I’m really impressed at how many people my age went out to vote today. It gives me hope!
From the Suicide Note to the Suicide Status: A Generation of Immediacy
The suicide of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, as well as other recent incidents of cyber bullying, has raised questions as to the dangers of privacy invasion through the use of social networks. Are sites like Facebook and Twitter to blame, or is it the fault of the users?
Facebook users know the effect of a simple status update. It provides the ability to let the entire social network know where you are, what you are doing and what you are feeling at any given moment. “I don’t think it’s necessary for someone to know where you are at every second of the day,” said Rachel August, a 21-year-old senior. This generation’s need for immediacy is greater than that of any previous generation, and it only seems to be increasing as technology progresses.
In the online world, there is a fine line between what is appropriate to post and what is not. This generation has become so accustomed to posting every detail of their personal lives, that it has become impossible to see where the line is drawn. This also applies to what social media users post about other people.
“The online world has opened up a whole new debate of what we consider private,” said Professor Paul Mihailidis, Assistant Professor of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations. “Social media or not, this is about how we have to treat humanity, and how we think about our morals and our values.”
Tyler Clementi’s privacy was invaded using the web, and his Facebook status update became his suicide note. This tragedy brings to the spotlight what social media can be at its worst. Cyber bullying is not the norm of these websites, according to Hofstra students and faculty. “It’s a few people who are not respecting other human’s rights, and invading their privacy, and being malicious and not thinking,” said Professor Mihailidis. “Social media has also been used for so much good.”
What can be done to prevent another social media- induced tragedy? “If you want to stop cyber bullying completely, then unplug your computer,” said William K. Wertling, a 22-year-old senior.
An Evening of Science at Hofstra: Death From A Distance
The Institute for the Development of Education in the Advanced Sciences gave a presentation called “Death From A Distance: The Evolution of Our Common Humanity,” on Thursday at Monroe lecture hall from 7:30 to 9.
Joanne Souza and Paul M. Bingham from Stony Brook University discussed in this presentation how humans came to be unique from other animals, specifically in our ability to kill from a distance. Souza explained that Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection answers the question of how humans evolved, but not of how they came to be unique.
“The answer to this question gives us the power to take command of the future,” Souza said. If we know what it is that has made humanity superior from other animals over the course of our evolution, then we are in control of the future of humanity.
According to Bingham, our ability to project “threat from a distance” has allowed us to suppress non-kin competitive behavior. In other words, as humans we have the ability to threaten competitors from a distance with weapons, while animals are only proximal killers. “The thing that separates us from the apes is our ability to throw rocks, and to throw them well,” said Bingham. The adaptive revolutions of throwing rocks, speech, spear throwing, body armor, the handgun and aircraft were all forward steps in our ability to kill from a distance.
Bingham explained his theory that peace is possible if we are able to manage conflicts of interest on a global scale. “History is caused by who controls coercive threat,” said Bingham. “We can choose what the future will be.”
Chilean Miners Receive Electricity and Cigarettes
Reported from CNN.com, Miners in Copiapo, Chile who have been trapped for over a month are receiving electricity and cigarettes. The text story explains how the men have received a power line that will allow them to have electricity 2,300 feet underground. They have also received cigarettes, which they have been requesting, because of improvements made to ventilation in the mine. Improved air circulation and electricity will help to improve the sleeping patterns of the men. CNN.com goes into detail about the drilling methods that the rescuers are using to reach the miners.
The CNN News Room also ran a television story on the miners receiving electricity and cigarettes, but it focused more on the families of the miners. While the text story on CNN.com provided facts about the current state of the miners and the methods being used to reach them, the television story provided an emotional illustration of how families are coping with not being able to reach their trapped loved ones. The News Room story showed a miner’s sister holding vigil for her trapped brother, lighting a candle for him as well as creating a shrine for him. The television broadcast did not go into detail as to how the electricity was installed or how it will aid the miners.
The main difference between the text story and the television broadcast was the emotional impact of the television version, versus the factual nature of the text version. It is important for a television feature to capture both the attention and emotions of the viewers during the brief period of time that they will be watching the story. A text story is able to go into more detail of a news event, and it can provide facts that a reader is looking for that a television view may not find as important.
