\u2018Don\u2019t let the algorithm write your story,\u2019 Pope Leo XIV exhorts young people Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged young people to cultivate their \u201cinterior life\u201d and to listen to their restlessness without \u201cfleeing from it\u201d or \u201cfilling it\u201d with things that don\u2019t satisfy, lest they fall into existential emptiness. \u201cHaving a great deal of knowledge is not enough if we do not know who we are or what the meaning of life is,\u201d the pope told the hundreds of university students he received Oct. 30 in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican for an event held as part of the Jubilee of the World of Education. In his message, he invited the students to rediscover the inner dimension of life and pointed out that \u201cwithout silence, without listening, without prayer, even the light of the stars goes out.\u201d \u201cWe can know a great deal about the world and still ignore our own hearts,\u201d he noted, while encouraging the students to constantly strive \u201ctoward the heights,\u201d being \u201cthe beacon of hope in the dark hours of history.\u201d Leo XIV acknowledged that many young people experience a sense of emptiness or inner restlessness and emphasized that this disorientation is not solely due to personal reasons. \u201cIn the most serious cases, we see episodes of distress, violence, bullying, and oppression \u2014 even young people who isolate themselves and no longer want to relate to others,\u201d the pope observed. In his view, these deep wounds are \u201cthe reflection of \u201ca void created by a society that has forgotten how to form the spiritual dimension of the human person, focusing only on the technical, social, or moral aspects of life.\u201d The pope was especially approachable and relaxed with the young people, with whom he shared several spontaneous moments. He introduced himself to them twice as a \u201cformer math and physics teacher,\u201d recalling his teaching past, and even joked with them: \u201cPerhaps you have a math exam soon?\u201d he asked, going off script and eliciting laughter and applause. The pope affirmed that a life that remains \u201cstifled by fleeting pleasures will never satisfy us.\u201d Instead, he asked each person to say in his or her heart: \u201cI dream of more, Lord, I long for something greater, inspire me!\u201d \u201cThis desire is your strength and expresses well the commitment of young people who envision a better society and refuse to be mere spectators,\u201d he emphasized after noting that the \u201cdesire for the infinite\u201d is the compass they should use. Instead of looking at your phone, \u2018look to the sky, to the heights\u2019 He urged the university students to not be satisfied \u201cwith appearances or fads\u201d and instead of \u201cbeing fixated on your smartphones, to look to the sky, to the heights.\u201d \u201cHow wonderful it would be if one day your generation were remembered as the \u2018generation plus,\u2019 remembered for the extra drive you brought to the Church and the world,\u201d he exclaimed. During his address, Pope Leo cited as role models St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, who had \u201cthe courage to live life to the fullest\u201d and \u201cto the heights,\u201d and St. Carlo Acutis, \u201cwho did not become a slave to the internet but rather used it skillfully for good.\u201d The pontiff canonized these two young saints together on Sept. 7. The pope also cited St. Augustine as an example, describing him as \u201cbrilliant but deeply unsatisfied\u201d because he found \u201cneither truth nor peace until he discovered God in his own heart.\u201d The Holy Father focused much of his address on the challenges posed by the digital world and the development of artificial intelligence, urging that these areas not become \u201ca cage where you lock yourselves in\u201d nor \u201can addiction or an escape.\u201d \u201cYou live in [digital education] and that\u2019s not a bad thing; there are enormous opportunities for study and communication. But don\u2019t let the algorithm write your story! Be the authors: Use technology wisely, but don\u2019t let technology use you,\u201d he urged. \u2018It is not enough to silence weapons, we must disarm hearts\u2019 Leo XIV emphasized the urgency of a \u201cdisarmed and disarming education\u201d that forms new generations in respect, justice, and equality. \u201cYou can see how much our future is threatened by war and hatred, which divide people. Can this future be changed? Certainly! How? With an education for peace that is disarmed and disarming,\u201d the pope said. Furthermore, he warned that it is not enough to \u201csilence the weapons,\u201d but rather \u201cwe must disarm hearts, renouncing all violence and vulgarity.\u201d As in his recent document on education, \u201cDrawing New Maps of Hope,\u201d Leo XIV called for avoiding all forms of exclusion or privilege in education, \u201crecognizing the equal dignity of every young person, without ever dividing young people between the privileged few who have access to expensive schools and the many who do not have access to education.\u201d This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. 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