Pope Francis cautions against the dangers of social media, claiming that it reduces relationships to algorithms and promotes partisan propaganda and hatred.
Pope Francis cautioned against reducing human relationships to algorithms and warned against partisan propaganda on social media in a speech to Catholic lawmakers on August 26. He also recognized the potential of social media to unite people.
“Indeed, that is the stated aim of many social media platforms, and certainly much good takes place through these means of communication,” Pope Francis said.
The pontiff warned about dehumanizing trends resulting from technocracy found on social media, including deliberate spread of false information, fake news, promotion of hatred and division, partisan propaganda, and reduction of human relationships to mere algorithms.
Francis warned of the danger of a false sense of belonging on social media, leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness. He suggested a culture of authentic encounters as a remedy, calling for respect and listening to those with whom we may disagree.
