Archbishop of Bangalore tells youth to beware of the dangers of the Internet
Mgr Bernard Moras releases a message for the upcoming Synod on youth in 2018. He warns that virtual reality "is like Aladdin's lamp, which makes us get whatever we want,” but conceals predators and criminals. By making everything accessible, Internet turn young people into “weak and fragile twigs,” who do not accept failure.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) – Be careful not to become "slaves to technology" and know "to distinguish good from evil" in the vast world of virtual reality, says Mgr Bernard Moras, archbishop of Bangalore (Karnataka).
The prelate warns young people against the dangers of the Internet in a message sent to AsiaNew ahead of the forthcoming Synod of Bishops scheduled for 2018, centred on the theme ‘Young people, faith, and vocational discernment’.
In it he speaks of the enormous possibilities of communication and exchange offered by the worldwide web, which has become ordinary among young people. At the same time, he highlights the risks that lie in webpages, which often conceal predators and criminals. For this reason, Mgr Moras raises some red flags for today's families.
On the one hand, he says that "life is more peaceful thanks to the development of science and technology, which enable a growing number of children to have access to forms of qualified education,” and “the invention of the internet that connects the world makes our life quiet and exact."
On the other hand, "everything that seems easy and secure through the Internet proves to be the opposite in the long run." The web "victimises innocent children, adolescents and young people who want to get everything out of this world." Yet, he wonders "Who can decide what is reliable and what is not. How can one distinguish what is right from what is wrong?"
This happens especially in the "endless opportunities that young people have to chat freely with their peers from all over the world” in which “they can also interact with strangers and this can become a habit and lead to forms of dependency."
The archbishop refers in particular to girls and young women "who feel accepted by individuals they do not know in chat rooms. This may seem unusual, but sometimes they remain trapped and are subject to forms of blackmail after sharing personal information."
Virtual reality "is like Aladdin's lamp,” the archbishop notes, “which makes us get whatever we want,” but “it is an unlimited treasure box that is never full." Instead, “we must learn to measure its use to prevent "its abuse from turning the lives of young people into chaos. [. . .] Every young person wants to be like a strong and elegant tree, but these traps turn them into weak and fragile twigs."
According to Mgr Moras, the consequences of the bad use of the internet have repercussions on the psyche of young people.
"Desire pushes everyone to try to get all that is under heaven. Virtual media fill innocent hearts with the evil desire to gain this infinite world, which is not possible for a finite being. This attitude fills young people with an endless confidence [in themselves], and young minds are not able to accept failure."
In the face of all these dangers, the archbishop explains that young people are "the salt of the earth" (Mt. 5:13). Therefore, he urges parents, the media, and religious leaders to monitor their development and "raise awareness that these devices are not real." Instead, for him, the only possible solution "is growth in Christ.”
“We must build strong and determined minds to make wise decisions,” he writes. “We must never allow Internet to distract or disturb our thinking. We are all called to make sure that the use of Internet bring harmony to our lives." (NC)
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