My brothers and sisters: In this month of April, Pope Francis invites us to pray for the use of new technologies, that they will not replace human relationships, will respect the dignity of the person, and will help us face the crises of our times. With this intention, we are invited to look at technologies in a more comprehensive way: Technological developments can greatly improve our lives, but we need to consider how they help or hinder who we are as human beings. Take instant messaging as an example. Being able to connect with our families and friends from afar is great; not so when we mistake messaging and texting as a sign of a deep friendship. When in-person human interaction is lacking, essential social cues are lost, and we begin to behave and say things online that we normally do not in person. Worse, we begin to replace human ways of bonding such as hugs, offering a shoulder to cry on and handshakes with lifeless emojis. Our interactions and relationships become disincarnate, more impoverished and less human. Other tools of artificial intelligence can pool together and generate information in a mind-boggling manner. Tasks can certainly be completed in a more convenient manner, but not everything is just a task, and productivity does not reign supreme. Many a times we need human creativity and independent thinking; without them we ironically turn ourselves into robots. Looking at our use of technologies in a critical way is being responsible with it. What makes us human is important because Jesus Christ became human for us, the Word made flesh, redeeming humanity and giving us new life. Let us embrace new technologies in a responsible manner, so that we preserve and foster what makes us human. May God bless you todayWatch previous Pray with Pope Francis videos here.
