Like all technology, social media is neutral but is best put to

The words of Simon Mainwaring echo with the balanced wisdom of a seasoned seer: “Like all technology, social media is neutral but is best put to work in the service of building a better world.” Here is no blind praise, nor a careless warning, but a recognition of truth as old as humanity itself — that the tools of man are neither angel nor demon, but mirror the heart of the hand that wields them. The plow can till the soil to feed the hungry, or it can lie unused and rust; the sword can defend the innocent, or it can slaughter the weak. So it is with social media: it is but a vessel, awaiting the spirit of the one who directs it.

To call technology neutral is to remind us that blame does not rest upon invention itself, but upon intention. The printing press did not decide what words to spread — it carried both scripture and slander. Fire did not choose between warming the hearth or consuming cities — it burned according to the hand that lit it. Likewise, social media has no soul of its own; it is neither benevolent nor malignant until men and women breathe their desires into it. What it becomes reflects not the wires and screens but the hearts of its users.

Yet Mainwaring does not stop at neutrality. He lifts our eyes to the higher calling: that technology is best put to work in building a better world. For what good is fire if it does not warm? What good is water if it does not quench? The worth of a tool lies not in its existence but in its purpose. Thus, social media — when harnessed rightly — can unite distant peoples, amplify voices long silenced, and summon aid across borders and seas. It can spread knowledge like seeds on the wind, and it can weave communities where once there was isolation.

History provides a vivid mirror to this teaching. In the early 2010s, when natural disasters struck — such as the earthquake in Haiti — social media became a lifeline. Ordinary people across the world, through platforms like Twitter and Facebook, raised awareness, shared real-time information, and gathered resources. Within days, millions in aid were directed where it was most needed. Here we saw the neutrality of the tool transformed into service, as human compassion poured through digital channels to relieve suffering. It was proof that when guided by noble purpose, technology becomes not a burden, but a blessing.

But let us not forget the shadows. Just as the printing press birthed both wisdom and propaganda, social media has been twisted into engines of division, deceit, and vanity. It has inflamed anger, spread falsehood, and consumed the attention of millions in endless distraction. This too is the nature of neutrality — it reflects the intent of its wielder. When wielded with selfishness, it erodes the bonds of society; when guided by virtue, it strengthens them. Thus, Mainwaring’s words are both an invitation and a warning.

The lesson for us is luminous: do not fear technology, nor worship it, but govern it with wisdom. Ask yourself daily: Am I using this tool to build, or to tear down? Do my words heal or wound? Does my presence online bring light or cast shadow? These questions, asked with honesty, shape not only your digital life but the world itself. For though social media is vast, each voice matters, and each action ripples outward into eternity.

Practical action lies before us. Share not only opinions but truth. Use your platforms not for vanity but for service. Lift up voices that go unheard, spread knowledge that brings freedom, and connect with others not to consume, but to create. If each person harnessed even a fraction of their digital power for good, the balance of the world would tilt toward compassion, justice, and unity.

Therefore, let this teaching be inscribed in memory: social media is neutral, but it need not remain without purpose. Like the fire of Prometheus, it can either destroy or illuminate. Choose, then, to wield it for the building of a better world. For in this choice lies not only the destiny of technology, but the destiny of humanity itself.