Hang out on social media for any length of time, and you’ll encounter a Troll: an account that exists solely to annoy and attack others, to derail conversations, and to generally be as unpleasant as possible. Dealing with Trolls seems to be the cost of doing business on social media.
Trolls aren’t the only problem accounts, however. How about the Contrarians: accounts that reply to your every single post, always finding something to dispute and nitpick in what you wrote. Then there are the One-Noters: accounts that reply to any and all posts banging on the same drum (Post: “We need to pray more!” Reply: “The moon landing is a hoax.”). We also have the Debbie Downers, who interpret every bit of news in the worst possible light. There are the Rude Repliers: those who can’t seem to master basic courtesy when interacting with others. The list could go on.
We all have to deal with these accounts if we remain on social media, but I think most of us underestimate the impact constant interaction with these types of accounts can have on us—mentally, physically, emotionally, and especially spiritually. Even the person with the thickest skin is impacted by being bombarded repeatedly with negativity and hostility. It’s been shown that our brains will fixate on one hostile comment in spite of many other positive interactions. It can destroy our peace to be constantly consuming the negativity.
Further, it’s well-known, in terms of both psychology and spirituality, that those with whom we surround ourselves fundamentally shape who we are. So when you expose yourself to endless uncharitable and even anti-Catholic behavior, you risk becoming less charitable yourself…and perhaps even losing your faith. It’s why so many otherwise decent people end up getting sucked into doomscrolling and rage-posting all hours of the day and night just after a few months on social media.
Because of these dangers, I understand and support those Catholics who choose to simply avoid social media altogether; in fact, that should be the default option for most people. Yet there are legitimate reasons to be on social media. Perhaps your work requires it or you use it to keep up with old friends. Or perhaps you want to evangelize people in the digital public square—a noble cause. Yet even those who engage in social media with the noblest of intentions and with supreme powers of self discipline can be sucked into its pitfalls, finding themselves scrolling through 𝕏 at three in the morning, picking fights with any and all comers.
Yet even those who engage in social media with the noblest of intentions and with supreme powers of self discipline can be sucked into its pitfalls, finding themselves scrolling through 𝕏 and picking fights at three in the morning.Tweet ThisSo is there a way to use social media for good without succumbing to its evils? Can we transform our social media experience? I think so, and there’s one particularly powerful tool to help us do that.
The block feature.
Yes, the much-maligned block can transform how you experience and use social media. I don’t claim it will solve all social media problems, but it’s far more powerful than people think.
Many people look at blocking as a sign of weakness. “What, you can’t handle disagreement? Snowflake!” Ignore them; it’s likely they are the ones rage-posting in the middle of the night and aren’t exactly people we should be looking to for advice. Blocking is a completely acceptable practice and should be used more widely—it’s the social media companies that want you to minimize blocking because they know it will reduce their bottom line. After all, they make more money the more you post, and nothing promotes user engagement as much as bitter argument.
Too often we separate our social media lives from real life. Things we’d never do in real life we have no problem doing on social media. If someone came into your house, didn’t tell you his name, and started insulting you every time you opened your mouth, would you invite him back again and again? Or would you refuse him entrance and call the police? Yet we act like this level of craziness is perfectly normal behaviour we have to passively endure on social media.
We also significantly underestimate the impact of these encounters on our spiritual well-being. While we all need to be strong enough to withstand attacks and challenges to our belief system, purposefully exposing ourselves to a constant drumbeat of negativity day after day after day is a surefire method of destroying an internal peace of soul.
Personal attacks aren’t the only reason to block someone. If an account is constantly replying to your posts with crazy conspiracy theories or attacks on the Church or her hierarchy, never offering any insights on how to improve things or become more holy, then that’s a sign you need to block it. If an account is clearly not interested in dialogue but just wants to dispute every word you say, that’s not someone acting in good faith. Wipe the dust off your feet and block it. Don’t let yourself be shaped by the negativity of others. It’s like jumping in a mud pit and expecting to remain clean.
What accounts should you block? Start with these:
- Accounts that just post negative replies to any post
- Accounts that attack the Church
- Accounts that attack you personally rather than engage your arguments
- Accounts that just annoy you for whatever reason (or for no reason!)
I don’t think we should block accounts simply because they disagree with us—constructive debate can be good for us. But we all know the difference between constructive criticism and personal attacks. When an account slips into the attack arena, block it. Even if the account isn’t explicitly attacking you but just seems to be dragging you down emotionally or spiritually, block it.
One phenomenon you will discover if you do block people regularly is the victim-post by the blockee: “So-and-so couldn’t handle the truth so he blocked me!” Typically you won’t see it because you blocked the person, but sometimes it shows up anyway. Don’t take the bait. It’s just an immature reaction by someone who probably knows he was a jerk and is now trying to justify his actions.
Also, don’t be offended when someone blocks you. I’ve been blocked by many people, and while I hope it wasn’t for uncharitable actions, I support the blocker if he felt my account wasn’t helping him grow in holiness.
Social media isn’t supposed to dominate our lives, and it surely shouldn’t be what pulls us away from God. Imagine going to Hell because you let our digital public bazaar pull you into uncharitable thoughts and deeds! Use the block feature regularly and relentlessly curate your social media feeds. Don’t be afraid to include in your feed those who disagree with you, but be sure that the accounts you see are predominantly promoting the good, the true, and the beautiful. The devil and his big tech companies might not be happy, but your guardian angel will be.
Perhaps the best Catholic response would be to improve and maintain the integrity of our parochial schools supplemented by home schooling (engaged parents).