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Social Media & Social Justice Sanity Guide A guided reflection for engaging in social media, advocacy, and digital platforms thoughtfully.

Thank you for joining ASJP on this journey to engage thoughtfully in social media and activism! This guide is designed to be a reflective experience built upon the Marianist model of "See, Discern, Act" as a means of engaging with the injustices that we see around us. These days, social media is a place where we often engage in discussion around these injustices, which can sometimes lead to over saturation, disassociation with the world around us, and echo chambers that only shows us what we want to hear. This guide will take you through reflection and discernment to "see" social media, "discern" why a posts or certain posts are standing out to you, and "acting" in a way that makes sense to you.

Before we begin we want to offer you space to engage in this reflection through the guided reflection below. Should you choose that route, simply hit play, and you will be taken through this resource as a guided meditation.

Let us pray:

Take a moment to center yourself.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Take a moment to check in with yourself and God. How are you?

What was the high of your day? The low?

What are you grateful for today?

God, be with me as I enter this time of reflection and discernment.

Amen.

See. Discern. Act.

This process comes from the Marianist Charism, and is designed to be cyclical. First, you "see" an issue of injustice through gathering all of the facts, including examining where your blindspots or privileges lie. Then, you "discern" where God is speaking to you, and what God might be calling you to do. That call may be to simply learn more. Then you "act" thoughtfully one step at a time. After each step, you are invited to "see" an issue or reality a new, with new perspectives, voices, and experiences as lenses you've gathered along the way.

Let's begin.

See.

Take a moment now to reflect on what you are seeing in your social media feed through reflecting on the following questions:

  1. What posts are standing out to you? Why do they stand out?
  2. What happened? When? Where? To who?
  3. Who are the people most affected by this issue? What are those people saying? How are they being affected?
  4. What is the cause? (Try to think of what a root issue may be...)
  5. What are the values/reactions/attitudes expressed?
  6. What are others you engage with saying about this issue or these posts?
  7. What are some trusted sources saying about this issue?
  8. Who's voice is not represented in what I have seen thus far?
  9. Are there any other facts you might need to get a full picture?

Want some more help on how you can "see" social media while also taking care of yourself? Check out ways you can curate your social media feed, tips for taking breaks, and ways to engage with social media from a faith perspective through the link below!

Discern

Take a moment now for some discernment, and reflect on the following questions:

  1. Take a moment to ponder how you are feeling. Why might you be feeling this way?
  2. What does the bible, Social Doctrine of the Church, etc. teach us with respect to this reality?
  3. What are my emotions telling me about this reality?
  4. Are there other facts I need to gather?
  5. Are the people affected/marginalized in this reality some of the voices I am listening to? What do others I trust and respect have to say about this reality?
  6. What are some organizations/community leaders that I can contact?
  7. What is my conscience telling me about this reality?
  8. What first/next steps am I being called to take?
  9. Do I need to learn more before I can take those steps?

Want to dive deeper into discernment? Check out the article below from Busted Halo about Ignatian discernment practices.

Act.

Take a moment now to write down what action you want to take. Remember, action looks different for each of us. We encourage you to start small, and think about a first step. Maybe your first step is simply learning more, or maybe it's having a conversation with a friend. Maybe it's following voices you haven't heard on social media. What is your FIRST step?

After you take that step, take a moment for reflection:

  1. After taking that first step, how do you feel?
  2. Was there any impact from your action?
  3. What can you learn more about?
  4. What can you improve?
  5. What do you want to change moving forward?
  6. Did you meet people who can help you figure out a next step?
  7. How can you see deeper into this issue or reality now that you have taken the first step to encounter this reality?

The Marianist Social Justice Collaborative (MSJC) has ways you can get involved through the Marianist family. Check out their website below!

The See, Discern, Act model is cyclical, so we invite you to return to this process when you are feeling overwhelmed or called into action from social media. But one thing first...

Rest.

Take a moment to turn off the screen. Connect with a family member or friend. Read a book. Go outside. Whatever you need to do to fill your soul before beginning again.

Take a moment now and close with a favorite prayer of yours. Prayers that bring us comfort and joy can often help fuel our fire, to continue to work toward justice.

Amen.

This resource was designed by the Adele Social Justice Project (ASJP), an issue team within the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative that works to engage young adults in social justice programming through the Marianist Charism. Want to learn how you can be involved in ASJP? Check out our website below:

Credits:

Created with images by MarieXMartin - "girl smartphone social media" • jplenio - "fog coniferous forest spruce" • danigeza - "poppies field sunset" • PatternPictures - "antelope canyon sandstone canyon" • dimitrisvetsikas1969 - "wave smashing foam" • Myriams-Fotos - "hands open candle" • DariuszSankowski - "book glasses watch" • Christopher Sardegna - "untitled image" • Pexels - "backpack bag woman"