Pope Francis: Put down that cell phone and start learning again how to talk

Put down that cell phone! Back away from the Twitter feed!

Pope Francis admonished his flock to forego social media in favor of having a real conversation, in person, with loved ones.

“The great challenge facing us today is to learn once again how to talk to one another, not simply how to generate and consume information,” the pontiff said Friday in his annual World Day of Communications message.

The Pope advised that cell phones, the Internet and texting can both increase communication and conversely, allow family members to avoid each other.

Talking together, face-to-face, binds family members and allows them work out problems in real time. Forgiveness, Pope Francis said, is key.

Children learn from their families how to communicate, and how to deal with people, he said.

“A perfect family does not exist. We should not be fearful of imperfections, weaknesses or even conflict,” the Pope said. “But rather learn how to deal with them constructively.”