Pope Francis described the existence and establishment of Internet and social media as "a gift from God."
In a statement released on Thursday, Pope Francis said that people around the globe are becoming increasingly interdependent because of the Internet and social media. However, he admitted that he also noticed that people are losing their manners because of these.
He said, "The speed with which information is communicated exceeds our capacity for reflection and judgment, and this does not make for more balanced and proper forms of self-expression.
In a blog post by CNN, the Pope encouraged people to hear out other people's qualms and queries and try giving them enlightenment instead of just sending religious messages or excerpts. He also encouraged people to provide a peaceful conversation rather than a heated argument.
"The variety of opinions being aired can be seen as helpful but it also enables people to barricade themselves behind sources of information which only confirm their own wishes and ideas, or political and economic interests," he said.
Furthermore, the Pope warned the public that too much time spent on surfing the Internet means less quality time spent on families and friends.
"We cannot live apart, closed in on ourselves. We need to love and to be loved. We need tenderness. Media strategies do not ensure beauty, goodness and truth in communication."
Though he spoke that way about the Internet and social media, it doesn't mean he castigates it.
Pope Francis is the first head of the Catholic Church to employ social media in reaching out to his people.
A few months after his papacy started, he shocked the world with a tweet from his official Twitter account @Pontifex saying, "Dear friends, I thank you from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for me. Pope Francis."
Since then, his popularity in the social media has grown rapidly making him the most talked about person online.
