Pope Francis warns of ills in social media
VATICAN CITY—Pope Francis denounced an era of “disinformation and polarization” on Friday in a message for World Communications Day, as he criticized powerful social networks creating “fanaticism and even hatred”.
In saluting journalists, he spoke of their collective responsibility working “in these our times, characterized by disinformation and polarization, as a few centers of power control an unprecedented mass of data and information”.
The 88-year-old pope—who has warned in the past of the dangers of new technologies, including social media and artificial intelligence.
“Too often today, communication generates not hope, but fear and despair, prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred,” the pope wrote in his message.
“All too often it simplifies reality in order to provoke instinctive reactions; it uses words like a razor; it even uses false or artfully distorted information to send messages designed to agitate, provoke or hurt.”
‘Reasons for hope’
In a speech quoting Martin Luther King Jr., Francis said he dreamed of “communication that does not peddle illusions or fears, but is able to give reasons for hope”.
He warned, however, of algorithms that feed social media users information that is specifically catered to their interests and prejudices.
Such “digital systems… by profiling us according to the logic of the market, modify our perception of reality”, he said.
“As a result, we witness, often helplessly, a sort of atomisation of interests that ends up undermining the foundations of our existence as a community, our ability to join in the pursuit of the common good, to listen to one another and to understand each other’s point of view.”
Earlier this month, in his New Year’s address to Vatican diplomats, Francis lamented increasing polarization in society, “aggravated by the continuous creation and spread of fake news”.
Francis himself is a frequent target of unfounded rumors and manipulated photos online.
