(Stock Photo – Canva)
By Deacon Eric Gurash
CCCB’s Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace has published a Pastoral Letter directed to all Canadian Catholics outlining the promise and the perils of social media. It is a letter that recognizes the great gift that new, digital forms of communication and information sharing have provided the world while acknowledging the significant challenges that this technology, “unique in terms of its speed and its reach,” has presented our global, human family. “Like every mode of communication, it exists to serve a fundamental human good: the building of bridges among people by the sharing of information,” the Canadian Bishops state.
Referencing past messages from Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis in their annual World Communications Day messages, the letter encourages respectful caution. Catholics are invited to “engage social media boldly, embracing new platforms to foster and sustain meaningful relationships and even to share faith with others,” while recognizing that “the design of the platforms and the algorithms that dictate their performance can play on the worst of our human tendencies.”
Acknowledging the excellent missionary work already being done by Catholic media, parishes, and schools, the letter invites discernment in how others are treated online, how disagreements are handled, and how disappointments and challenges are responded to. The letter calls the faithful to reflect upon and recognize their collective potential to “claim the ‘digital continent’ for Christ.”
Seven concrete actions are suggested to facilitate this, including: checking accuracy, seeking other perspectives, honouring human dignity, bringing curiosity about other points of view, discerning between intention and impact, prioritizing IRL (In Real Life) encounters, and being attentive to time spent online.
Of this final action, the Bishops express concern regarding “research indicating the amount of time persons are spending on social media and the effect that such extensive use has on users’ mental health and general well-being.” They remind that “God does not want us to feel chained to our devices.” As such, the Bishops call the faithful to exercise caution around the amount of time and the place of social media in our lives, going so far as to suggest a weekly “Technology Sabbath,” foregoing all screen time for a day, and encouraging those who find social media use to be detrimental to their well-being to seek help.
Sharing a prayer taken from the 2018 Message for World Communications Day of Pope Francis, the letter concludes;
Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Help us to recognize the evil latent in a communication that does not build communion.
Help us to remove the venom from our judgments.
Help us to speak about others as our brothers and sisters.
You are faithful and trustworthy; may our words be seeds of goodness for the world:
where there is shouting, let us practise listening;
where there is confusion, let us inspire harmony;
where there is ambiguity, let us bring clarity;
where there is exclusion, let us offer solidarity;
where there is sensationalism, let us use sobriety;
where there is superficiality, let us raise real questions;
where there is prejudice, let us awaken trust;
where there is hostility, let us bring respect;
where there is falsehood, let us bring truth.
Amen.
Read the full letter here;
