Social Communication in the Digital Age: An Ethical Reflection Based on Communio et Progressio

Abstract

Abstract 

Digital communication technologies have profoundly transformed contemporary society, reshaping interpersonal relationships, cultural identity, and social structures. From early computing to the Internet, social media, and artificial intelligence, digital media have expanded opportunities for global connectivity, participation, and access to information. However, these developments also generate serious ethical challenges, including misinformation, surveillance, polarization, and the weakening of authentic human communion. This paper offers an ethical evaluation of digital communication in light of the Catholic Church’s pastoral instruction Communio et Progressio (1971). Grounded in a Trinitarian theology of self-giving love, the document understands communication as fundamentally oriented toward communio—the building of unity, truth, and the common good. By emphasizing shared freedom, moral responsibility, and the necessity of media education, Communio et Progressio provides an enduring framework for guiding ethical engagement within today’s digital culture. The study argues that digital communication can serve human flourishing only when rooted in truth, respect for human dignity, and solidarity. Ultimately, digital media participate—however imperfectly—in God’s own self-communication and must therefore be shaped toward authentic communion rather than fragmentation.

Keywords: Digital Communication; Communication Ethics; Communio et Progressio; Social Media; Artificial Intelligence; Media Literacy; Human Dignity; Truth; Freedom; Communion; Common Good