No one is very amused to learn that they are feeding a large database by using their smartphone. Even less fun to know that social network notifications, advertisements and the material they suggest to you is millimetrically calculated by an artificial intelligence algorithm. We do not see what others see, we see what artificial intelligence wants us to see. This and other things are what explains the recent Netflix documentary "The dilemma of social networks". To some, this is alarming; but, on the other hand, I think it is very suggestive for who want to evangelize through social networks.
Evangelization in the networks
When talking about evangelization on the networksusually the first thing that we are thinking of giving more space to Catholic content.. Content that for us, as Catholics, makes sense, but which, without realizing it, for most people is nothing more than a religious-themed post. It is disconcerting to discover this.
Saturate social networks with images, memes, phrases, gospel of the day, etc. It turns out that it does not help much to evangelization. As explained in the documentary "The dilemma of social networks", the algorithms behind social networks tend to unite those who share the same interest.. If a person likes religious topics and uploads and shares this type of content, the algorithm begins to suggest friendships, pages, videos, etc. of the same subject matter. So the more religious content posted, the more the algorithm circumscribes the user to a circle of similar people, closing him, without realizing it, to the reality that needs to be evangelized. Catholics become one more gregarious tribe of the many into which society is being divided. So, how will the Church grow?
Evangelizing by lifestyle
The Church grows by attraction. But who is attracted to a Christian who is less and less visible to others? I think that we need to become a generation with a evangelizing normality. If Google and Facebook do not believe that we are normal people with an attractive lifestyle to offer, we will be left with no one to evangelize.
We need people who evangelize by their lifestyle on social networksThe cost of the products, both in terms of what they raise and what they consume. People who are cheerful, pleasant to look at, and who live a lifestyle consistent with their principles..
Let the message reach everyone
Benedict XVI spoke back in 2013 on this topic: "the culture of social networks and the changes in the forms and styles of communication represent a whole new challenge. challenge for those who wish to speak of truth and values". (Social Networks: portals of truth and faith; new spaces for evangelization, 12.5.2013) It is not only a matter of keeping up with the times, but also of to allow the message of Christ to reach every heart.
When experts in personal image advise someone, one of the first things they recommend is to remove from social networks everything that does not communicate the brand (personal style) and not to post anything that is not related to it. Then come a series of other recommendations, among which communication protocols or policies stand out. That is, what I talk about, how I say it, and what I consume on the Internet. All Christians who want to evangelize through the networks should be clear about this. I evangelize with my image.
"It is no longer just a matter of "use"communication tools, but rather of living in a largely digitalized cultureIt has a profound effect on the notion of time and space, on the perception of oneself, of others and of the world, on the way of communicating, of learning, of getting information, of entering into relationships with others. A way of approaching reality that tends to privilege the image over listening"(Cristus vivit, n. 86).
A genuine image
This brings us to a big issue: how do I forge the image of a believer; how do I do so that I do not have to "pretend to be a Christian" but rather to convey a genuine image. The answer is simpler than it seems: sacraments and prayer life. This marks a style, a way of being. It makes me a person of solidarity, kind to others, enterprising for the good of others, of society, willing to dialogue and listen; and in turn, this coherence is transferred to the image that is transmitted in social networks and what is consumed in them.
A person with ideals, noble hobbies, clean friendships, healthy relationships, will necessarily consume one type of content and produce as much in that direction. So, social network algorithms will bring us into contact with other types of peoplewith people thirsty for God. They will take us to the common places where universal values are promoted (life, family, person, etc.), which the Church has always promoted. They will not take us out of the world, but will place us in the digital world with a very concrete image: an apostle who lives and makes the Christian message attractive: an evangelizing normality.
Chaplain of the Citalá School (El Salvador)
