Tuesday 9/20/11

So I thought about a game I can play to keep reading the times interesting. I’m calling it, “Read the Corrections section of the newspaper” where I try to see what mistakes the New York Times likes to hide on the second page. I’m hoping it will go better than today, the biggest mistake was about a story they ran on President Obama’s budget proposal. They said that $3 trillion for the proposed budget would come entirely from spending cuts, when it is actually half spending cuts and tax increases.

I read up on a story about gossip sites are causing strife in rural America. The article talked about how a an increase of social media in rural areas is causing problems, with people spreading hurtful and provoking stories and rumors anonymously online.

When I read the examples of older people being humiliated, outcast, and even committing suicide because of online posts I kept thinking “this reminds me of high school”. The kids in my school were expected to be computer literate, so those problems mentioned in the story where considered to be “kid problems” like bullying and acne. I always got the impression that older folk were wiser and would be more responsible about using social media. Apparently learning to use social media sites safely is a challenge not limited by age or region.