Digital Humanity #3

If human life is an existence of embodied relationships, then there are certain things we can say in light of our online interactions.

First of all, we can say that it matters who you are online.


We cannot say that our online relationships are of no consequence simply because they are not done in the flesh. Whenever we communicate we are engaging in a fundamental human activity, so the usual courtesies placed on face to face interaction should also apply to communication done digitally.

All communication involves an interaction between two beings at some level, be it through typed text or via the actions and words of a Second Life avatar. And as we are creatures who respond to and formed by all types of communication (a quick read through the Book of Proverbs bears testimony to this), it’s hard to see online relating as some kind of neutral zone where there are no consequences. Scripture exhorts us not to conform “to the pattern of this world” but “to be transformed by the renewing of [our] minds” (Rom 12.2). Developing the habit of conforming to the world while being online is hardly going to help us grow to the stage where we can “test and approve what God’s will is”.

We could also argue (although I feel a little tentative about it) that even though we might be relating through a fictitious avatar, we are still operating as the image of God. It seems to me that a digitally created human still carries some semblance of the divine relational image; it still represents the kind of relationships which constitute the image of God in the physical world. The animated avatar might be an image of an image, but it is still an image. This raises all sorts of questions about how humans are depicted within different art forms. Is a degrading photo of a human being a blasphemy against the image of God? Quite possibly. So can an avatar who acts in disrespectful ways also be seen to be a blasphemy against the divine image? I think it could be (I’d be interested to see what people think of this idea).

So what steps can we take to make sure our online personae are respecting the image of God and helping others to grow in godliness? The anonymity created by online communication can act as a cover under which we can be tempted to pursue unhelpful patterns of relating. In response to this a friend of mine has determined to never use an online pseudonym; he always identifies himself so that people always know exactly who he is. He finds this an easy way to keep himself accountable, and it nips any temptation to act unhelpfully in the bud. Simple and effective.

But as we have already said, human life is more than just relating to one another, it’s also an embodied life…