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The pope has finally spoken out on the potential perils of social media. In an hour-long interview for CBS News and “60 Minutes,” Pope Francis touched on a wide range of subjects, including the impact of social media on the lives of young people globally. And, as you might have guessed, he has serious concerns about the impact that social media usage might be having on the world’s youth.
The pros and cons of social media
According to Pope Francis, social media can be “alienating” for young people. They are essentially living in an “unreal world” that may have little or no resemblance to the world around them. If there were any better description of Instagram, then I haven’t seen it yet. Imagine the impact it must have on young people to think that everyone around them is somehow always happy, attractive, and wealthy. In comparison, their own lives must look a little grim.
Even for adults, it can be a bit disorienting to spend a lot of time on social media. Everyone seems to be eating out at the best restaurants, going on incredible vacations, squeezing in amazing workouts, and generally having the times of their lives where everyone is always smiling. Meanwhile, we’re stuck with the 9-to-5 grind and living paycheck to paycheck.
Moreover, Pope Francis highlighted that the fantasy world of social media can sometimes seem like a lot better place to hang out than the real world. On social media, you don’t have to worry about all the everyday realities. There is just the endless scroll of new experiences, the endless dopamine rush that comes with every new click, like, or follow.
That being said, the pope did point out a few benefits of social media. For one, social media has become an extraordinarily useful tool for following the news, and to hear unique viewpoints that you might not be able to hear elsewhere. And social media can also help young people learn how to render criticism, and how to analyze the world around them. Both of these steps can be very positive for their overall development as young adults.
The responsibility of social media platforms
In addition, the pope pointed out that social media platforms have a very real responsibility. If young people are getting all their news and information from social media, then these platforms need to be doing their best to provide news that is free from disinformation and misinformation. And the media shouldn’t stoop to the lowest common denominator in order to attract views and clicks. Here, the pope called out the mix of propaganda, gossip, and dirt that seems to be a standby option for most click-hungry news organizations.
The pope also mentioned the potential hazards of all the time that young people are spending in front of their phones and TV. Is there any generation that has been so addicted to the screen? From this perspective, it seems like that social media addiction might not be the root evil – only the manifestation of a greater problem in society.
And so, as Pope Francis suggested during the interview, we must look inward if we are going to solve this problem. Society itself must take responsibility for what is happening with social media, and not just lay all the blame at the feet of young people in the early stages of their development.
