Ethics for a new territory…

Christians abroad in a digital landscape

Much has been written elsewhere about Pope Benedict XVI’s message for World Day of Social Communications on January 24th, and I won’t repeat it here. Suffice it to say that his call to embrace the possibilities and recognise the dangers of the digital landscape is timely for those of us who spend much our time living in it. As he points out, we must find a way to be authentically Christian and wonderfully human in this new territory. Mind you, as a forty-comething I’m not too sure about his  call to ‘young people to make good use of their presence in the digital world’ . Am I too late?

Over the past few days I have been gleaning insights from a number of friends online about their ‘3 golden rules’ for communicating on social media. Responses have been limited so far, but even from those I have received, an interesting pattern is emerging, as you can see from the wordle below.

Some of the things which strike me are:

  • be– we are defined by our being more than our doing in virtual life as in real life
  • engage – we must truly engage with these media if we are to have an impact – which means time and effort
  • you – communication on these platforms needs personality, or it is dull and insipid

What strikes you? Your insights on this, or your further contributions to the list of “3 golden rules” would be hugely appreciated.

4 thoughts on “Ethics for a new territory…

  1. A helpful post, Richard, thank you.

    I have tapped away at this for some time on my own blog, though mine are ramblings of a learner.

    For me, my three would be:

    Authentic – be ‘you’ or you will not have credibility. It may feel ‘safe’ behind a computer, but people are also behind computers and will make their judgements on the words used, not the meaning intended

    Reciprocal – there are lazy bloggers and not-lazy bloggers. The former write and never read, the latter write on other places beyond their own blogs. This speaks to your ‘engage’ clause – for in the digital arena it is far more easy to be socially lazy and just ‘take’ without giving.

    Self-awareness – in line with your ‘you’ clause, there is much to be said for knowing not just who you are, but how your are percieved. I am a priest and a man called David. I am both together. People who read what I write know that too, and if I get that duality wrong, people will struggle and I could do damage to people.

    Just an instinctive response, but one I will reflect upon. Thanks

  2. Hi.
    I am in my forties and I feel I have a tangible contribution to make on the www. I think there is a danger of trying too hard to manipulate what already exists naturally. The www is a vast enterprise of difference and I enjoy interacting on many levels of ideas and places. In some circumstances it is necessary for me to remain anonymous, while in other spheres it can can be important to maintain a steady and recognisable persona. I enjoy my virtual life, and I agree it requires personality to engage and to be. The internet allows me to develop a virtual personality that will reflect much, and more, of what I could hope to express in my real-life and physical world.

    Many young people who engage on the internet seem to enjoy having various identities, and this can sometimes allow them to explore their world and engage from a distance allowing them to learn and adapt. It all depends on what the message is and who you are trying to represent, and what it is that you feel you are trying to influence. Like the bard once said, “what’s in a name, a rose is still a rose by any other name”

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