That sign may signify one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.
Getting married is a greater accomplishment. Graduating from seminary and starting my career is probably a greater accomplishment.
But getting my very own “Raving Fan” Chick-fil-A party was pretty sweet.
I don’t think I’m a “raving fan” because I eat a lot of Chick-fil-A; I think I’m a “raving fan” because I talk a lot about Chick-fil-A. Whether I’m eating it or thinking about eating it, I’m always talking about Chick-fil-A on Facebook and Twitter. Because of all my tweets and updates about Chick-fil-A, I’m viewed as a raving fan.
I find it interesting that what I discuss through social media has shaped my identity in the eyes of others.
It’s interesting, but it shouldn’t be that shocking. Plenty of people have said, “You are what you tweet.” I tweet about Chick-fil-A all the time so that makes me a “raving fan”. If I always tweeted about Vin Diesel, people would see me as a raving fan of Vin Diesel (or someone who liked bad acting).
The language we use shapes our reality. With social media we can now say that our tweets shape our identity. Social media provide a window into our lives. That window may just be a small portion of our lives but, if that’s all anybody sees, that’s the only identity we’ll ever have in their eyes.
We need to be mindful of how we portray ourselves through social media. Social media may only provide a small window but we choose how complete that window is.
I like Chick-fil-A and I don’t mind being a “raving fan”. But, if that’s all anyone knows about me from social media, I have done a bad job of communicating my true identity.
How do you communicate your identity through social media?
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