“Unfriendly people care only about themselves; they lash out at common sense.”

In the wake of the actions that Social Media companies took during and after the U.S. Election cycle, new (and some not so new but never able to gain scale) social media platforms are becoming aggressive to attract new users (when participating in social media, please remember that the only other large industry segment that calls their customers, “users” is Big Pharma drug companies/BioTech).  Once invited to these platforms the “Friend  Me” requests come fast and furiously and I might add, relentlessly.  I write this to remind all of us that what and who we perceive to be friends is predicated on the algorithms, not by those who truly desire to be our “Friends”.  If you haven’t see it, please be sure and watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix.  It’s nothing those of us who are in the tech/entertainment space should be proud of.

The Bible has much to say about the power and gift of friendship. Our friends are our neighbors and we are to love on them like we love ourselves.  And, we are to be good friends.  Proverbs 18:1 tells us what is not friend accepted behavior.  If we are totally into ourselves and that love of ourselves takes over on us we do many things that turn others away from us.  And the things that most turn others off is when someone, in their unfriendliness does something that runs counter to what the Proverb calls, “common sense”.  We see it everyday don’t we?  I watched someone recently not bag their dog’s bathroom output because as she looked around she didn’t think anyone was going to see her not use common sense and common courtesy.  Around the block later, then walking the the other way, she was all happy and chirpy with wanting her dog to play with mine.  That friendliness came across to me as a facade, but the real unfriendly, unneighborly nature of her had already been exposed.  Let’s think hard today about being truly and authentically friendly, IRL, online and particularly when we “think” no one is watching.

Reference: Proverbs 18:1 (New Living Translation)