The Elements of S in C

behaviour on the Web reflects who we are, and we need to bring our ethics, moral principles, our vision of the world and people here too.

In the Salesian tradition, we are committed to the prevention of certain behaviors that may harm the integrity of individuals. That is why we consider education and formation of users to be one of the important aspects our Salesian education and ministry. This formation should begin with a technical understanding of new technologies and social media applications that are changing along with technological development, but we also and especially have to focus on the deeper aspects of behaviour and attitudes, how we are on the Web, why we are there, how we present ourselves and how we treat others.

Salesians, educators, our co-workers, leaders – we are all aware that a fantastic world of possibilities opens up before us for communicating at all levels. Education, ministry, catechesis, evangelisation also change as the people we are dealing with change, and we change, along with the changes in communications media. We are faced with an important anthropological change, a cultural change that offers challenges and urges us to be in these new spaces aware as we re of their importance in the lives of the young.

Digital technologies are a pastoral opportunity. The Church is highlighting the need to be present in cyberspace to evangelize this new territory and help create a culture of participation and collaboration, respect, deep communication. At the same time, like all human realities, we need to reflect on the implications and the positive and negative aspects that revolve around them.

Throughout Salesian formation but especially in initial formation, it will be necessary to tackle these issues, seen from the users' perspective and how educators of the young should help those whom we need to educate in these things. It would also be interesting in formation to develop communication habits and skills in digital environments so our presence can be more effective. At the same time it would be appropriate to encourage use of social networks in the Congregation to promote teamwork, exchange and knowledge management and best practices, and a more collegial approach to decision-making. We would then be more aware of the potential these applications have, besides entertainment or personal relationship. We would think of the influence they are gaining not just in personal relationships, but in political processes, mobilising society, consciousness raising. As a Congregation we still have some important progress to make in this regard.

As for aspects to consider, we can think of cyberspace as an ecology. That is, making the world of social media a habitable space, 278