Social Media

Examen
 FACEBOOK HAS HAD A TOUGH
COUPLE OF MONTHS.
If you’ve been following the news, you know
that a series of investigative reporting, a flurry
of testimony and interviews both on the Hill and
on our TV screens and a consortium of
international journalists – all spurred by the
work of a Facebook analyst-turned-whistle
blower – have revealed what we probably all
already knew: Some pretty bad stuff happens
on – and apparently at – Facebook.
Instagram tanks the self-esteem of
young people. Facebook’s algorithm
makes us all angrier. And communities
from Ethiopia to Myanmar suffer
unspeakable violence and hate
because no one seems able or willing
to adequately monitor all the content
produced across the globe.
And to cap off these disturbing series of reports, we
learn that Facebook is doubling down on the digital
world it’s creating, evidenced by the company’s new
name, Meta.
If science fiction has taught us anything, we should
know to be at least a little skeptical of the
creation of parallel or alternate universes,
particularly those powered by machines and fully
virtual in their manifestation. I’m pretty sure that
was the moral of The Matrix.
This isn’t just about Facebook, though; this is
about social media, the ecosystem we all sink and
swim in every single day. Problematic though it is
– and it is in many ways – social media is here to
stay.
 FACEBOOK HAS HAD A TOUGH
COUPLE OF MONTHS.
If you’ve been following the news, you know that a
series of investigative reporting, a flurry of testimony
and interviews both on the Hill and on our TV screens

Isn’t this exactly what we are so often tempted to do in our mindless

scrolling through one social feed after another? Isn’t this the
endgame of Facebook’s supposed metaverse? We separate
and a consortium
IN THE FIRST WEEK OF THEof international
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES, ST. journalists – all US TO
IGNATIUS CHALLENGES
spurred byTHAT
theWEwork of a Facebook ourselves from the world. More significantly, we become
SORROW FORanalyst-turned-
LOOK CLOSELY, HONESTLY, THOROUGHLY AT OUR SINS AND OUR SINFULNESS. IT’S
HIS HOPE FEEL TREMENDOUS THE MANY TIMES WE’VE
whistle
REFUSED blower
OR –
IGNORED have
GOD’S revealed
LOVE, YES, BUT what
IT’S ALSO we
HIS probably
DESIRE all
THAT WE SEE
THE FULL SCOPE OF SUFFERING IN OUR WORLD. WITH GOD, WE SEE THE VAST
increasingly accustomed to living disjointed lives.
already knew: Some OF
BROKENNESS pretty bad
CREATION; WE’REstuff
MOVEDhappens
TO TEARS. on – and
apparently at – Facebook.
After all, are the images we share on Instagram
WE DESIRE TO STAND WITH JESUS, TO SEE ALL THINGS NEW THROUGH THE EYES
long, loving looks at our actual lives, or lives we
OF CHRIST, AND GIVE OURSELVES TO GOD’S PROJECT OF LOVE, MERCY AND pretend to have? What feelings, then, are we
COMPASSION, TO REALIZE GOD’S DREAM. WE DESIRE TO HEAL THE BROKENNESS
IN OURSELVES AND THE WOUNDS OUR BROKENNESS HAS CAUSED IN OUR trying to stir in our viewers? Jealousy? Envy?
WORLD. Anger?

THIS ONLY WORKS, THOUGH, IF – TO BORROW ONCE AGAIN THE WORDS FROM WALTER
BURGHARDT, SJ – WE TAKE “A LONG, LOVING LOOK AT THE REAL.” WE CANNOT SHY
AWAY FROM THE WORLD’S GREAT NEED, THE TREMENDOUS SUFFERING OF HUMANITY
AND CREATION.
 FACEBOOK HAS HAD A TOUGH
COUPLE OF MONTHS.
If you’ve been following the news, you know that a
series of investigative reporting, a flurry of testimony
DOES TIKTOK PUT IN FRONT OF US CONTENT THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE MANY
and interviews both

And Ignatian spirituality is deeply concerned with how we

NEEDS OF OUR WORLD, ORon
THEthe HillMOST
TRENDS andLIKELY
on our TV screens
TO KEEP US ON THE experience reality because that’s where God is; that’s where God’s
and a consortium of international journalists – all
PLATFORM? DO WE ENGAGE TO PROMOTE THE COMMON GOOD, OR TO FEEL
people are, where God’s creation continues to unfold. Finding
RELEVANT AND TIMELY?
spurred by the work of a Facebook analyst-turned-
whistle blower – have revealed
what we probably all ourselves lost in screens disconnects us from ourselves, our bodies,
already knew: Some pretty bad stuff happens on – and our presence in the created world.
apparently
DO OUR TWEETSat – Facebook.
ENGAGE WITH THE BROKENNESS OF OTHERS, OR DO WE JUST .
POKE AND POKE AND POKE AT WOUNDS UNTIL THEY FESTER AND BLEED? OUR
ECHO CHAMBERS, AFTER ALL, OFTEN ONLY SHOW US WHAT WE WANT TO SEE —
OR WHAT WE ENJOY GOSSIPING ABOUT.
We must continue to challenge ourselves and one

another to look honestly, deeply, painfully at what is
really happening in our world around us each and every
day, not just what is fed to us through algorithms.
IF THESE FACEBOOK REPORTS ONLY CONFIRM WHAT MANY OF US
ALREADY SUSPECTED, THEN WHAT RESPONSIBILITY DO WE HAVE –
HAVE WE HAD – TO ACT?

SOCIAL MEDIA IS HERE TO STAY, BUT WE CAN’T LOOK AT IT AS JUST ANOTHER SERIES OF APPS OR
EVEN JUST ONE MORE SOURCE OF NEWS. IT’S BECOME A MEDIATING FORCE THROUGH WHICH WE
EXPERIENCE REALITY – OR DON’T.
 And so, I invite you to take
time praying with this social
media examen.
1. GOD IS HERE.

ALL THINGS COME FROM GOD; GOD IS PRESENT IN ALL THINGS –

EVEN THE DARKEST OF CORNERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA. GIVE THANKS
TO GOD FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF EACH TWITTER
HANDLE AND TIKTOK VIDEO, FOR EACH PERSON NAVIGATING
THESE FEEDS, FOR THE ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE NEAR
AND FAR IN SUCH INNOVATIVE WAYS. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ARE
MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE
 2. ASK FOR LIGHT

ASK GOD FOR THE GRACE TO SEE AND REFLECT

TRUTH, BEAUTY AND HUMANITY IN ALL YOU DO
ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA.

 3.PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS.

EACH IMAGE, EACH TWEET, EACH PRAYERFUL REQUEST OR UNKIND

REMARK REVEALS SOMETHING OF GOD’S PEOPLE AND GOD’S
CREATION. WHAT NEEDS, DEEP WOUNDS OR HURTS DO YOU SEE? DO
YOU FIND YOURSELF JUDGING OTHERS? WHO ARE THE PEOPLE BEING
MARGINALIZED, CAST ASIDE OR MALIGNED? WHAT NEEDS DO THEY
HAVE? ON THE OTHER HAND, WHAT BEAUTY DO YOU SEE HERE?
WHERE ARE PEOPLE UPLIFTING OTHERS, CALLING ATTENTION TO
IMPORTANT AFFAIRS OR SHARING JOY? WHAT FEELINGS DOES THIS
STIR IN YOU? ARE THEY GOOD OR BAD?

 4.DO I REFLECT GOD’S LOVE?

HOW ARE YOU CALLED TO RESPOND IN PRODUCTIVE WAYS TO

WHAT YOU WITNESS? ARE YOU ABLE TO IN THIS PARTICULAR
MEDIUM? DO YOU FEEL PRESSURED TO NONETHELESS? IN YOUR
OWN WORDS AND IMAGES, DO YOU SHARE SOMETHING GOOD
AND TRUE, OR DO YOU TEAR OTHERS DOWN OR POINT ONLY TO
YOURSELF? ARE YOU OBSESSED OVER CLICKS, LIKES AND
RETWEETS? DO YOU SHARE ONLY TO BOOST YOUR OWN EGO OR
BRAND? HOW ARE YOU CONTRIBUTING TO A CULTURE THAT
REFUSES TO TAKE A “LONG, LOVING LOOK AT THE REAL?” WHAT
FEELINGS ARE YOU TRYING TO STIR IN OTHERS?

 5.DISCONNECT.

GOD IS MUCH GREATER THAN YOUR SCREEN. TAKE

TIME TO ENCOUNTER GOD, GOD’S PEOPLE AND GOD’S
CREATION; DO NOT LET YOURSELF BECOME ABSORBED
IN THE DIGITAL WORLD. ASK GOD FOR CLARITY IN
DISCERNING HOW TO CULTIVATE IGNATIAN
INDIFFERENCE TOWARD SOCIAL MEDIA – IN OTHER
WORDS, TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA ONLY TO THE EXTENT
THAT IT HELPS YOU PRAISE, REVERENCE AND SERVE
GOD AND GOD’S PEOPLE AND CREATION, AND
DISCONNECT YOURSELF FROM IT WHEN IT DOES NOT.

In the end, as Ignatius’ First Principle and Foundation

suggests, we must be equally content with likes,
retweets, shares and comments, as we are with posts
that go unnoticed in so far as both help us achieve all that
God intends. But we must proceed lightly, mindful that
we do not turn social media – or our own social presence
– into a god.

RESOURCE: ERIC A. CLAYTON

HTTPS://WWW.JESUITS.ORG/STORIES/SOCIAL-MEDIA-EXAMEN
 Group Sharing

How did you feel How did you feel Name atleast 2-3 things that you
while praying the realized from your Examen and
after doing the share with your groupmates.
Examen? Examen? Explain each realization

Thank You
See You next Time