[REAL]
The 30-Day Social Media Movement
by
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Who are you? Very few people can honestly answer that question. Some people will spend their whole lives trying to answer that question. Some people will die for the sake of answering that question. But the truth remains: everyone on earth is seeking the answer. Why is it so hard to find the answer? I believe it’s because, as time goes on, things start to lose their original meaning. The same goes for people. We've begun to define ourselves based off of what society deems as acceptable and presentable. One avenue that dictates what that looks like is social media. It's not evil but it has the potential for evil. It has taught us to filter our world so that those tuning in will approve or affirm us. One of the biggest problems with social media is that we can control exactly what others will learn about us and they can control exactly what we will learn about them. We can create our own reality and vice versa. We can mask the real truth and at the same time deceive ourselves into thinking the people we’re viewing on social media are perfect. But we'll never be perfect and we'll only commit slow suicide trying. So how do we fix this? I wonder, if we were real with each other over social media even for just a day, how different would our lives look to others tuning in? What kind of affect would it have on other people? Would they really walk away, shaking their heads and casting a judgmental glance in our direction? We fear they would. But I argue that more often than what we think, people would be inspired…encouraged…challenged…moved…and maybe even drawn in. Is it possible that authenticity - a quality so rare in our technological world - would actually give people hope?
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About the Book
What if we were real with one another over social media? How different would our lives look to those following? Is it possible that our authenticity and transparency would spark change? [REAL] documents a 30-day photo challenge designed to help you personally refocus and to impact others’ lives by being real with one another over social media. It removes the filters, the manipulation, the cover-ups, the games, the facades, and all the gaudy glamour. It challenges us to be authentic, thereby giving other people the freedom to be authentic. Read how it impacted the lives of those who dared to take the challenge!
About the Author
Working in ministry is a tremendous blessing, but also a tremendous responsibility. The pressure to “have it all together” looms over you like a thick cloud. During my time working at a church, I learned more about this than I planned on. I was given the opportunity to get to know people, especially young people. Mentoring them and helping them discover who they are in Christ led me to the realization that teens and young adults today are more broken than the church realizes. And it’s only getting worse. What they’re really searching for is hidden behind the persona they present on social media. Their desires to be accepted, wanted, and loved are all buried beneath vague statuses, photoshopped pictures, and 140 characters of subtle cries for help. That’s when God gave me The [REAL] 30-Day Challenge. It started with just me, but soon spread like fire. Like most people, I’m a perfectionist, and I operate out of that insecurity to perform in order to be accepted. After releasing the challenge to the rest of the social media world, I soon discovered that I wasn’t alone. That’s the beautiful part about this book and this challenge - the revelation that our imperfections have the power to unite us. I currently live in Pennsylvania with my husband, Andrew. I enjoy writing, leading worship, and getting to know people for who they really are. I believe in authenticity and love documenting stories that have the power to heal, empower, and unite people.