Browsing Tag

google

social media

In the wake of Boston, social media heals

It was last week American experienced its first terrorist act through the lens of social media. Millions turned to Twitter, Facebook, and other social media networking sites to gain information on the bombings in Boston. During 9/11, many turned to TV and radio to seek information but in 2013, social media led the way in information and healing. This is a different internet age.

When the bombs when off in Boston, I was driving my friend Gary Long to the airport. Gary checked his iPhone and said, “A bomb went off at the Boston Marathon.” Immediately, my Twitter and Facebook media feeds contained with first hand accounts, information, and pictures. At times media reports were riddled with errors and misinformation. Our culture’s need to immediately digest information fed inaccuracies.

Quickly after the bombing, social media was ablaze with pictures and stories of regular people rushing to the scene of the explosions. There was something different about this act of terrorism. The shock was lessened by bystanders heroic action rather than fearful reaction to the explosions. The emerging story on Facebook and Twitter was not about details of death, grief, and loss but stories of healing, hospitality, and love. Google quickly set up a missing persons exchange to find loved ones in Boston.

Facebook messages of prayer and sentiments of grief for Boston filled my feed:

 

After the wake of the Boston bombings, social media became a tool for American to heal. A tool used to gather together as a digital community. Social media became the mechanism by which people shared a common grief and a common resolve to heal. The pictures and stories of average people doing powerful things to save lives gave us hope. Social media brought us together. We all saw the pictures, witnessed the tragedy, and experience grief through social media.

In the end, the power of social media brought us together to pray, cry, and mourn. But, we didn’t stay mournful long because our collective social media conscience encourage us to respond with healing and prayer – not anger or fear. As we move forward as a country, social media will increase our sense of national community and will play a greater role in healing.

anthony weiner

5 Lessons Learned from Weinergate

I think we knew all the long that Rep. Anthony Weiner sent “that” (eww) picture through Twitter.  His ambiguously worded answers to direct questions regarding his involvement in sending lewd messages and pictures made us all suspicious. His behavior was bizarre, but we have seen Weiner lash out before. And, yes, the Weiner jokes have supplied talk show hosts with endless material for comedy.

This has been embarrassing for Weiner, his wife, and their families. It’s also embarrassing for us! Gosh! A congressman can’t control his urges and flirts with woman online with pictures of his body? Both Democratic and Republican parties have had naughty politicians, so we cannot say it’s about liberals or conservatives. It’s really about confronting our flaws.

Through this whole scandal we have learned some things about ourselves and our society:

Continue Reading…

Obama

Obama's Presidental Donkey: Watching Our Tongues

The saga continues for the Kanye West story, but his time President Obama has unwisely gotten himself involved. (Remember Henry Louis Gates Jr and the Harvard Police?)  The President called Kanye West a “jackass” for interrupting the MTV Music awards during Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech.  You can find the audio of the President’s incident here.

If you want to pass up on the audio, here is the transcript of the event:

“I thought that was really inappropriate. It’s like, she’s getting an award, why are you butting in?” Obama says in the audio clip. “I hear you. I agree with you. The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person. She’s getting her award. What’s he doing up there?”

Someone asks, “Why would he do that?”

Obama groans, comically: “He’s a jackass!”

There’s a nervous explosion of laughter from the others in the room, which Obama immediately reacts to: “Now, now, all this stuff… I’m assuming all this stuff — come on guys, cut the president some slack. I’ve got a lot of other stuff on my plate.”

How did this come about?  How could we catch such an unusual Presidential event?  Why would a President or any politician say something like that on the off chance of it being recorded?  How did someone get a recording of this?

Here’s how:

Continue Reading…