ThoughtsandPrayers

A Theology of Social Media Crisis Interaction and Mental Health

Bibliographic Data

ID22112352
AuthorsKatie Cross (0000-0002-3083-8395, University of Aberdeen, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume29
Issue2
Pages144-156
Publication date2025-04-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Disability & Religion (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2331-2521 • E-ISSN: 2331-253X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/23312521.2024.2441431
OpenAlexW4405822654
LanguageEN
References cited12

This article examines the intersection of theology, social media technologies, and human responses to global crises and disaster. It highlights the way in which social media has become a primary platform for engaging with such events, while also considering its effects on mental health. Responding to the needs of others is theologically important, but this raises crucial questions about how tomanage practical engagement with social media amidst the poor mental health outcomes associated with it. This article offers a theological response which emphasises the centrality of the body anddraws on the work of philosopher Albert Borgmann to outline the importance of “focal things” in human experience. Borgmann’s concept is proposed as a potential antidote to the mental health issues and distractions fostered by social media, offering one possible pathway to more meaningful and embodied responses to crises

Mental health · Political science · Psychiatry · Social media · Sociology · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Psychology · Social Psychology