Why do so many young people today live with anxiety, insecurity, and fear of the future? For José Ignacio Munilla, the answer lies in a society that places the gaze of others above God—and even above one’s own identity.
The Bishop of Orihuela-Alicante shared this reflection during the Rebeldes Podcast, hosted by Ignacio Amorós and Marcos Rodríguez. There, he offered a profound analysis of the spiritual and anthropological crisis facing today’s youth in the digital age.
“We Base Our Self-Esteem on the Gaze of Others”
During the conversation, Bishop Munilla explained that the main problem with social media is not merely technological, but deeply spiritual.
“Our biggest problem on social media is that we are replacing the presence of God with the gaze of others.”
According to the bishop, many people end up building their self-esteem entirely on how they are perceived by others—leading to insecurity and a loss of authenticity.
“We base our self-esteem on how we are perceived by others… it is very easy to end up acting inauthentically because you want to be accepted.”
This constant need for approval, he warned, empties a person internally and makes it difficult to face the future. Without what he calls a “vocational vision of life”—in which the
