The sphere of social networking has been sprinkled with holy water as Pope Benedict saw for himself that it was good.
In his recent speech entitled “Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age” for this year’s World Social Communications Day, the Pope seemed to have mixed feelings on the subject of the “so called social networks” as he blessed their potential and warned of their inherent dangers at the same time.
Even though he embraced “the great opportunity” that websites like Facebook and Twitter offered to the community, he cautioned those users who were too keen on putting their whole lives on these networks that they may fall victim to the perils of depersonalization, alienation and self-indulgence.
Urging web users to ask themselves the question “Who is my ‘neighbor’ in this world?” rather than who watered my FarmVille virtual plants, the 83-year-old pontiff highlighted the importance of real-life friendships and relationships.
Arguably, perhaps if Benedict had taken the time to make a Facebook profile for himself, he would have been better able to understand the actual role that social networks have on our lives.
The fact that he urged subscribers not to “give in to the illusion of constructing an artificial public profile for oneself” just goes to show that he’s missed the entire point of the virtual endeavor.
If a Facebook or Twitter profile was a genuine reflection of one’s real self then there would be no subscribers with four digit friends or uploaded snapshots generally themed ‘look at me, I go to all the cool places with all the cool people’ when the person is usually stuck at home watching sitcoms.
As Steven Blackwell puts it in a commentary on the subject on his website “Death and Taxes”, “social networking is a tapestry of what we perceive to be the best parts of ourselves”.
People have always liked to pretend they are somebody they’re not and with these social platforms, they finally have all the tools to create whatever life-like version of themselves they want.
For a person who has never been tempted by the mirage-like glow of social networks, however, the Pope has the right idea of the impact they’ve had on modern human interaction.
In fact, Claudio Maria Celli, the head of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, said in a statement that Benedict’s address “is rich and positive because in today’s society we run the risk of trivialising communication”.
You know that the affected human response has become trivial when hundreds of tragic and brutal stories posted on the web become “liked” via the Facebook panel.
Is this where the virtual line of communication has brought us?
It is no wonder that the Pope took the time to address these issues because there must be something wrong in the world when “poking” someone on the web has become the norm for attracting attention to one’s self.
There may be people who aren’t concerned with what the spiritual leader has said due to personal, political or religious reasons, but his message should not be completely ignored if only because it helps us draw one conclusion.
Jonathan Berr outlines it well in the “24/7 Wall St” online publication: “The traditional role that religious institutions played in providing a sense of community has been usurped by social networks.”
Whether we like it or not, sites like Facebook and Twitter are here to stay for as long as people need to be socially recognized and accepted.
As the Pope reminds us, however, not to forget that these same networks have helped create “new forms of shared awareness” and have become “an integral part of human life” therefore if used wisely, they should be appreciated for the benefits they offer and not pose a great reason for concern.