Remember when “like” was just a word that denoted preference? From food and TV shows, to people and activities… we were all unique combinations of likes and dislikes, that is, until Facebook showed up in our late teenage years and redefined it all.

Take a moment and consider your liking patterns and motivations. Do you really give a post a “like” because you truly liked it, or for some other reason such as:

1. You want to be associated with appreciating such things.
2. You want the person who shared it to feel supported.
3. You want to establish a relationship with the person who shared it.

These are a few of the personal agendas I’ve observed over my decade of social media citizenship. It’s been a strange mix of digital socialisation and algorithms that got us here, behaving and communicating the way we do. In fact, I don’t think the linguists could have ever expected a language quite like the “like”.

THE POWER OF YOUR LIKE

No one could have been prepared for this. And ironically, thanks to the constant flux of technological developments and updates, the curriculum for media literacy might never be truly robust. As users, we will always be playing catch-up. Who can really understand how consumers will interact with a platform or new functions – or why they do so?

And in the even tinier context of our faith, Christians are further faced with the challenges of living a Christ-led life online. What does the Bible say about how we should live out our faith and be His witnesses in the digital space? What do Jesus’ teachings mean in a virtual world?

The extremes, of course, are the clearest. On one hand, we avoid the outright sinful, such as content that is sexually immoral, such as pornography. On the other, some of us try to evangelise on our personal pages by sharing verses, testimonies and Christian articles.

As more and more parts of our lives are transported online – including discipling and dating – how we communicate as followers of Jesus before an ever-watching world must now be reckoned with more so than ever before.

For the purpose of discussion, we will consider three possible scenarios that contend with authenticity, purity and testimony.

1. Authenticity: You don’t really like it, but you “like” it anyway

We know by now that social media allows – and conditions – people to share the best angles of life.

Maybe it’s a selfie, a shot-on-vacation or yet another happy picture with one’s significant other. You may not literally like the content, but out of friendship or seeing how your mutual friends are also liking it, you give it a “like” or double-tap. The list of careless “liking” goes on.

Or you might even call it strategic – to engage with people you want a connection with or show others what you want to be known to care about. But what gets called into question here is authenticity, especially because a “like”, when received, still means the same literal thing to the recipient: This person likes this.

We’ve blamed influencers enough for curating the Insta-perfect life. What about our own behaviours? What are we making of our own integrity if social media is a place where nobody needs to really mean what they say, even if it’s indirectly said in something as vague as a “like”?

Imagine this exchange:

“I thought you liked me because you liked my posts.”

“I like everything.”

2. Purity: You shouldn’t be “liking” it, but you really like it

What do you do when a friend posts a photo of him/her in revealing attire and everyone is commenting on how hot he/she looks? You objectively agree with them, though you have to admit that your lingering thoughts have not been 100% pure – and this probably goes the same for others.

But this person’s your friend, so once again you like his/her post. Friendship is supporting, and supporting is liking, right? Plus, this time, it’s not like I don’t actually like the post.

Of course, this is a much more complicated discussion than one article has time for. This one focuses on personal purity: Are we getting too lax with ourselves with the things we consume through our eyes, even if it’s now our own friends and not some unknown model or celebrity? Does this make it any more “okay”?

What does this signal to you and your conscience, when you desire to walk in purity as we have been called to do (2 Timothy 2:22) yet end up compromising and even betraying the path we wish to walk on by our “likes”?

Furthermore, since “likes” can be viewed by everyone, are we sending this unspoken message to our friends and followers too?

3. Testimony: You cannot like it because of what a “like” might mean

This is where it all leads. Knowing what our digital reactions may be communicating to those receiving or observing them, we cannot remain ignorant about the power of a “like”. If someone posts about something that goes against my principles as guided by the Bible, even indirectly, will I still “like” it because this person is a dear friend?

This falls in line with our online behaviour as a whole. Are we bearing the fruit of the Spirit and being set apart in everything we do on social media? Are we communicating with both grace and truth in the comments we make and the reactions we give? 

As much as we wish this language of “like” were clearer, it’s similar to how communicating over text has little to no semblance of tone, which makes deciphering a person’s real message difficult. Are they angry? Sarcastic? Or just being matter-of-fact?

For the person receiving our “like”, this could be the following interpretation: Does this person agree with my worldview and/or choice of lifestyle? Are they showing their alliance with me because they care? Or maybe they just like the photo because it’s nice. Who’s to really know?

Considering how easily misinterpreted a simple “like” can be, we have to watch our witness even in a seemingly mindless action.

Communication in this day and age has been made so simple yet so complicated. In a nutshell, it helps to view our online life as an extension of our day-to-day, face-to-face one – not an alternate dimension altogether. We’re as beholden to the faith we profess even behind a screen.

Uncertain if you’re sending the right message to someone with a “like”, “share” or emoji? Communicate it clearly in words. If necessary, have an actual conversation about how you feel about certain posts with the person. Build an actual friendship that is founded on real likes and shares – mutual preferences and things you have in common.

And this is easiest one of all: If at any time you’re not sure, just don’t “like” it.