Social Media - An Extension of but Not a Substitute for Being Together

New Technology can be a great servant but not a master

Pope Benedict XVI has made it clear on numerous occasions that the church needs to pay careful attention to the unfolding new world of technology both in terms of its potential and its dangers. These concerns have been shared through his annual messages for World Communications Day and other statements including his recent words to the Pontifical Council on Social Communication last Monday.

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - "Speak that I may see you." This quote from Socrates highlights the fact that language - in gestures, symbols and words - reveals who we are to those around us. Through interpersonal communication others learn more than just what we think but how we think and what our feelings are about an issue.

While inventions like the printing press, the telephone, radio and television have dramatically impacted human interaction, nothing has made a greater impact than the digital revolution we are currently experiencing.

Pope Benedict XVI has made it clear on numerous occasions that the church needs to pay careful attention to the unfolding new world of technology both in terms of its potential and its dangers. These concerns have been shared through his annual messages for World Communications Day and other statements including his recent words to the Pontifical Council on Social Communication last Monday.

In that address he underscored the importance of interpersonal communication, saying, "Language is not a simple interchangeable and provisional coating of concepts, but the living and palpitating context in which the thoughts, concerns and projects of men are born to the conscience and are molded in gestures, symbols and words. Hence, man not only "uses," but in a certain way "inhabits" the language."

St. John writes the "Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." The presence of the Risen Lord continues in the world sacramentally. His redemptive mission continues through His Body, the Church. This points us to the heart of the Christian message. God communicates Himself to us. His Good News was - and is - delivered personally.

Communications theorists state that non-verbal communication, which includes body language and tone of voice, counts for anywhere from 50 to 90 percent of effective communication. To really understand what a person is saying, we need what some have called "face time."

Currently, culture is moving from inter-personal to virtual, where we can be represented by an avatar while emails and texting replace the phone call. As the Pope pointed out on Monday, oral language has given way to instant written language. "the clear traditional distinction between the written and oral language seems to vanish in favor of a written communication that takes the form and immediacy of oral communication."

Now two teenagers can be seated in the back seat of a car and text each other rather than talk. It's immediate and private. However, it lacks the dynamism of true dialog.

The Holy Father addressed this very concern when he stated in that same address, "The risks that are run are certainly far from everyone's eyes: the loss of interiority, superficiality in living relationships, the flight to the emotive nature, the prevalence of the most convincing opinion in regard to the desire for truth.

"And with all this is the incapacity to live with fullness and authentically the meaning of the motivations. That is why it is urgent to reflect on the languages developed by new technologies."

These new technologies are not just changing how we communicate but what we are able to communicate. Email is a perfect example where we see these shortcomings. When we receive and email from someone, we have to subjectively create the tone of voice and other non-verbal cues that might exist behind a message.

In these technologies, we have seen the development of a number of "tools" that address this limitation. Typing in ALL CAPS, for example, indicates that THIS PERSON IS SHOUTING. Not too long ago, I receive an email sent to several recipients that was written in all caps, including the subject line. I was taken back by the email, wondering why the person was so upset and also quite confused as the message itself wasn't at all that aggressive.

When I got to the end of the email everything finally made sense. The person typed, "PLEASE PARDON ME FOR WRITING IN ALL CAPS. THE CAPS LOCK IS BROKEN AND LOCKED IN THE 'ON' POSITION!" Whew! I wasn't in trouble after all.

Communication shortcuts have also been developed such as emoticons - fş, fĽ and ;) - that help people understand your emotional state when writing. Abbreviations, sometimes called initialisms have become common place, like LOL (laughing out loud), ROFL (rolling of the floor laughing), BRB (be right back). This provides some body language shorthand.

Today's social media networks have revolutionized relationships. We are now able to re-connect with former classmates from high school and college, find old neighbors and keep up with relatives in other parts of the country.

Effective communications is further enhanced these days as internet bandwidth allows for increased video usage. I can now watch my grandchildren in Kansas open Christmas presents from my home in Virginia. While this certainly is no substitute for being with them on Christmas day, it is still a blessing.

Still, these new avenues of social networking cannot replace the need for people to personally share thoughts, ideas and experiences. There is a strong need to continue what Holy Scripture calls koinonia - "coming together" or "fellowship."

In the Acts of the Apostles St. Luke writes, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:42)

The "fellowship" or "koinonia" of the Church began with our Lord Jesus Christ. The apostles became first witnesses of His presence on the earth. As St. John wrote in his first epistle, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of Life." (I John 1:1)

The apostles had more than a virtual encounter - they journeyed with the Lord, hearing his words, watching his actions. Their encounter was truly up close and personal.

This same dynamic has continued within His Church from that point on. We are able to come together with the successors of the apostles for teaching, fellowship, Holy Communion and prayer.

As an avid supporter of new technologies and social media, I am excited with the emphasis on this area from our Pope. We need to harness these technologies for the new evangelization. In a world where the secular media has often turned a deaf ear to the Church and even sought to attack her, the new media gives us the ability to take our information directly to the people.

Scholar and communications theorist Marshall McLuhan always spoke of media as "extensions" of an individual. The printing press was an extension of one's hand, radio an extension of one's mouth. As extensions, various media can extend the influence of an individual's ability to communicate with others. When we see these as extensions, we realize they are merely tools we have to expand influence. For Catholic Christians, this means the ability to extend evangelization to another level.

I was also very pleased to hear the Pontiff's wise counsel concerning the problems we can encounter. Too often well-meaning Christians, Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants, can experience a major disconnect and act online in a manner that is not in keeping with Christ and may, in fact, be sin.

 At the same time, however, we must never let these social networks become a replacement for the real coming together of the Church.

-----

Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online and the CEO/Associate Publisher for the Northern Virginia Local Edition of Catholic Online (http://virginia.catholic.org). He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online