OK. Maybe it’s more that I agree with Pope Francis. Still, it’s interesting that both the Pope and I expressed opinions last week on the Internet and a need for slowing down.
For Pope Francis’ part, he wrote a statement for the Catholic Church's World Communication Day saying that, while the Internet was a gift from God, it might also be good for people to slow down a bit.
In my post from last Saturday, I wrote about a desire for more parable-type thinking and interacting online. It comes, I guess, a desire for more thoughtful uses of this new type of personal expression we have these days.
Pope Francis, probably more than any previous Bishop of Rome, has definitely had a taste of how quickly a comment can travel on the Internet. There was, for example, “Who am I to judge?” which became the phrase-heard-round-the-world in just a few hours.
The 24-hour news cycle also keeps the Vatican press office hopping, forcing a near daily ritual of swatting down the latest interpretation of one of the Pope’s statements that’s gone viral. My personal favorite is a recent one where the Vatican spokesperson falls all over himself insisting that Pope Francis speaks on a nearly daily basis about sin, and the sinful nature of human beings. How’s that for staying on message?
Media management aside, I think Pope Francis is well aware that he stands at a unique time in history when Papal statements flood Twitter and Facebook mere minutes after they are uttered. It has certainly made him a more popular Pope, even among non-Catholics.
Maybe, however, Pope Francis is right to ask us to all slow down online. Snap communications, just like snap judgments, are not always correct. I know I am trying to be more mindful when I’m interacting online. Some days I’m better at it than others. As Marshall McLuhan would no doubt have noted, this particular medium just seems to pull me into unconscious reactions. It’s important to remind myself why I’m online: to engage with others, talk about interesting things, and bond over shared experiences.
It means, I think, remembering, as Pope Francis said last week, that the Internet is made up "not of wires, but of people."
Kevin Aschenbrenner is a Victoria-based writer, poet and communications professional. He holds an M.A. in Culture and Spirituality from the Sophia Center at Holy Names University in Oakland, Calif. He blogs at www.dearpopefrancis.ca.
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