The digital revolution has without doubt, shaped the mid-20th century and 21st differently from previous times. The world has been turned into a global village. Information is easily and quickly available for everyone. The percentage of literacy has gone up and even the most remote of places have experienced Technology in some way. With that being said, millennials have a very strong connection to their gadgets, with the average spending 80% of their day staring at screens.

So, for content creators and other digital creators, this has revolutionized the job market but for the doom scroller’s sanity and mental health, not so much. Social media has however proven time and time again that it can be used to do good. A quick example would be activism, which has seen the world yield good results through informing and forming people’s mindsets.

Time and time again, young people have amplified their voices through social media just like the Laudato Youth amplify voices for creation. And in the 21st century, the church has seen social media as an avenue for evangelization. Currently, there are thousands, if not millions of young Catholics who use social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, writing blog posts and websites to share their faith, as was the case of soon-to-be Saint, Carlo Acutis.

The youth who documented Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparations on his website to promote the Eucharistic devotion. Blessed Carlo used his website to provide pilgrims with information about the places where these miracles happened.

I find Blessed Carlo’s story to be one that provides hope and reassurance to young Catholics all over the world, that there is room for us in the Church, however young we may feel. His story also poses a challenge to us, that we should re-define what, being an influencer entails and the type of legacy we want to leave behind because we are all influencers in our respective fields, and for you and for me Laudato Youth is the unsung hero who is also using the media to amplify voices for creation and love of God through caring for His creation.

We also ought to remember our biggest support as young Catholics comes from our Holy Father, Pope Francis who keeps reminding us that there is hope for 21st century saints, like lads who wear Airforce ones and Jordans. The pope’s statement alone is an invitation to us and Blessed Carlo’s story and canonization is evidence of this invitation.

Our goal as Laudato Youth is climate action; to take care of our common home and to educate other youths on why environmental conservation is important just like Blessed Carlo, our biggest platform is social media as much as is our physical audience. So, we the 21st century youth in this influencer generation are the future and our planet depends on us, and not only is the future of the Church in our hands, but today’s Church also depends on us.

Hidaya Waguda
Go Green Laudato Club of Nairobi