KM Viray
With social media constantly being flooded with stories and images of violence, sex, and abuse, it is no wonder the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is becoming more and more concerned about its effect on Filipinos. According to the Internet Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP), one out of three Filipinos use the internet–meaning there are roughly 30 million people who might see these viral posts.
The CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Social Communication and Mass Media released a statement through the Veritas Radyo Totoo website in response to the viral photos of the woman tying her son like a dog (read here) and the woman teaching her child to smoke (read here). Fr. Lito Jopson, the commission’s executive secretary said:
Para sa social media, alamin po natin kung ano yung tunay at opinyon at kung ano ang moral consequence ng ating mga inilalagay. Kasi ‘yung mga nakikita natin sa social media ay nakakaapekto sa maraming tao at kung nakikita natin na ganyan ang pagturing sa mga bata, ito’y napaka-imoral. Pangalagaan natin ang mga bata. Iyong mismong social network ang malaking problema, at lahat ng tao na gumagamit ng social network ay nakataang na sa kanila ang resposibilidad. Isipin nila na sa bawat nilalagay nila ay isang milyung mahigit ang magbabasa. Handa ba sila na maging responsable sa kanilang mga inilalagay? Paghubog ng mga kaisipan ng mga taong mga nagbabasa o nag-subscribe sa Facebook account?
[Let us first find out the truth and the moral consequences of the things we post on social media. What we see in things like children being treated wrongly, it affects many people. We must protect the children.
Social network is the issue and the responsibility lies in the users. They must keep in mind that for every single post, a million people would see it. Are they ready to face that kind of responsibility? To influence the minds of those reading you posts on your Facebook account?]
In 2009 during the 43rd World Communication Day, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI encouraged everyone to use social media to promote evangelization and digital literacy.
Banner photo from Radyo Veritas website.
