Abidjan (Ivory Coast). On 27 December 2020, at Don Bosco Village in Abidjan, the formation meeting for the young people of the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) was held, which was attended by about two hundred young people from “St. Francis of Assisi” parish of the Diocese of Grand Bassam (Ivory Coast).
The day began with the Marian prayer of the Rosary, which was followed by the intervention of Sr. Pascaline Affognon, Daughter of Mary Help of Christians – Communication Coordinator of the West Africa Mother of God Province (AFO) – on the theme: “Technologies and social networks , liberation or slavery? “.
After briefly outlining some passages in the history of communication and clarifying some concepts, Sister Pascaline spoke about the advantages and risks in the use of technologies and social networks, underlining the aspect of personal responsibility, but also the importance of education in critical use and ongoing formation.
Later, the young people worked in groups on the question: “How do technologies and networks make us free or slaves?” From the reflections emerged the difficulties in recognizing fake news, the temptation to browse sites that do not help to grow, the need to form oneself to acquire a critical spirit.
The second theme was explored by the parish priest, Fr. Eric Assoumou, who spoke about accompaniment and discernment, addressing an appeal to young people to take to heart the spiritual direction of their lives through the choice of a spiritual guide. The meeting, in which moments of animation were not lacking, concluded with the Eucharistic celebration.
