When I throw around the term new media, what I am referring to is media that has been developed in the wake of the digital and computerized era. Almost synonymous with new media is a sense of interconnectedness, where everyone can create, edit and criticize. A great example of this is the near disappearance of print encyclopedias, and the emergence of the online collaboration with countless topics – Wikipedia. Thanks to the internet, and also the smart phone, almost anyone in our culture can create information and broadcast it to the world (or no one at all) in little time and with little effort, from nearly anywhere. There is a sense of what I like to refer to as guarded authenticity that accompanies this social media {new media}. People want to see beyond veneers, but are slow to open up for a look at who they really are, what they really aspire to be, and what they really think. So it is an awkward dance of sorts, people trying to figure each other out, all the while demanding authenticity without wanting to reciprocate too quickly. This is going to mark the generation rising in the ranks as we speak. One of the requirements of young (18-30) churchgoers is a sense of authenticity from the pastors. As I see it, social media is an unprecedented way for church leadership to show a side of themselves that wouldn’t be seen on a stage, or in the pulpit. By using Facebook or Twitter, these leaders can showing pictures of vacation and relay the aggravation of the horrible traffic on the highway. Wait a minute, I can relate to that! These media platforms can humanize those who are only seen in a worship service setting, and allow them the opportunity to walk out their faith in practical, everyday ways with those in their social network.
I know that there is a fine line church leaders have to walk in these scenarios, but it is worth the effort.
Would you be interested in interacting with your church leadership online? Would it change how you tend to view them? If you are in church leadership, are you concerned with social media? embracing it? ignoring it?