I was somewhat bemused by the story that The Vatican has warned that using your mobile is bad for your soul.
According to Father Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, use of a cell phone and the internet is stopping people from taking time to reflect in silence – or “nourish the interior dimension of life” as he put it. However, I do think that saying this is a “grave threat” is pushing it a bit – I thought that the jury had concluded that mobile phones do not scramble your brains.
I have to say I am with him on the silence bit having moved through two carriages on a train last week to try and get away from people talking loudly on their mobiles – without much success. And I do agree that there are times when you feel that there is too much information being pushed at you, but you can turn your mobile and computer off. You don’t have to check your email every ten minutes.
The Vatican should accept that the technology is here to stay and then the press office should use it to communicate its messages – as I am sure it did when sending out the release.