It’s remarkable that The Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment occurred during this particular time in human history—a time marked by technological advances and changes nearly every day, where more information is shared quicker than ever before, and with access to nearly everything available at any moment, in almost any place. This synod even played out in an entirely new way because of technology, with videos and streaming from inside the synod hall, nearly 24-hour news coverage of the events, hashtags, online surveys to gather information and give feedback, and of course, the use of the internet to disseminate the findings and writings of the synod before, during, and after. This is a digital age and youth and young adults are deeply influenced by the digital landscape. Whether it’s social media, constant news, the endless cycle of stream-ready content, and the temptation to always be surrounded by the visual and audible noise of the day, the synod addressed the pros and cons of the age of the Internet. We examine digital reality in light of the final document.
You can read the full document here.
Digital Media
Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment
The final document of the Synod on Young People, reflecting on the role of the Internet and digital media in the lives of today's youth, opens paragraph twenty three with a word of caution:
“Digital media can expose people to the risk of dependency, isolation and gradual loss of contact with concrete reality, blocking the development of authentic interpersonal relationships.”
Speaking both as a young adult and a seminarian studying for the priesthood, this warning is a familiar reminder of how challenging it can be to navigate what Pope Benedict XVI called “the digital continent”—the constantly evolving network of social media and virtual worlds that always remains within easy reach on our phones and our laptops.
At my own seminary, Theological College, it's quite common to hear from other men who have deleted all of their social media accounts out of concern that they would hurt their prayer lives or their relationships with brother seminarians. In fact, many areas of our priestly formation encourage us to reflect regularly on our spiritual and personal lives and to carefully maintain boundaries in any relationships (digital or otherwise) that could lead to damage, dependency, or imbalance in living out our vocations.
Still, despite these real challenges of living in a digital world, the Church's message isn't all doom and gloom—even for seminarians. The newest Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis, the Church's instruction for the formation of future priests, encourages seminarians to engage with online media in a positive and intentional way:
“Social networks should be integrated into the daily life of the Seminary community in a particular way (by a use that is vigilant, but also serene and positive). They should be experienced as places that offer new possibilities from the point of interpersonal relationships, of encounter with others, of engagement with one's neighbor, of the witness of faith.”
Earlier this year, my classmates and I decided to take this exhortation to heart by working with our faculty to start a new media literacy program, the Alberione Project, to help form us for effective evangelization in an increasingly media-driven world. It's a common sight in seminary to see men rehearsing their homilies or practicing for their ordination Mass in our upstairs chapel. In this program, which is founded on the spirituality of Blessed James Alberione, one of the Church's greatest pioneers in media evangelization, we've taken a similar practical approach by introducing real, hands-on opportunities for seminarians to share their faith through the media. This semester, for instance, we launched “The Big Tree,” an interview-based podcast that features professors, speakers, and clergy from around the DC area on the topics of theology, philosophy, and evangelization. The podcast is directed and produced by a team of seminarian volunteers.
As proud Millennials who have grown up with easy access to digital technology and turn naturally to podcasts and YouTube for news and education, setting out as missionaries in this digital continent often feels like our natural next step in proclaiming Christ's Gospel. This new mission field is as exciting as it is challenging because it requires us to recognize and navigate these very real dangers of technology's potential for isolation and division, while still growing in our own relationships with Christ and allowing that relationship to renew others through our future priestly ministry.
I think these new forms of media inevitably pose certain questions that all of us, young or old, will be forced to discern and answer in our own way:
- How will I use my gifts to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ in a changing world?
- What must I do to live in authentic relationship to God, and to my fellow brothers and sisters and Christ?
- How will I serve the Lord with an undivided heart?
For the Church's part, the message we have for the challenging reality of the digital environment is, simply put, the message of the Gospel: It is a message of hope.
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