Pope: Teach Children to Use Media Responsibly

POPE: TEACH CHILDREN TO USE MEDIA RESPONSIBLY
[SOURCE: Catholic World News]
In his message for the World Day for Social Communications, Pope Benedict XVI highlights the need for proper formation in two fields: the education of children and the direction of the mass media. Noting the growing influence of the mass media on a society that relies so heavily on the free flow of information, the Pope observes: “Reality, for many, is what the media recognize as real.” The remarkable ability of the media to shape public perceptions and beliefs calls for Christians to exercise their influence in two ways: to help people learn to use the media intelligently, with a strong critical sense; and to press the media for responsible treatment of world affairs. In the family, schools, and parishes, the Pope continues, “training in the proper use of the media is essential for the cultural, moral and spiritual development of children." Parents have the primary responsibility in this realm, he said, and “should have the encouragement and assistance of schools and parishes in ensuring that this difficult, though satisfying, aspect of parenting is supported by the wider community." Responsible use of the media, Pope Benedict points out, is an “exercise of freedom.” Real freedom, he said, involves the deliberate choice of “all that is good, true, and beautiful.” While parents help their children to attain this freedom, the Pope went on, their effort will be greatly eased if the media themselves promote human dignity. In the media world, the Pope said, workers are subject to “special psychological pressures and ethical dilemmas” that arise from the pressures of competition, the temptation to sensationalize coverage, and the demand for immediate gratification and entertainment. The “entertainment” supplied by many media outlets, he noted, involves the exaltation of violence and the trivialization of sexuality. These tendencies, he said, ultimately foster attitudes that lead to “violence, exploitation, and abuse.” The Pope exhorted media executives to “safeguard the common good, to uphold the truth, to protect individual human dignity and promote respect for the needs of the family.”
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=48840