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Archbishop of Canterbury warns social media is creating ‘trauma and sorrow’ within society

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By John Glenday | Reporter

January 29, 2015 | 2 min read

The Archbishop of Canterbury has criticised social media for fermenting disagreements, exacerbating what ought to be face-to-face fallouts into wider digital spats with correspondingly inflated consequences.

Writing on his Lambeth Palace blog, the Most Rev Justin Welby, discussed Twitter rage and avoided seeking to ‘set everyone right on everything’ through the medium of online chat forums.

Whilst conceding that he did participate in social media himself, Welby said he feared the darker aspects of its nature which may be causing far-reaching ramifications for society at large.

Outlining his thinking, Welby wrote: “The trouble is that subtleties, tone and access all get muddled up. That’s not a new comment - it’s been said many times - but every now and then things happen which make it even clearer.

“The subtleties we lose when we communicate electronically have to do with expression, with touch, with the face-to-face aspect of relationship. Social media does not show tears in the eye, a hand on the arm when saying something painful, body language that speaks of inner turmoil, deep distress – even gentle respect. It is simply there – usually forever.

“Tone is equally difficult to achieve; electronic media has no volume control. The US President Teddy Roosevelt spoke of speaking softly and carrying a big stick. Electronic media speaks loudly and carries a big stick – through it we have no other means of speaking, especially in the compressed form that is often used.”

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