In the digital age, social media has become an unavoidable part of our lives. While it has its perks, connecting with loved ones, providing seamlessly endless entertainment, and even enabling us to pursue careers, it also comes with a darker side that many fail to acknowledge. In many ways, social media functions more like a gateway drug, leading users down a path of temptation, a path that leads to the Seven Deadly Sins. Too often we are persuaded to emulate these ancient vices, a corrupt play to our concupiscence.
Pride, the deadliest sin of all, often manifests itself within those whose self-centered posts are designed to inflate their own ego instead of positively contributing to society. In the pursuit of affirmation and validation, it can be easy to tie your self-worth to how others perceive you and your life. It becomes clear how unhealthy this dependency on validation becomes as you obsess over every like, every comment, every interaction with your content.
Envy is most likely the easiest to identify within social media. It can feel almost natural to compare yourself to others’ physique, lifestyle, status, achievements, the list goes on. What is important to remember is the gifts that God gave to you, and that he gives you what you need for success in your life. Often, and without warning, our own sense of fulfillment can be ripped away and replaced with a sense of inadequacy. Quick to compete, and slow to celebrate our own accomplishments, we can fall into a vicious cycle of bitterness and resent towards everyone else.
Wrath, the amplification of anger, runs rampant on social media under the guise of anonymity. Social media makes it easy to make public attacks on people, ideas, and organizations, without anyone knowing it was you. Not only can you use social media to voice your disapproval, but you inadvertently can also be driven to wrath by a seamlessly endless stream of injustice in the world, no matter how artificial or perceived this injustice may be. Additionally, the wrathful ideas that can be presented to you on social media may not stay in the digital realm, rather influencing who you are in the real world, often with negative effects.
Sloth is often a byproduct of the other six deadly sins, fixating your attention on one singular application for countless hours. Social media demands all of your focus for as long as possible, and with such ease of access to information, we are left drained of motivation, unable to be productive in some of the simplest tasks. What some would call an “escape” is really a distraction void of distraction, an excuse to procrastinate what really necessitates our precious attention.
Greed, a blend of envy and a side of sloth, is the endless pursuit of more. More wealth, more social status, more material things. Social media companies want their content to be insatiable, they want you hooked and addicted, and they want your most valuable resource, your time. Whatever achievements or objectives we surpass, social media tells us that it’s not enough. We are pushed to achieve in an absurdly unhealthy way. Similar to the problems with envy, we are constantly pushed to one up our brothers and sisters.
Lust seems way too pervasive everywhere. But especially within social media. The narrative that your outward appearance is paramount to success is a ridiculous notion, sure hygiene is important, but the notion that you have to always project an inhuman perfect version of yourself is insanity. It only serves to reinforce the idea that our worth is tied to our physical appearance or sexual desirability. Social media makes it apparent how commodified and objectified men and women have been by society at large.
Gluttony, the overconsumption of content, is inherently key to the distasteful nature of social media. With the rise of short from content and the disappearance of the bottom of a page, it makes clear how these applications were designed for endless scrolling. This has made social media a breeding ground for impulsivity, helping users to develop a complete lack of self-control and temperance. This is especially important to keep in mind during the liturgical season of lent as we are called to practice prudence and sacrifice.
Social media often draws us in with promises of entertainment and validation and leaves us trapped in sin. While social media is not inherently evil, the way it’s designed and consumed can lead us to indulge in pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, lust, and gluttony. Just as it would be wrong to assume that all consumers of caffeine eventually use cocaine, it is completely erroneous to suggest that all social media use leads to grave sin. Nevertheless, it is important to stay vigilant in our fight against the powers of evil.