the 20th Century. The most significant creation was the first supercomputer in the 1940s, which later led to the birth of the Internet.
In the following decades, early forms of the internet and email were developed. By the 1970s, networking technology was making significant strides. Home computers and social media were becoming more commonplace. Internet chat rooms were first used in 1988 and gained tremendous popularity heading into the 1990’s.
After the creation of social sites and online blogging platforms, social media began to explode in popularity. Sites like MySpace and LinkedIn were rising in the early 2000s, and sites like Flickr allowed online photo sharing. In 2005, YouTube was created, which gave birth to a whole new way for people to communicate and share with each other across great distances; even overseas.
Starting in 2006, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Spotify, Foursquare, Pinterest, and SnapChat began popping up to fill various social networking niches. The ability to communicate instantly on different platforms has shaped our current culture and will continue to influence our relationships with people.
So, how is the Great Commission impacted by this technology?
The benefits produced from this advancing tech centers around two components, which are vital to Global Missions– communication and relationships. Being able to connect, teach, encourage, or pray with someone thousands of miles away in real time strengthens the work of Global Missions substantially.
This new series Social Media and Global Missions will share real stories of positive impact from communication technology in regards to Global Missions and offer healthy missional challenges for everyone in light of this technology. The ultimate goal of the series is to praise God for the way in which he reaches the Nations and cares for his people through social media and technology.
Written by Staff Writer/Reporter Cody Irwin
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