BY MIKE TURCOTTE-MCCUSKER
People give today’s younger generations a lot of grief about how much time is spent on cellphones and computers. Most say they hear it at least once a week: “Kids these days and their damn phones,” or something similar.
But what if that cellphone and being on social media could result in saving someone’s life? Is this technology really such a bad thing?
The Waterloo Region Record recently published a story about how University of Waterloo students rallied together to try and find someone who had posted what was essentially an online suicide note anonymously. Nearly a hundred people banded together, all through the power of social media, to try and save a life. Ultimately the person was not found; but no suicides were reported either the next day. So, perhaps the power of social media prevailed in this case, and mob mentality was utilized in a positive and constructive manner.
Can we maybe just accept that the world is changing, and that with it comes new ways of existing, and new elements to the daily grind at work and at home? Social media has become a very big and very real part of our existence, and it links us together in both positive and negative ways; but we need to stop focusing on only the negative.
With that said, these young people who stepped up and banded together to try and save a life should be commended and praised for their actions, and some sort of recognition is deserved. Society needs to come together more to support each other and have each other’s backs. Hopefully there will be more examples like this in the future. Let’s hope that this becomes a positive snowball movement, like so many negative ones have in the past.
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
The views herein represent the position of the newspaper, not necessarily the author.
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This is a interesting side of the story. As I agree with the benefits of social media and technology that help people communicate to better the world I think the negative side is still very important. It is statistically proven that the increase of hours spent on social media results in the increasing chances of depression and mental illness. It is also proven that people who spend more time online spend less time with actual face to face individuals.
This video is from the former Facebook chair. Just an example of how it is condition yourself to live in the digital world and rely on social media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6e1riShmak
Hopefully this opens your mind to the other arguments. Not ever new technology is positive.
Thanks for your message. We certainly agree with the many arguments against social media, including those listed by you. All of these are routinely covered by mainstream media. Therefore, when something that is usually criticized deserves some praise, we are not going to shy away from that.