Internet Confessions of Young People
Posted by: David Bunch
Here is an article on internet confessionals, a trend that has apparently become popular among young people-religious and otherwise.
The article goes on to discuss the repercussions this has on those denominations that require their parishioners to confess to a church official, but to me the point that people are wanting to connect with others who will listen to their feelings and their failings says something about the opportunity we have to minister to people around us every day.
Sometimes all we have to do is listen.
Here is an article on internet confessionals, a trend that has apparently become popular among young people-religious and otherwise.
What's good for the soul is great for the Internet. Chat rooms and confessional sites are exploding in popularity -- dailyconfession.com receives as many as 1.3 million hits a day -- as young people become more comfortable sharing intimate secrets and seeking advice online.
Sarah, a 19-year-old from Ontario, Canada, said in a telephone interview that Internet confessional sites such as dailyconfession.com can become almost "a mini-support group," providing in her case a forum for sharing her conflicted feelings about a drug-addicted parent."The idea of confessing isn't necessarily about right and wrong. It's about unloading a burden," she said. "It's almost cathartic."
The article goes on to discuss the repercussions this has on those denominations that require their parishioners to confess to a church official, but to me the point that people are wanting to connect with others who will listen to their feelings and their failings says something about the opportunity we have to minister to people around us every day.
Sometimes all we have to do is listen.
