Social media ‘vitriol’ warning
Iain Taylor, Anglican Church
In his
latest address
to
the Provincial
Council, Archbishop Foley Beach of the
Anglican Church
in North America has
warned Christians, especially clergy, that
they need to behave better on social media.
Noting
that
the pandemic has
led
to
people’s
fears,
frustrations,
anger,
and
concerns overflowing onto the streets and
the
internet, Archbishop Beach
is most disconcerted by
the vitriol and
lack of
Christian
character
displayed
among
Christians on social media. He insists that,
as followers of Jesus, we should be appalled
by
the broad
labelling, assumptions, and
condemning of whole groups of people,
together with the mean and personal attacks
on individuals.
This is what teenagers like me are facing every day online
Esme from Sussex, aged 16, describes the feeling of isolation as a Christian teenager on social media
The first social media platform started in 1997. Twenty-three years later, social media has become its own online society. At 16, I am part of the first generation to not grow up without the Internet.
This is what's missing from the social media debate
As Parliament debates whether to ban social media for under 16s, I find myself reflecting on a new TikTok trend: people choosing to “go analogue” - rejecting screens for books, tangible hobbies and time in nature.
I’ve been reading a lot of Jonathan Haidt lately. If anyone thinks we should be spending less time online, it’s him. He writes about how social media saps our energy, attention and focus and it’s also linked to a deterioration in mental health for children and young people. Haidt argues that we are raising an anxious generation – and I find it hard to disagree with him.