"Change Your Algorithm, Change the World"

A few years ago leaked documents revealed what many of us already knew, that the social media apps that we use on a daily basis are intentionally designed to engage us in such a way that we feel in control of what we see but actually aren’t. A good example of this is when I “like” or “heart” a post or video and then begin to see more posts and videos related to that topic. I then continue down the rabbit hole until I pop our head up and ask “how long have I been on my phone?”. Now if all we were talking about was the amount of cute cat videos we were watching then it might be considered harmless. But the reality is much darker and significantly more dangerous. The algorithm which rewards us with a dopamine hit every time we “like” something or every time someone “likes” something we post is causing serious damage to our minds, our hearts, and our society. 

The first reason this is dangerous is because our relationship with social media affects how we receive, perceive, and share information. How many times have we seen a story go viral, exploding across the internet, just to find out later that it was a hoax? Even when something is true, the level of outrage over something we see in our feed can be grossly out of proportion with what has actually happened. When I worked as the news editor of my college paper at Florida State I understood the importance of a catchy headline. But we were taught not to make headlines salacious or intentionally misleading. Today the practice of writing something misleading that sucks someone in is called clickbait. And each time we click on it, it reinforces the algorithm and shows us more. And this can have a cumulative effect. Each day, or several times a day, we are being asked to respond to a tragedy or to be outraged about an injustice. It’s not that these events are tragedies or that these injustices don’t deserve our attention. It’s that the human mind and heart can only process so much trauma. At some point, we might feel numb because we have been deluged by a constant flood of terrible things streaming across our newsfeed. This can lead to feelings of helplessness as we wonder what power we have to affect change in a world that is so disordered. But as Christians we know the power of God and how it can transform anything.  

"This can lead to feelings of helplessness as we wonder what power we have to affect change in a world that is so disordered. But as Christians we know the power of God and how it can transform anything.  "

And the way that we receive, perceive, and share information affects our relationships. It used to be that we all watched the same news channels. Cable news then afforded us the opportunity to hear a variety of voices reporting on the same or similar topics. Now anyone and everyone with a microphone and a webcam can be a news anchor on Youtube. Greater variety hasn’t necessarily produced more accurate information or the opportunity for lively debate. Just the opposite. We are now more siloed than ever. And siloed people have trouble living and working in community. I’m not saying that everyone in the Church needs to subscribe to the same news. But we do need to have some sense of a common search for truth and a willingness to listen and learn from one another. 

The second reason this is dangerous is that social media use has rewired our brains, and not in a good way. When I was growing up the average attention was directly related to the time in between tv commercials. This meant teachers had my attention for about 13.5 minutes before they had to switch topics or tactics. Today in the era of TikTok that span is down to just seconds. How does the Church effectively worship and teach when people are struggling to focus? The Eucharist is the most beautiful, engaging, exciting, and miraculous experience of worship on this side of heaven. Sadly, the complaint of people whose brains have been wired more for entertainment than for spiritual experience is that “Church is boring”. Let me say that there can be times when our worship can be more engaging and lively but that doesn’t mean that we break out the concert lights and fog machines. It means that we have to do better at making worship just one part of a holistic spiritual life that includes acts of charity, study, prayer, and fellowship. It’s also important to remember that the purpose of worship is not for our entertainment but rather for our surrender as we present God with our praise and thanksgiving and receive the grace of God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, and Holy Spirit, and of course Jesus Christ himself.   

I’ve seen many clergy struggle with social media. There are powerful platforms that can provide engagement with millions of people all over the world who are looking for content to help them learn about Jesus. It’s why I keep a Youtube channel and write this blog. I want to reach out to people and build a community so that no one feels alone. The shadow side of that potential is when I’ve seen clergy use social media to take sides in a fight, promote a specific political ideal or candidate, or shame and insult people for having a particular opinion. The problem arises when our online discussions make their way into the parish hall or church office. In the recent election I made it a point not to share my own political opinions online, not because I don’t have any, but because social media is not the place for nuanced conversations about important topics. It has become a place where people go to express outrage and anger to one another, to troll people in comment sections, and feel a sense of superiority. Christians are called to speak truth to one another in love and that means talking and listening, looking someone in the eye and acknowledging their humanity. 

"The problem arises when our online discussions make their way into the parish hall or church office. In the recent election I made it a point not to share my own political opinions online, not because I don’t have any, but because social media is not the place for nuanced conversations about important topics."

I believe that the answer to this begins with changing our algorithm. We need to examine our social media habits, our feeds, and ask if what I am consuming is healthy and feeding me spiritually or if it is separating me from others. It can be as easy as telling Facebook or YouTube that we don’t like a particular suggestion or channel. It also means seeking out dissenting voices and people with other opinions. Fair warning, in this day and age that means being open to being offended and uncomfortable. But most of all it means putting down our devices and building relationships offline. 

Remember that more often than not swimming alone is a choice. We can choose to listen and talk with others respectfully, acknowledging their humanity and listening to them, or we can choose to keep to ourselves, scroll endlessly on social media platforms, and hurl rocks at one another from a distance. The future of our society and the Church is going to depend on how we choose to navigate the online world that has grown alongside the one which we inhabit. My sincere hope is that we can bring the best practices of our faith to the darkest places of our world, and that includes the one in our phones.