We live in a day and age in which technological advances have shaped the way we interact with others. We also live in a time where the Internet is, for the most part, commonplace. The Internet, however, is like a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is a beautiful innovation with the potential to reach individuals across the globe unlike ever before. On the other hand, it is more common for us to use the Internet not as a tool, but rather as a weapon. In the end, it is up to whoever wields this sword to decide which way they would like to swing.
As Christians, we should use the Internet and social media for good, or more specifically, as a mechanism for evangelization. Evangelization means “bringing the Good News…[to all] of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new” (Evangelii Nuntiandi). All of us are called to be missionaries of the new mission area, the Internet (Pope Benedict XVII), for “the Church in her very nature is missionary, sent by Christ to all nations to make disciples of them” (CCC 850). So, how can we live out the faith online?
Be the same person on and offline
It is very easy to use your laptop or phone screen as a protective shield. Because of this, we often feel more comfortable posting our “true thoughts” even though we may be too afraid to say the same thing in person. This can result in us going too far and hurting others for unlike face to face interactions, we are unable to see the impact of our words and know when to stop. Most commonly, this can be seen in “indirect callouts” or “subtweets” which is when someone posts about somebody else in which the person in question is implied, but not blatantly written. More often than not, these posts are negative.
It is important to understand that doing such things does three things:
- It hurts the image of others
By sharing our negative thoughts or experiences about someone on social media, we are biasedly introducing said person to a large audience in the light that we portray them. This can taint the reader’s view on this person, especially if they are able to piece together whom is being posted about. As a result, if the reader meets this person, they may already have a prejudice against them, even though the individual did nothing to wrong them personally.
- It hurts our image
Making posts such as these can cause us to come across as cowardly for by bringing it online, we are showing that we are too afraid to call this person out to their face, and instead use deception so the meaning is implied. But if the person in question were to call us out on it, we would be able to play it off and claim that we were referring to someone else. Furthermore, if other people see us slandering our peers, they may lose respect for us for they may question what we say about them when they are not listening.
- We spread negativity
Once one has read our negative posts, this may influence or encourage them to do the same, to release their discontent or anger online. Consequently, their followers may see their post, and do the same, resulting in a vicious cycle of negativity.
So, a general rule of thumb when it comes to keeping our integrity on and offline is that if we would not say this directly to a person’s face or out loud in person, then we should not be posting it. Ask yourself: “will this post cause more harm than good?” and use your God-given gift of wisdom to be prudent on such matters!
A good tip when it comes to posting is to write out your initial thoughts, then put it in your drafts and come back to it a few hours, or even a few days later. If you feel that this post holds merit, then feel free to post it. But, after reading it, if you feel that it is pointless, or you no longer feel the same emotions, then delete it for “no one’s first thoughts are worth tweeting” (Michelle Obama).
Have good intentions
A smart way to check to see where our intentions lie is by asking ourselves a series of questions such as:
- How will this post affect others?
- If we answer this question and find that it can lead to hurt, anger, shame, resentment, or any other negative feelings then this should be a clear indicator that this post is not meant to be published.
- Why am I thinking these thoughts?
- Often, when we reflect on our thoughts, we will soon realize the root of our feelings. As a result, we will may come to understand that by publicizing our feelings, it may cause more harm than good, and may even make a situation worse. Instead of publicly sharing our thoughts, if we really need an outlet, simply write them in a journal! This way we can visually see and go through what is happening in our minds. Once we see where our thoughts are coming from, we will be able to approach the issue in a mature manner, one that can lead to forgiveness and growth
- What are our intentions?
- Is it to taint someone’s reputation? Is it to boost our popularity? Or is it to show someone that we are hurt? The more we ponder on our intentions behind what we post, the more we come realize that for a lot of our posts, our intentions are not to spread Christ’s love and joy, but rather they are to share our discontent with a situation.
We also must be careful not to be deceived by the content of our own posts. What I mean is, though our content may be primarily good such as a Bible verse, it all goes back to our intentions. Why are we posting this quote? Is it because we know that Bible quotes will get a lot of favourites/likes and reposts hence upping our popularity or exposure? Of maybe it is so people can look at us and think, “Wow! You’re so holy!”. Or maybe, it is because this quote holds a hidden meaning.
For myself, I used to do this fairly often. I wanted to get my message across, but only to certain people. But, I also wanted them to have to wonder if this post was about them. Immature? Probably. Unnecessary? Definitely.
I remember the exact moment when I was preparing this post a few years back. I was suffering through my first “heartbreak” and I wanted to make my feelings known, but not explicitly. So I made this:
And I posted it. Now, questions that may come to a reader’s head when they see this is, “Oh, who hurt you?” or “What’s with the random picture of the boat?” And I was aware of these. I knew that the picture had no relevance, but I just needed someone to post so I could add this caption. I knew that people would wonder who I was referring to, but all that mattered to me was that the one who hurt me knew. And that was foolish of me for if I had even valued the friendship that I had with this individual, then I should have been able to trust the strength of our relationship enough to be able to tell them that I was hurt.
So, as we can see, yes the post is somewhat good, the content is from the Bible. But, the intention behind it was quite the contrary, hence causing the overall post to be negative.
A tool that can help us evaluate the intentions behind our posts is the following acronym:
Why
Am
I
Tweeting/Talking (Posting)
Once we begin to evaluate the thought process behind what goes on our social media, we will be able to actively make the shift from negativity to positivity.
Follow positive accounts
What is the first thing we do when we wake up? For a lot of us, we check our phone and scroll through our social media to catch up on what we missed from last night. But what we do not realize is what we are intaking while we are still half asleep affects us for the rest of the day. For example, what if the first thing we saw in the morning was that the person we have liked for months just became “Facebook official” with their significant other? Or if we saw a perfect picture of a celebrity, and began comparing ourselves to them? Or that all our friends hung out last night but failed to invite you? Or even a post filled with profanities? All of these can leak into our day for we may be in a bad mood from the start, feel insecure about ourselves, or begin using inappropriate language for that is what we are exposed to.
In addition, we may adapt to what we see. If we are constantly consuming images and posts that promote secularism such as premarital sex, drugs, underage drinking, objectification, etc., we may begin to believe that these are “okay” and think that if “everyone” is doing this, why can’t we? We may think that if these people are doing all this, and they are still “fine” in the sense that they are alive, have jobs, are financially stable, or are successful, then we can be the same. But, what we do not see is their struggles and insecurities that may accompany all this. It is crucial to remember that what we see online is not the full story. People only post what they want others to see, what fits their image and what makes them look their “best”. Because of this, we must remember not to compare our current, real selves to the carefully self scrutinized posts of others.
Finally, we must evaluate the connotations that come with consuming these accounts. By following negative accounts, we are essentially saying that we support all that they post, and we believe in the same things. When we like or comment on their posts, our “love” or “wow” reaction can show up on our peer’s feeds and they may question our integrity, especially if the post is a questionable one. Like all things, it always comes back to our intentions. Why are we following these profiles? What is holding us back from unfollowing/unfriending? Only we can truthfully answer these questions for ourselves and make these self evaluations.
I understand that in today’s world, unfollowing or unfriending seems to be the “end-all” of a friendship. But think of it this way: if we do not feel comfortable telling our friends how we feel about their social media presence, or we cannot lovingly correct them, then how strong is that friendship? Or, if they will be petty or resentful about the fact that you unfollowed/unfriended them, then what might that say about them as a person? A true friend will put value in what you have, rather than value in the number of likes or followers they have. They will understand where you are coming from and either work towards a positive growth, or be respectful of your decisions! Just like we should be the same person on and offline, our friendships should remain consistent on and offline as well!
Knowing all this, we can switch gears and begin following accounts that uplift us! Some suggestions include:
- @blessedisshe__
- @catholicgentleman
- @archvancouver
- @fluxandfolk
- @CFCYouthCanada
- @CFCYouthBC
By surrounding ourselves in positivity, we will allow it to seep into our daily lives, and be able to grow as individuals. When we surround ourselves with we are able to become the versions of ourselves that God wills for us to be!
Be Bold
We should not be afraid of sharing about our faith! It can be as easy as sharing a quote by a saint, posting about a youth ministry, Archdiocesan, or parish event that you went to, or how the homily at Mass struck a chord! Once we begin being bold and intent on spreading Christ’s love on our social media, we will begin the process of spiritual duplication. This occurs when we share, inspire and remind others about God’s greatness and we expose the beauty of the Church to them. Upon hearing this, they may feel inspire to share with their peers, and so on and so on, further spreading Christ’s love and joy!
Beneath our fingertips holds the potential to drastically improve someone’s day, change one’s perspective, and to help others come to know Christ, so what is holding us back from doing so? Let us take the time to think about the magnitude of our actions before we post anything, and strive to use social media and the Internet as a tool of evangelization! The best and simplest way we can be Catholics online is by being Catholic online.
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” -Luke 6:45
Eleanor Wong – YCOM Press Head | CFC-Youth Pacific Region
