This document discusses how to thoughtfully engage with social media from a Catholic perspective. It provides examples of different social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. It emphasizes the importance of forming good character through values like empathy, respect, and communication. The document suggests thinking theologically about social media and asks whether engagement supports Christian values. It encourages media mindfulness and considering whether content is true, helpful, inspiring, necessary, and kind. The goal is rediscovering faith through thoughtful social media use.

1. Sr Rose Pacatte, FSP
Pauline Center for Media Studie
© Daughters of St. Paul

4. Katy Perry’s ROAR on Social Media

5. Social Media Revolution

6. Social Media Explained
• Twitter- I m eatg #donut
• Facebook- I like donuts
• Instagram- Here’s a vintage photo of my donut
• Youtube- Here I am eating my donut
• Linkin- My skills include donut eating
• Pinterest- Here’s my donut recipe
• Google+ - I am a Google employee who eats donuts

7. Social media are
“web-based tools for
interaction
for conversation and
to create and share
content”= Meredith Gould

8. Questions for Catholic school
teachers, catechists, parents, and
students today:
 Network or communion?
 Creators or consumers?
 Freedom or responsibility?

11. Pope Francis
The goal of the Church for its communications
efforts is “to understand how to enter into
dialogue with the men and women of today in
order to appreciate their desires, their doubts
and their hopes.” September 21, 2013

14. How did Jesus communicate the Good News?
• Storytelling
• Conversations
• Question and answers
• Debate
• Dialogue

15. Think theologically about
social media
“You will need to know what you believe
about God as well as God’s ongoing,
eternal communication with us”
- Meredith Gould “The Social Media Gospel”
The Apostles Creed

19. “The challenge is to rediscover through
social communications, as well as by
personal contact, the beauty that is at the
heart of our existence and our journey, the
beauty of faith and of our encounter with
Christ” September 21, 2013

24. Google Passover

25. Character
Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an
act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you
reap a character; sow a character and you reap
a destiny.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

26. Character
What you do when no one is looking
Empathy
“How would you feel if someone did that to
you?”
Character education = human formation
The spiritual is built upon the human

27. Values
Values are overarching ideals
that guide our lives
What are the three most
important values that guide
your life?
Share with the person next to you

28. What are Jesus’ family values?
• To feed the hungry
• To give drink to the thirsty
• To clothe the naked
• To give shelter to the homeless
• To visit the sick
• To ransom the captive
• To bury the dead.

29. More of Jesus’ family values
• The spiritual works of mercy
• To instruct the ignorant
• To counsel the doubtful
• To admonish sinners
• To bear wrongs patiently
• To forgive offences willingly
• To comfort the afflicted
• To pray for the living and the dead

30. Remember why we are
even talking about all this:
Kids need human
formation to base the
spiritual

31. Kids’ brains, the frontal cortex
where consequences are considered
and decisions are made
is not developed until they are in their 20s –
boys almost 30.

32. Parenting – the Church’s most
important apostolate
Our children need
 Communication
 Consistency
 Guidance
 Good example
 Communication
 Honor
 Respect
 Communication

33. Control lasts for a moment
Communication lasts a
lifetime

34. Goals of Catholic
formation & education
Critical autonomy
Independent thinkers
Empathetic people
Who participate in society
Responsible and free
Collaborators who care about people, society, environment

36. Thinking, character, values, choices:
as content creators and consumers

39. Media Mindfulness:
What’s going on?
What am I seeing? Hearing?
Playing? Reading?
How aware am I?

40. This is an awareness test

41. Media Mindfulness:
What’s REALLY going on?
Who pains?
Who gains?

42. Coke Commercial South Africa: Go Crazy

43. Media Mindfulness:
Does it make any difference?
What Christian values does this
media experience support or
ignore?

44. Media Mindfulness:
How can I make a
difference?
What response seems
appropriate in light of my
Christian values and beliefs?

45. Before you watch, play, create, post ….

46. = Is it True?
North American House Hippo

47. Miley Cyrus at the VMA’s

48. = Is it Helpful?
• Brick discovers the Internet

49. I = Is it Inspiring?
Katy Perry sings “Firework” with
Jodi, a girl with autism

50. = Is it Necessary

51. = Is it Kind?
Homeless man finds woman’s ring

53. Questions?

54. Let us remember that the
world is permeated by
grace even when it does
not seem so
(cf. Karl Rahner)

55. Christ Has No Online Presence but Yours
• Christ has no online presence but yours,
• No blog, no Facebook page but yours,
• Yours are the tweets through which love touches this world,
• Yours are the posts through which the Gospel is shared,
• Yours are the updates through which hope is revealed.
• Christ has no online presence but yours,
• No blog, no Facebook page but yours.
- Meredith Gould based on the pryer of Teresa of Avila
“The Social Media Gospel”