A Seminarian's Vocation The Rise of Social Media in Time of Pandemic 

            “When COVID-19 stuck the nation suddenly, the lives of many were affected. As a result, all employees, staff, students, seminarian, priests and athletes were required to conduct all business and activities solely online. Therefore, there has been a rise in online presence all over the world, and a rise in social media usage naturally followed.”[1] According to a survey last year, “Philippines tops internet and social media spending an average of nine hours and 45 minutes per day online”[2]. This is truly a huge number. However, this report was just before the pandemic. How much more today when every transaction now is online. According to a New York Times article entitled “The Virus Changed the Way We Internet,”: With the rise of social distancing, we are seeking out new ways to connect, mostly through video chat in social media like Facebook and Google duo. Also, we have suddenly become reliant on services that allow us to work and learn from home like Zoom, Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams. In addition, video gaming platform and content sharing apps like YouTube and Tiktok has also hit its growth.[3] Indeed, our lives today are spent most of the time online. Daily diving into social networks has already become an integral part of the modern lifestyle. This has become our new normal. But, have you ever wondered what are the effects of this for us?

            Social media and online presence cause a positive and bad effects to the people most especially the Millennials. In the positive side, social media sites and content sharing sites like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube provide a valuable platform for self-expression and for connecting with others. Thus, making the world less lonely and maintain a sense of connection during this very stressful time of lock downs and quarantines. But it has also a down side, one of this is bullying. According to the “Pew Research Center Nearly 60% of teens report having been bullied on social media”[4]. Another is that, social media “can expose people to the risk of addiction, isolation and a gradual loss of contact with concrete reality, blocking the development of authentic interpersonal relationships”[5] Some research even found out that “signs of depression linked to too much social media use”[6]. And, even fake news now is rising in social media shaping the young minds paranoid, anxious, and confuse. This is the world that we are living now. Everyone is affected by this. What can we do?

            As a seminarian and a millennial, there many ways which I can help my fellow youth. First, I must look and understand the present situation of the world by asking: Where are the youth during this Pandemic? I must understand that they spend most of their time online. They are browsing to their cellphones checking random updates; they are busy with their laptop working on their assignments. Second, I must utilize social media to seek them. I must be in their own feathers because as what the saying says “birds with the same feathers flock together.” This can be done through posting content in social media which promote positivity, knowledge and the love of God and neighbor. Third, I should encourage seminarians that we must keep our hearts burning to proclaim how God loves and never leave us alone in this time of Pandemic. And that, we as Millennials, we know what our age need. Thus, we must do something about it and not just staying at home doing our own selfish routines. Social Media is a good tool to make it happen – a new way for evangelization. 

            Social Media is not at all bad because it also brings good. It is very bias to look at only one side of its whole reality. Blaming social media cannot stop what is happening today rather it much better if we should just pay attention to how we are using it. This should be our advocate in entering social media. We must tell our fellow youth to pay attention to this new normal, to let them know that in this situation God is there to comfort and that we only have to surrender everything to him. We just need to pay attention because all of this happens for a reason. God has a good reason why there is rise of social media in this time of Pandemic. Thus, as seminarian we pray: “so help us God.”


[1] The Villager Stevenson University, Social Media Usage Rises During Pandemic, October 08, 2020. https://stevensonvillager.com/social-media-usage-rises-during-pandemic/ (Date Accessed: October 27, 2020)

[2] Cora Llamas, We Are Social report: Philippines tops internet and social media use in 2020, Marketing Interactive, https://www.marketing-interactive.com/we-are-social-report-philippines-tops-internet-and-social-media-use-in-2020 (Date accessed: October 27, 2020).

[4] Jennifer Gerson, Experts Explain Why Instagram’s Effects on Mental Health Aren’t All Bad, Bustle. https://www.bustle.com/wellness/instagram-positive-effects-mental-health-experts (Date Accessed: October 27, 2020).

[5] Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti. 43.

[6] South China Morning Post, Pandemic: signs of depression linked to too much social media use: study. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3104259/pandemic-signs-depression-linked-too-much-social-media-use-study (Date accessed 28, 2020).

Location: Philippines

Comments

Post a Comment