I Almost Forgot...

In my previous post, I mentioned social media.  I had intended to include this strange new ether-territory in that writing, "yet knowing how ways leads to way" I did not make it back.  


Obviously, since you are reading this, I chose to start blogging.  Much like my refusal to increasingly new video game systems shortly after my newly acquired Atari was trumped by the release of the Nintendo, I have consciously chosen not to partake in the advance of social media.  When MySpace came (and went), I did not get involved.  Facebook and Twitter have emerged as the big players these days, and I sit and watch and wonder.  


Is social media good?  It seems great for keeping up with what is going on in the lives of the people you love.  You may not be able to maintain a daily relationship with a friend from high school, but it's still nice to see what he is up to via Facebook.  At first I thought Twitter was inane and that there could be no practical use for 140 characters of information from everyday people.  The book A Twitter Year: 365 Days in 140 Characters  glorifies the first-hand news capability of Twitter and talks about the wit, entertainment, and the connectedness that tweeting (and reading tweets) can bring.  So I must acknowledge that social media is good.  


But I see it used for such nefarious purposes, that it makes me wonder if the good outweighs the bad.  


Working in a high school I have heard countless stories from students about "Facebook fights" and wars that good back and worth in the virtual realm.  Often these spill over into real fights in the halls.  Cyber-bulling has become a concern for educators and parents alike.  Every positive post on a wall is somewhere matched with a hateful slur.  


And while the events of the Arab Spring were largely told through Twitter, oftentimes the "troop mobilization" power of Twitter doesn't support an uprising against oppression but instead promotes teenage misbehavior (click the link to see the media/community reaction to the "pranks" mentioned in my previous post).  


I'm not sure what to conclude about social media.  I guess it could be likened to sex or alcohol consumption.  What can be a positive is often misused and brings pain to many lives; and what is fitting and beneficial for adults is too much and turns out to be destructive in the hands of children.  


.   .   .


On a separate note, I just watched the news clip I linked to for this post, and I start to have more compassion for the families and friends involved with those who participated in the food fight.  I see their position that the students have "worked for twelve years" and should be allowed this special moment in their lives.  I understand that it's a big deal and graduation is an important milestone.  I get that it must be hard to miss out.  
But I can't get past the fact that for every "good kid who's never been in trouble" that was caught in this incident there were LITERALLY HUNDREDS of legitimate, good kids who were not involved in the slightest.  Where in the real world does that logic exist?  "She was a faithful wife...until she cheated.  There shouldn't be a severe consequence."  "He was a wonderful employee...until he stole from the company.  Just put him on a growth plan."  "He was a great President...until Watergate. But let's not worry about impeaching him."  No, often the one time you mess up is the one thing you'll be remembered for.  Believe me, I've learned that lesson in my own adult life.  If only I'd learned it better when I was a kid.   
Perhaps the saddest thing in all of this is still the essence of what I wrote about before: it wouldn't be an issue if the kid wasn't involved, and it shouldn't be an issue if the parent had an honest assessment of their child (i.e., don't be duped into thinking that your kid is some saint) and was more concerned about them learning from their mistakes than sheltering them from the fall-out of poor decisions.  It just ends up being a sad situation for everyone involved.