Is God in Social Media Too?
August 3rd, 2009I welcome the controversy that Archbishop Nichols has started with his thoughts on social media. He says that MySpace and Facebook lead young people towards transient relationships which leave them unable to cope when their social networks collapse.
Whilst I accept the Archbishop’s position that community needs to be more than Facebook, I think it is unfortunate to be framing the discussion about social media as if it is a problem for the young. Social media is a valuable and life enhancing phenomenon of our time for the use of people of all ages. It is for all of us to use to enrich our lives in the best way possible. My guess is that most young people know how to use social media in a more balanced way than most adults and that even Archbishops could learn from them on this!
As with most views on social media, there is always another way of viewing each opinion. I prefer to think of social media as another element of life’s rich tapestry; as another tool to community.
And whilst I understand the risks of slavish obsession with any communication tool, I also know that social media can be a lifeline for the lonely and dispossessed. I argue in my essay on The Internet is God that, if God exists, he or she exists in social media and on The Internet too!
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