Social Media Has Killed The Days Of Reflection

Social media denounced by the Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury has issued a serious warning about how social media can impact society in a negative way. He has stated that the rise of Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites is killing off reflective actions which the human being needs in order to contribute to big debates in a logical way.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Instantaneous reaction is rapidly replacing reflective action, in a period of time where hateful content can be spread to “far corners of the earth” within seconds, and this can be highly damaging. It ensures that ideological disputes can turn very sour just at the click of a button, and in an age of high modernity, this is not likely to stop any time soon.

A fine example of this kind of content is Twitter, as they require the user to express their opinions in 140 characters or less. This can distort discussion on subjects that require lengthy dialogue. The Archbishop outlaid his opinion to an audience that included David Cameron and Ed Miliband.

He also defended church schools in his speech, in the wake of the so-called Trojan Horse allegations of infiltration by Muslim groups in Birmingham who wish to spread hard-line ideology. He said of the schools that they embody values of “tolerance, acceptance, and generosity.” In addition to this he spoke about his time reading both Christian and Muslim scriptures with his good friend Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra.

His message came at the annual National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast, in which 120 MP’s and almost 600 church and charity representatives attended at the medieval Westminster Hall. He was rather glum about the state of Christianity around the world, as he described them as a “suffering church," but he also stated that they were “generous and hospitable,” and they should be “utterly at home” in a multi-faith world.

“The church is not an NGO with lots of buildings […] it is the Church of God, rejoicing in the realities of cultural diversity in a way never known before.” He went on to say that it was vital to have “fuzzy edges” to accommodate many different cultures.

“In a world in which cultures overlap constantly and are communicated instantly […] and, judging from what I get, often with some friction […] you need space to adapt and to meet with one another, and you have to trust the sovereign grace of God for the consequences.”

Source: mashable.com

After this he directly addressed the impact of social media on the religious world: “That is a reality that you deal with in politics and it demands a new reality of ways in which we accept one another, love each other, pray for each other.” He then said that “the best answer to a complex issue … is not always given in 140 characters.”

The latest comments from the Archbishop will lead to a huge debate online, as some will point out that the problems in the current world that we live in do not require quiet reflection, but they require immediate action.

Despite this, many will agree with his fundamental point in regards to the impact of social media on the minds of a generation. People do not tend to think about the bigger picture anymore because there has been a digital universe created for them. This ensures that people become narcissistic, whilst damaging their own ability to critically evaluate certain situations.

Social media has had the impact above, amongst a host of positive things also, and whilst many will be quick to jump on the bandwagon of hate towards social networking, it must be considered that it has given the world a whole lot. These include the ability to connect with all corners of the globe in a positive manner, as we can now learn off on another, and it has given small business the same online platform as global names. The human being has embraced this phenomenon, but many have overdosed on the drug that is social media.

Alex Smith

Alex is an English Literature and Sociology undergraduate whose love for written word has led him to write about some obscure topics in his time. Currently a content writer at Social Media Frontiers, be sure to follow him @AlexSatSMF.

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