Internet is one of the most convenient source of communication where people easily interacts with one another. It is also an instant source of information needed by people. It is also a good tool for social networking, making friends with local and foreign friends and also a good tool for exploring significant information about a certain events, situations, places and famous personalities.
Almost everybody in the world are using the internet for communication. But the main problem the world today is that there a lot of crimes and immoralities happening in the internet. The very popular crimes that is happening today related to the usage of the internet is the so called ‘cyber sex;’ an internet based prostitution where prostitutes use the internet in order to gain customers from abroad. There are also immoralities that are happening in the internet, like for instance, pornography and violence. With every click on the internet, there may be pornographic-related or violence-related sites that could possibly be visited by the innocent children or innocent youth. These are one of the Church’s problems today. In the encyclical Church and the Internet, the Church made some guidelines on how the people may be properly oriented on the usage of the internet mostly for the young and the children. This encyclical is the Church’s solution for the threatening problem of internet-related crimes and immoralities that are happening on the internet.
When I start reading the text, I learned that the only solution in order to prevent the children and the youth from accessing internet-related crimes and immoralities is the proper guidance and attention by the adults on the usage of the internet. The Church is asking for the participation of the parents and teachers to guide the youth on using the internet. They must be the first educators of the youth in dealing with the internet. They must also prevent the youth from the threatening effect of the internet which corrupts the minds of the youth. The Church also suggests the parents and teachers to be the first persons who will introduce the word of God using the internet as a tool for evangelization and preservation of the dignity of the human person. Evangelization starts not from the Church, but it starts from the parents and the teachers who are capable of using these means of social communication.
In conclusion, I agree with what the Church is proposing for the parents and teachers of today regarding the use of the internet. I learned that proper guidance and proper orientation are good remedies in order to prevent the children and the youth from the threatening effect of the internet. It is a good thing that I became aware on the Church’s concern on the preservation of the dignity of the human person regarding the usage of the internet which also makes me realize that I must also contribute to what the Church is proposing. Since I am capable and knowledgeable enough with regard to the internet, it urges me to help the Church guide the youth of today in using the internet. To prevent them from the harm of the internet is a charity that I could give from the Church so as to save their souls from sin.
