Social Media as “Religion"

Type of Abstract (select): Paper presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
"It can be said that social media could be the most widespread 'religion' of our time. Similar to other belief systems, it shapes us, and we use it to shape our world according to our desires, values, and beliefs."(Dion Forster, 2018.) As an extension of this strong formulation, it is stated that the "actually" non-existent worlds, brought to life and sustained by faith, such as Twitter or Facebook, can profoundly reshape real things like the right to freedom with their reshaping capabilities. When examining the question from the perspective of unconditional faith and questions, humanity is deeply religious today, says Forster. However, our friendships are changing with the direction of our emotions, which brings cultural imagination rather than reason to the fore, in contrast to the positions represented by Descartes (ontological rationalism), Husserl (phenomenological rationalism), and Heidegger (perceptual rationalism). "Media undoubtedly establishes new canons, new norms, often imitating the language and rituals of religion and filling the vacuum left by an increasingly incommunicative biblical discourse." (József Zsengellér, 2004) Therefore, the influence of social media is compared to the social power exercised by religions for centuries.
This paper aims to explore Hungarian theological responses, alongside contemporary empirical communication theory, sociological, and social-philosophical research. It seeks to emphasize that both religion and technology require critical scrutiny from the perspective of social consciousness.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Éva Szabó is executive director of the Orly Museum for Hungarian Culture, Berkeley, CA; television journalist, media professional, and an expert in the field of social-religious matters. Currently a doctoral student preparing to obtain a theological academic degree at the Ecumene Doctoral School of Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj, under the supervision of prof. dr. Sándor Fazakas (BBTE-DRHE). She collaborates with church foundations and civil organizations in Hungary, Transylvania, and United States. As a member of the "Facilitating Ethical Opinion Formation" cross-border professional project in Debrecen, Éva Szabó is involved in making scholarly literature accessible through translations, publications, and digitalization. Currently, her main research area focuses on the impact of the advancement of digital technology on the emerging field of digital theology and the exploration and critical interpretation of ethical and moral connections between social identity, social media, and society.