Romanian Orthodox monk warns of ‘virtual narcissism’ fuelled by social media validation

The Very Rev. Protosyncellus Sofian Costea has discussed the tendency to seek the approval of others online in a new episode of Doxologia’s video series “ASKetica”, explaining that “we chase after vainglory and motivation that comes from people, and less after the glory that comes from God”.

Fr Sofian, who is blind yet continues his online ministry, highlighted how the desire for validation can feed the ego and transform social media from simple communication tools into spaces where people seek to establish their own worth.

“A Holy Father once said that the end times are approaching, or that the beginning of the end times comes when the paths between people become blocked, when channels of communication disappear, and people communicate in an increasingly rigid, superficial and artificial manner.”

Fr Sofian Costea stressed that this search for approval is part of a broader phenomenon of attachment to things that provide image, status or recognition, which “not only distances people from one another, but often takes over social relationships that had previously been well established”.

“This void created in terms of communication had to be replaced with something. And…