There was a time when you had to spend a lot of money making long distance phone calls to loved ones, or spend time writing letters, have film developed and then get the letters and photos in the mail so friends and family could see how the kids have grown, the new car or the new house. Not anymore. Now we have social networking sites that allow us to reconnect with friends we have lost touch with and keep family up to date with the latest goings on in our lives. Information is right at our finger tips, usually in 140 characters or less. We can notify hundreds of our closest friends about what we are up to or how we feel about something instantly.  But the question is, do we display virtuous behavior when we do it?

Miriam Webster defines “virtue” as “conformity to a standard of right” or “a particular moral excellence.” The dictionary also provides a synonym for virtue – grace. The theological virtues of faith, hope and charity are gifts from God, given to us at baptism. The four cardinal virtues of prudence, fortitude, justice and temperance are gifts of the Holy Spirit. These virtues, as well as patience should be exercised before hitting the ‘enter’ or ‘send’ button.

Ranked by St. Thomas Aquinas as the first cardinal virtue, prudence allows us to judge correctly what is right and what is wrong in a given situation.  It’s difficult to exercise prudence without also exercising patience and temperance. When we become privy to information, there tends to be a desire to share it. We love being “in the know.” But prudence must come into play when determining whether or not we should be the ones to make the information public.  For example, if we find out something tragic has happened to a person or family, our faith and our charity compel us to pray for them. It may be easy to send out a quick post asking others to do the same but is it our responsibility to tell everyone else? It can be quite traumatic for a family member to read about something on the internet before they had even been notified by another family member. Take a few moments to think about it before you hit the send button because, once you do, you can’t take it back. Upgrade “think before you speak” to “think before you type.”

Some value privacy more than others. Not everyone wants their personal stories, photos and opinions on the internet for everyone to see so they choose not to participate in social networking sites. If that is the case, it is highly unlikely that person would want anyone to create a page for him/her, especially without consent. While these individuals, particularly ones in authoritative roles, may share a light hearted moment or allow photographs to be taken with close friends, it is possible that he/she would prefer not to share it with three hundred of your closest friends. Prudence helps you determine whether or not it’s up to you to share. Patience and temperance provide you with the ability to ask first, wait for a response and respect the decision.

Temperance is “moderation in action, thought or feeling.” It helps us stay in control. Fortitude provides “strength of mind that enables a person to bear pain and adversity with courage.” How difficult that can be when we experience or read something upsetting, have a bad day at work or are upset with a parent or spouse. Frustration or anger are simmering at the surface and the phone is in your pocket and the computer is sitting right there. So you ‘get it out’ and you feel better – for the moment. Where is the temperanceand charity in situations like these?  Take a deep breath, say a prayer and you may find that the damage that could be done by a quick “tweet” or “post” isn’t going to make the situation any better. In fact, it may do more harm than good.

In keeping with the eighth commandment, we all have a right to a good reputation as well as an opportunity to explain ourselves. It may be easy to send out a quick, witty tweet or post, but the eighth commandment also applies to written content and all forms of gossip steal a person’s reputation and lacks charity. Justice helps us determine truth and must be processed using fortitude, temperance, reason and fact, not just emotion.  What someone believes to be truth and forms an opinion about it may not be the whole story. As Christians, we are called to build up the Body of Christ, which is all of us, and not tear it down. Virtuous behavior in every aspect of our lives is essential to this so that we do not succumb to “all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.”

Vatican City, Jan 24, 2011 / 12:23 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Facebook, MySpace and Twitter should be used by Christians looking to bring “truth, proclamation and authenticity of life” to the web today, the Pope said in his message for the 45th World Day of Social Communications. “If technologies are used with wisdom, he explained, “they can contribute to the satisfaction of the desire for meaning, truth and unity which remain the most profound aspirations of each human being.”  Click here for full story.