Christian Ethics and the New Media: Introduction and Media Defined
Christian Ethics and the New Media: Scripture and Communication
The Christian and the New Media
This leaves the Christian with a series of questions. First, the Christian must ask himself what he is communicating. Is this blog post going to unfairly hurt somebody? Is this comment on this friend’s Facebook page something that will edify the reader, or will it communicate hurt? Is this YouTube video God-honoring, or man-honoring? Is this particular Twitter post about the silly-bird-that-just-flew-past-my-window-for-the-10th-time-isn’t-that-cute intended to be an encouragement to one’s Twitter Followers, or is it simply an exercise in some rather pathetic narcissism?[1]
Secondly, the Christian must ask herself how she is communicating her information. Does she post a hasty comment on a blog that has greatly angered her, or does she take her time to think (and maybe pray) about what she is close to saying? Does she post on Twitter so often that her followers “un-follow” her because she has become so annoying?[2] Does she follow thousands of Twitter accounts to satisfy some problematic longing for the approval of complete strangers or to show that she really belongs?[3]
Third, the Christian must ask himself whom he is communicating to. The openness of information in the New Media can be particularly problematic when it comes to issues of privacy[4], predation[5] and the sharing of sensitive information[6]. While social networks such as Facebook have championed the user’s right to privacy, such claims are often called into question.[7] The problems with predators alone are enough a possibility to cause parents to seriously consider some severe limitations on their children’s internet time. The issue is a simple one, and is a weak spot for the New Media. One often never really knows who one is communicating to or why they are receiving the communication. Whether it’s a blog post that could be read by anybody from China (provided the site is not blocked by government censors[8]) to South Africa to Iceland to California or whether it’s a Facebook Note that “should” only be read by your friends, the question of exactly “who” is absorbing one’s communications is a vexing one.
Finally, the Christian is faced with the ever-slippery question of why. Why is she is about to post this article or that video. Why is she writing this blog post? Why is she following this Twitter account? Why is she viewing this YouTube clip, that Hulu movie or this message board? This question cuts to the essence of what it is that she does and often reveals something of who she is. Does she do it out of thanksgiving to God? Is she in some small way seeking His honor? Is she seeking the glory and fame of men? Does she post this blog post so that she gains a readership so that she will be liked and subscribed to? Does she comment on certain well-read blogs for the express purpose of people following the links back to her blog? Does she come up with witty responses to friends’ Facebook posts so that they’ll see how clever she is? Does she do it for attention? For acceptance? For some small measure of love?
These questions drive the Christian to pursue solution of the ethical quandaries that the New Media provides. Christians are not given a Biblical roadmap showing how to particularly navigate through the Internet wilderness. They are provided with some fairly clear principles dealing with communication, though, and in reality, communication of ideas and information is what the New Media is all about
[1] David Sarno, “Don’t fear invasion of the mindcasters,” LA Times, March 11 2009, http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/03/on-twitter-mind.html. (accessed April 26, 2010).
[2] Nitrozac and Snaggy, The Joy of Tech, Comic, Picture http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/1202.html. (accessed April 26, 2010).
[3] Wefollow.com, “Home Page,” http://wefollow.com// (accessed 26 April, 2010).
[4] Daniel J. Solove, “Do Social Networks Bring the End of Privacy?,” Scientific American, September, 2008,, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-social-networks-bring/ (accessed April 26, 2010).
[5] John Kreiser, “MySpace: Your Kids’ Danger?,” CBS News, February 6 2006, Video and Article http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/06/eveningnews/main1286130.shtml/ (accessed April 26, 2010).
[6] Liz Gannes, “U.s. Military Turns To Social Networking To Encourage Sharing Official And Sensitive Info,” Gigaom, January 22, 2010, http://gigaom.com/2010/01/22/u-s-military-turns-to-social-networking-to-encourage-sharing-official-and-sensitive-info// (accessed April 26, 2010).
[7] Doug Gross, “Sharing Vs. Your Privacy On Facebook,” CNN, April 1, 2010, http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/ptech/04/01/facebook.developers.privacy/index.html. (accessed April 26, 2010).
[8] Tania Branigan, “Google Raises Stakes In China Censorship Row,” Guardian, March 22, 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/22/google-china-shut-down-censorships/ (accessed April 26, 2010).