Throughout my life I have had a push-pull relationship with the Church. Now I know they are just nut jobs. My grandmother used to say "This too shall pass". I say, "They too shall pass". Its only a matter of time before the old guard passes on and the church once again begins loving and accepting all walks of life and stops alienating everyone that isnt white, straight, and married. I believe it is time that the "For Profit" religions lose their IRS tax exempt status and start paying taxes like the rest of the businesses out there. Cough it up.
Laurence Kaye
· 4 months ago
Facebook user warns listening to anything that the Roman Catholic Church says will make you want to top yourself.
Cheryl McDonnell
· 4 months ago
Religion has no place making comments about suicide & suicidal people. Catholics have persecuted their own kind over mental health issues for DECADES. This man is speaking for a bunch of hypocrites. Are they not the ones who say 'all suicides go to hell???' Yes I beleive they are, no compassion, no real understanding of why people take their own lives. People with mental health issues have been made outcasts thanks to religious groups branding their illnesses curses or 'the devil's work'. Life is random, it's a chain of events that are not governed by a supreme being or devil, things just happen. I don't think teenagers kill themselves just because someone called them ugly on Bebo or Facebook, I think some kids have much deeper issues related to things like trauma, abuse, neglect, divorced parents, substance misuse, and the all important PERFORMANCE. Kids today are judged by what they can do on paper, how many sums they can do and how many tests they can pass. Schools steer them towards common careers like office work, when many are cut out for a lot, lot more. These very adult expectations of people who are not even old enough to know who or what they want to be in the 'future' have a LOT to answer for.
SteveSeager
· 4 months ago
PS I'm afraid I must say this is a rubbish piece of writing from Mister Parr too. Misleading. Not adding anything to the argument. Makes the Head of the Catholic Church look 10 times more socially smart than the 'social media guy'. Neat.
Ben Parr
· 4 months ago
Sorry if we were misleading in our title. We will try to do a better job of reflecting the whole debate in our titles (a tough job to do, let me assure you).
SteveSeager
· 4 months ago
Thanks for the 'fess up. It just smacked too much of sensationalist 'Sun' style 'reporting' for me. Didn't expect that from Mashable.
Dennis Larkin
· 4 months ago
I do think the Archbishop makes valid points. The key is balance and I myself know all to well how difficult that is.
John Hamilton Farr
· 4 months ago
I find Facebook outrageously depressing, but maybe I'm just weird.
Laura
· 4 months ago
I was all set to disagree with this, based on the heading. After reading the actual quotes, however, I find myself agreeing with him. I believe that parents need to limit their childrens' usage of internet and texting just like they should be limiting their usage of television and video games. We, as parents, are the teachers of our children. We need to remember that, and to actively TEACH. Encouraging communication and socialization within the family structure is the first step in giving them the tools with which to communicate effectively with others. I think that too many parents rely on cell phones for their kids, texting them instead of actually interacting with them on a one-on-one basis. Children and young adults should be viewing them as emergency-type devices and using them as such. We have control over this, many parents are just too lazy to enforce it.
Wade Champeno
· 4 months ago
Yea this might be true but I am not positive on the issue. I don't see much so how this could be. I mean it could be but I am not positive. There needs to be more evidence backing this issue before I become a bitter on the issue.
Yea I am not sure if I am believer in this convept or not.
CuriousJosh
· 4 months ago
I was originally poised to disagree as well, until I read the archbishops comments. There are key interpersonal lessons not learned when relying on social media, and much needed human interaction can be overlooked.
Monty Dickerson
· 4 months ago
The digitalization of our social relationships can lead to depression, because there are things you get from spending time physically together you just don't get on the Internet. Social media is becoming a replacement for social engagement and this is a bad trend. How can we preserve society from digitalization's negative impact?
Mel
· 4 months ago
Well "said", MD. From the few quotes posted, I interpreted the archbishop's message to mean we need more face time to balance out the time spent on-line.
ConnorScalleat
· 4 months ago
its not a negative impact at all people are interacting on the internet and not in person what is the problem with that. People get to develop more social skill online then in person because you can meet a lot more people talk to them faster and just make the hole idea of communicating much easier.
Name
· 3 months ago
This is exactly the point that he was making. Social skills online do not equate to social skills in the "real world." Online communication is not the same as interaction with real people -- email, chatroom, and Twitter "conversations" have no resemblance to the timing and flow of natural interaction. You also learn nothing about tone of voice and body language if communicating online. His other point was that you may be able to "meet a lot more people" but that these relationships rarely develop beyond superficial, because there are no shared experiences like with off-line friendships. When I was a child, someone told me that though you will have many acquaintances throughout your life, you will only have a handful of true friends. This has become even more pronounced now that everyone has hundreds or thousands of "friends" on Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter (etc.) The relationships with these "friends" are simply not as rewarding as true friendships, and often disappear as quickly as they appeared.
Donna Maria Coles Johnson
· 4 months ago
I do not believe that social networking is the cause of the problems about which Archbishop Vincent Nichols speaks. Rather, social networking has made the already existing problems more visible. Rather than point out the various causes (and there are many) of the problems, however, I think our time is better invested in pointing out and pursuing solutions. Parents taking control and training their children to use social networking, rather than leaving them to their own devices, would be a step in the right direction.
ssr11
· 4 months ago
I agree with what your saying, but I think social media is so new that parents have been blindsided. I just hope parents can play catch up. With all the social media articles out there I have yet to see this particular topic addressed in detail for parents.
Donna Maria Coles Johnson
· 4 months ago
I respectfully think that's a cop out. The only way to be blindsided by FaceBook is to not read the newspaper, not talk to your friends at the water cooler, at work or on the subway on the way to work. A lack of articles addressing the subject does not excuse parents from training ourselves so we can then train our children. A parent doesn't have to be a FaceBook genius to friend, follow and stay involved with their child here. Blindsided means you are caught by surprise, and FaceBook hasn't been a surprise for a long time. If a parent is blindsided today, it's because they are choosing to be.
ConnorScalleat
· 4 months ago
I agree with this statement completely
Shitij Nigam
· 4 months ago
I quite agree. Responsible use of Social Media - that should be the idea. Although the Archbishop makes an interesting point, I must agree.
avflox
· 4 months ago
Standing ovation.
Vygantas
· 4 months ago
Well, they also believe in god, so lol... whatever
Benjamin Dobson
· 4 months ago
We live in a time where everything is changing. We cannot know what we will achieve from these changes, but there will always be loss before there is gain.
Change is not loss. Loss is change. Humans tend to feel the opposite is true, but let's apply our minds and see the positive.
simon_hamer
· 4 months ago
I'm sure the Arch Bishop is completely unaware of the help people get through social media. I'm sure Iran is glad of its voice through twitter.
Whilst some points are valid, there are many equally contra points to be made in favour of social media
CuriousJosh
· 4 months ago
Is he actually arguing against that? reading his comments it seems like he's pointing out the necessary elements of human interaction which are missing, as opposed to arguing the technology does not have uses.
whatawebsite
· 4 months ago
What An Opinion ! The Archbishop - like everyone else - is entitled to voice an opinion of course - and that is one of the absolute beauties of the technological age. It opens things up. Follow who you want to follow !
C.S.
· 4 months ago
If anything, the capabilities of social media like Facebook, Twitter, etc, can be used toward setting up meetings in the real world. It makes communication faster and brings communities of people together like never before. I agree that social media is the straw man of this debate. The key to being a user of social media is to discern when new technologies (read: new tools) are being used, not using you.
Laura
· 4 months ago
"The key to being a user of social media is to discern when new technologies (read: new tools) are being used, not using you."
EXACTLY! I think the problem here is that few parents are teaching this to their children. It's not entirely their fault, in a way, since technology advances so quickly that many parents haven't had time to catch up to the tools that are available to their children. We, as parents, are now faced with the daunting task of researching, understanding and ultimately teaching our children how to best use these tools and how NOT to be used by them. Unfortunately, many parents just aren't aware of the existence and importance of this new responsibility.
Fibo
· 4 months ago
Ben, Your title/headline, as every headline, is wordcrafted to catch attention. However, this title is totally misleading, and pastes words together in a sentence which, as far as we can judge from the texts here, is neither expressed or implied. I am sure that this is not done on purpose, however I am quite surprised: I was expecting to find some substance behind the strong wording of the title. Although there is a great substance, it reflects in no way the title. I feel cheated, not by the post content, but by the lying title.
Jason
· 4 months ago
I agree Bernard. It seems like Mashable has a habit of doing this. See "MySpace Launches MySpace Graveyard Video" post two articles before this one. It's pretty sad, and I guess they do it for the hype, to get more readers, or because they can't seem to stop Tech Crunch from scooping them almost every time. Not sure, but very sad indeed. Poor journalism if they have to over-sensationalize and fabricate the headlines to get attention.
Laura
· 4 months ago
You know, I agree that the title was misleading. However, I'm glad that I read it. Would I have read it if it said "Archbishop Feels Social Media Needs To Be Balanced With Personal Interaction"? I don't know. Since my initial response to the title was something along the lines of "Oh great, what craziness is THIS going to be?", I doubt that a more toned down title would have lit the fire that it did in my curiosity. I also doubt that it would have sparked as much conversation as it has :) So while I feel a little manipulated, I'm still glad that I read it and will pass it along to my friends.
Fibo
· 4 months ago
Laura, The title is misleading or lying. This is the title that is retweeted and taken in lots of posts. It is creating a false truth. Soon we will this this title as a "truth" on CNN, explaining that they are "based on Internet reports". This headline, and its distance both from content and truth, is a pure disinformation.
Because of this title, you read the post, and so did I! Is that a justification for misleading, specially when there can be large consequences? Writing and posting, specially on a site like this one, should lead to assume responsibility in being clearly trustable. IMHO This title just creates a crack into the site's trustworthiness.
oryx_orange
· 4 months ago
I have to agree with you, Bernard, at least about the title, however I think the main harm done by such a misleading headline is to take credibility away from the writer and/or publisher. Writing good headlines is about being both provocative AND true. If Mashable wants to get into editorializing, as this piece does, it clearly has a lot to learn about what preoccupies real journalists.
Pam
· 4 months ago
I agree. These days, it's so easy to garner links and clicks if you slap the Catholic Church on your headline. Also, the Vatican has a YouTube account, Facebook apps, and iPhone apps, by the way. UK Catholic Church against Facebook my foot.
Fibo
· 4 months ago
(sorry, duplicate content posted because of site; removed)
Fibo
· 4 months ago
(sorry, duplicate content posted because of site; removed)
Nate
· 4 months ago
In my opinion, technology *is* ruining personal relationships. I grew up playing board games, card games, etc. There was a lot of emphasis on enjoying the company of others; the entertainment value came not from the game itself, but from the interaction one had with other living beings. The game was just a tool, the people were the source of the fun.
Nowadays, people can't enjoy a simple face-to-face game where most of the joy comes from just being together. The focus has turned to the game itself - if the game isn't entertaining enough to pump our system full of endorphins, people get bored. The game is no longer a tool to gather around as a group, it is now the focal point of our attention. Social interaction has become much more selfish - it's no longer about having fun as a group, it's about each individual's personal feel-good level.
I think people experience the short-term endorphins a video game provides, and fool themselves into believing this means they have a heathy relationship with the other gamers. If you beat level 30 of your favourite game with an online buddy miles away, chances are your feel-good moment has more to do with having beat the level than it has to do with the fact that you rose to the challenge with a buddy.
Animals (including us) are built to form bonds while being in extremely close proximity. These bonds cannot physically be made without hearing, smelling, seeing and touching the other party. I think it's a joke that people lock themselves in their bedrooms playing video games and chatting with people online and then pretend like that provides anything meaningful.
Donna Maria Coles Johnson
· 4 months ago
With all due respect, I believe that chatting online can be very meaningful.
I disagree that technology is ruining personal relationships. If a relationship is ruined, it's because the people who are in it make choices that compromise it. I invest many hours a day using technology in large part because my business runs on it. I really enjoy it and I'll even admit to spending more time using technology than I need to -- simply because I enjoy it so much.
Having said that, at some point, I choose to get up from the laptop and go do something else. I attend church weekly. I belong to the Y with my family and we work out there frequently. I have a few girlfriend clubs I go to. I attend local chamber of commerce events. I belong to a local MasterMind group. Me and my kids play Trouble, Scrabble, Go Fish and all that.
My point is that, I am surrounded by as much technology as the next person, but it's my personal choices about what to do with that technology their either strengthen or weaken my relationships.
As adults, we are responsible not only for educating the next generation and keeping them safe, but we are also responsible for preparing them to engage in strong and healthy personal relationships, both online and offline. If either one is emphasized to a fault, then their ability to engage relationally on the whole will be compromised.
If someone is killed by an automobile, it's usually because someone made a choice to use the automobile in an unsafe or unhealthful manner. Likewise, if a relationship is ruined because of a piece of technology, it's because someone in that relationship made a choice to use it in a way that was harmful and not helpful to the relationship.
Thanks for a thought provoking discussion.
roig
· 4 months ago
Nate, I agree with you about video games vs. boardgames. The boardgame provides an experience that really brings people together especially if it provokes discussion. Ironically, given the archbishop's negative comments, I am the author of a board game on how popes are elected. My work on the game was about 85% over the Internet (my graphic designer lives 1,000 miles away) and I could not have done it without the Internet. I am proud to say that the game "Vatican" does really engage people in animated face to face discussions about critical issues facing the church. www.vaticanboardgame.com Roig
jared
· 4 months ago
Well, obviously.
SteveSeager
· 4 months ago
I think he's spot on. He doesn't mention anything about the decay of society. His points are coherent, valid and, I think, correct. And I'm not even religious :)
And do you know any less 'social' people that IT (or even social media) geeks that spend all their time behind their computer?
That sort of proves the point. We should balance it out to be rounded people. Life happens off-line. Not online. (And I'm an online PR!!!)
Stephen Robinson
· 4 months ago
Rubbish! Its not like its happening to lots of people.
vegas
· 4 months ago
/facepalm.
Troy Ziesmer
· 4 months ago
One more quick point. None of these social networks has stopped any of my friends or myself from getting closer. In fact it has brought hundreds of us closer. We have caught up with many we lost touch with. In fact, we have found friends we thought had long ago moved away or disappeared for that matter. Many of the social networks have the ability for all to see who is doing what, and where, and how. It keeps us in contact and up to date with family, friends, coworkers, church, business, events, and much much more. When a phone call or many phone calls can get expensive for most people, the social networks provide a cheap and easy way to stay in touch...And play many of the fun social games that are available, including the "old" board games. Keep the government out of my home, and the church out of it for that matter. And lets be clear...There is a huge difference between church and government intrustion not being wanted in a persons home, and religion and faith being there. Ciao.
Troy Ziesmer
· 4 months ago
One more quick point. None of these social networks has stopped any of my friends or myself from getting closer. In fact it has brought hundreds of us closer. We have caught up with many we lost touch with. In fact, we have found friends we thought had long ago moved away or disappeared for that matter. Many of the social networks have the ability for all to see who is doing what, and where, and how. It keeps us in contact and up to date with family, friends, coworkers, church, business, events, and much much more. When a phone call or many phone calls can get expensive for most people, the social networks provide a cheap and easy way to stay in touch...And play many of the fun social games that are available, including the "old" board games. Keep the government out of my home, and the church out of it for that matter. Ciao.
jorgeavilam
· 4 months ago
As technology moves on, society needs to catch up (faster). Funny that the vatican just launched their Social Initiative few months ago.
Cathie Scally
· 4 months ago
Instead of as you say ditching the new technology and binning the cell phone would it not be more sensible to ask Bebo,Facebook etc to have some sort of censoring board where material deemed unsuitable,not just for children but for the morality of all,could be screened - also a help line where any person who feels bullied on their profile page could report to and get help in dealing with the problems - the problem is more that there is no family structure like it was years ago and children are turning to those networks instead of parents or immediate family - the result is ammunition for the bullies
Σχολή Χορού
· 4 months ago
A typical example of people who think that bytes are a kind of meat.
Jason
· 4 months ago
I think the Archbishop is totally onto something but primarily involving Facebook. White everywhere, blue text links and lots and lots of text. Every profile looks exactly the same. Masses of extremely irritating and super lame quizzes/apps. Getting poked by your Aunt. Having to interact even more with your eighty year old grandparents and Aunt with a Rollie Fingers mustache because they are in keen on Facebook. Lots of messages, but nowhere to put them all. Everything feels like the 1984 Apple commercial before the javelin thrower appears. Yes, Archbishop, you might be onto something...Facebook can lead to suicide.
eric stanton corrie
· 4 months ago
NO FACE BOOK DID NOT START THAT TREND IN THE UK,!!pop364sextantgalaxy@wordpress.com (blogs) JUDAS ISCARIOT COMMITED SUICIDE! HIMSELF!!!Yes all time itself is measured by judas iscariots death,JUDAS ISCARIOT HUNG HIMSELF FROM A TREE OUTSIDE THE CITY WALLS OF JERUSALEM,He broke his neck at the end of a rope when he hung himself from a tree,Then his dead remains were disposed of in the jerusalem city dump,Other wise known as the potters feild,(All time itself is truly measured by judas iscariots death,(Two thousand nine years) after the death of judas iscariot is the fit and proper anounciation of time,Only jesus christ him self is the resurection, and we never once measured te divisions of all time itself by a living person!! AFTER THE DEATH OF JUDAS ISCARIOT!! IS THE CORRECT ANSWER!!to (a,d)/////Our heavenly father hallowed be thy name thine freedom came,Thou shalt be done on earth as it is in heaven,Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive their sins by law,Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from the evil ones in the days of the false prophets,For thine truly is the one and only healing son of god,With liberty and justice for all,In jesus name amen we pray,////// ONLY TRUE FREEDOM IS THE TRUE RESURECTION IN JESUS NAME AMEN,
eric stanton corrie
· 4 months ago
thank you pope john paul benidict and archbishop vincent nichols for blessing my work as (THE EVOLUTION OF NEW WORLD CHRISTIANITY) SIGNED pop364sextantgalaxy/blogs/wordpress.com
Andrew
· 4 months ago
I agree with with many of the points of the Archbishop...
I remember the days in elementary, jr. middle school, and even high school when after class I would be out and about in sports socializing or playing...More to the point, I had face to face interaction..
My interaction with my brother..who is constantly on his I-phone updating Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, texting, IM chatting has deteriorated greatly.. We speak in the language of Text and Twitter..
The other day I was with family at a restaurant and across from me was my sister-in-law that was texting, updating, etc. Abruptly I said to her across the table "I could have sworn Linda was here" she then put down the phone...
We lose face time.. If the person on the other end of that phone or computer or whatever is so important than you should be there or they should be here..but what matters is you are here with us and we should be interacting without devices stuck to our hip to do so...
Maybe next time ill sit at another table in the same restaurant and just update twitter her to get her attention...
Oh'one other thing..its easy to be behind a computer screen and say what you want to say but its another thing to do it in person..Plus all you get on those Facebook and Myspace pages are pics and updates that 99% of the time show the good pics, good times, and funny times...Seldom do we see the full spectrum of ones life, even our closes "friends", only what ones wants us to see...
nothing beats the old fashioned face-to-face social gatherings..
Betsey Doane
· 4 months ago
Responsible is the key.
Duyen Tran
· 4 months ago
Does Facebook lead to Suicide? Certainly Not! Does it lead to isolation? Yes, Probably! But... isn´t it quite oversimplified to say "It’s up to us to be responsible with the power of new technology, and to avoid the pitfalls of human nature." ? Accordingly possible to say "It´s up to us to be responsible with the power of drugs? Why don´t we legalize drugs, as the netherlands did? Some are depending on drugs, others are depending on network communications. There are some reasons to be concerned with the further progress.
EmailMarketing
· 4 months ago
The greatest benefit of Facebook is that it has many groups on the site that you can join. So if you are interested in Chicago Cubs you can research Chicago Cubs in the groups section and you will be able to find friends on there that like the Cubs. This is just one example, I know that you can join groups of your favorite football team, television show, or whatever you want for the most part! If you can't find a group for your interest, you can simply create one!
The greatest benefit of Facebook is that it has many groups on the site that you can join. So if you are interested in Chicago Cubs you can research Chicago Cubs in the groups section and you will be able to find friends on there that like the Cubs. This is just one example, I know that you can join groups of your favorite football team, television show, or whatever you want for the most part! If you can't find a group for your interest, you can simply create one!
He makes valid points on a few levels. It is beneficial to socially interact with people in person. That being said, suicide is a much deeper issue. Psychological trauma in suicide victims build for years and I doubt that all of it was due to internet social networking.
FB and other networking sites may contribute on some level but it's the entire body of work; namely, what's going on in a person's mind. There are a myriad of triggers which cause depression and suicidal tendencies but it's wrong to label any one as a root cause.
I had to stop reading this once I realized he's being serious. This is a huge development. We are able to stay in contact in ways never before. We are now building stronger relations with others by being able to stay in contact longer.
leahkaiz
· 4 months ago
I think it is always a case of balance in all that you do. I think that while the points he made were valid, there is still the responsibility factor of the user that is being ignored and in the case of minors, there is the responsibility factor of the parents that is being over looked. I believe that as a parent they are responsible for knowing what their children are involved with and being an active participant. Whether it's going to their sporting events, or knowing the topics that are near and dear to them on FB, MySpace etc. If you don't know what your children are really talking about how can you really know them? And, yes no one should rely solely on Social Media as their Social interactions. There are always the missing elements of body language and voice intonation that makes up a full and interactive social context. But the networking aspect as well as many other aspects of social media can be very beneficial to people who use it. ANYTHING requires responsible use and personal responsibility. You can't just say it's the fault of social media.
Patty
· 4 months ago
The archbishop has a point about social networking but it has nothing to do with the girl who committed suicide. It wasn't lack of real relationships because of social networking that led to this girl's suicide. Her classmates chose to bully her on the internet instead of bullying her in school. Kids are smart. They know that if they bully in school, they will get suspended. They choose the internet because they know that the school won't get involved.
Four years ago, when my daughter was 15, she was bullied on MySpace by a classmate at her school. The principal wouldn't get involved because it was happening off of school grounds. The bully got other girls to join in, but it was all done on the internet. Nothing I did stopped the bullying and the principal was no help. My daughter was not the bold, fight back type. Her idea of fun was to sit under a tree and have book reading marathons. I was about ready to pull my daughter out of school and get her a tutor because she was miserable. One day something snapped in my daughter. She went to school and beat the living daylights out of the girl who was bullying her.
I received a call from the principal and it took a couple of minutes to register in my brain because my daughter was not the fighting type. She was the total opposite of that. The girl's mother was livid because the girl needed medical care. My daughter broke the girl's nose too. The mother called the police. The police came to the house to discuss the matter. I showed him everything on the internet. He took my daughter's side and said that he was going to do everything to see to it that nothing happened to her.
To make a long story a bit shorter, nothing happened to my daughter other than getting suspended for a day for fighting in school. And the bullying stopped. I don't advocate violence. But I also don't know what the answer is to stop bullying. Point is that kids in school are taking bullying to these social networking sites because they know that the school won't get involved and they won't get in trouble.
Mark David Gerson
· 4 months ago
Young gay men and women have been committing suicide for decades due to bullying and cruel harassment by their peers in schools. I don't see any Roman Catholic clerics expressing any concern about that. How compassion and concern that isn't quite so selective, your grace?
roig
· 4 months ago
I think the archbishop is entirely wrong and his comments remind me of the book Bowling Alone which saw the decline of traditional forms of interaction (like bowling) as a sign of a decline in the richness of human relationships. Instead, the exact opposite is true, digital means of communication have opened up vast new opportunities for all kinds of rich interaction with individuals all over the planet. They have also enabled millions of web users to make their voices heard and have a profound effect in areas that would have been impossible earlier. We have only to look at the effect of the Internet on the Iranian resistance movement, or the impact of consumer reviews on product design and marketing.
Frankly, as a retired person my level of interaction and my ability to discover others with like interests has never been greater. Far from being "home alone" and isolated I am home with hundreds of others as Internet friends and contacts while seeing and interacting with as many or more real persons as ever.
Roig
Facebook Applications
· 4 months ago
Hey great info indeed. Thanks quite informative
Facebook Developer
· 4 months ago
Hey great info indeed. Thanks quite informative
Pamela Stansberry
· 4 months ago
In regard to facebook, myspace, and texting, as well as other internet forms of community and networking being something to be wary as a cause of collapse of interpersonal relationships and suicidal issues...isn't that completely beside the point?
The problem isn't the internet.
The problem is that in this world parenting is not something that everyone knows how to do effectively. If all children—all people—had the benefit of a loving, emotionally stable parent or guardian to help then develop self-esteem, inherent value, self-respect & respect for others, healthy social abilities and emotional maturity, then there would be no problems anywhere with anyone!
But human beings can only teach what they know. Call that "original sin" or perhaps it should just be acknowledged that it is the nature of ignorance—not being aware or not knowing. We all have ignorance. All of us. We can only just try to move through it & seek truth as we go.
So if a parent doesn't know how to communicate or develop healthy relationships with a child—or they don't think it's important for them to do so, how can the child grow in those essential areas? In my opinion, that's where reliable mentors, community & spiritual leaders, as well as any individual who can shine a little light in the world—are necessary.
The internet has been a blessing, far more than a curse. It has taken power out of the hands of a few who seek their own interests, and dispersed it among the many. It also provides more than one point of view on any subject that might be in question.
This world is made up of people. And if "we people" can reach out to one another to offer what good we can, then perhaps the children who fall in between the cracks might at least have some valuable resources to use for making positive choices in their lives. We all can find the help we need through helping one another. And what better way can we do that than letting "healthy, wise & compassionate words" spread throughout the world. Whatever works.
God bless us all!
kevin
· 4 months ago
priest molesting children leads to more suicides than facebook
kevin
· 4 months ago
priest molesting children leads to more suicides than facebook
Justin
· 4 months ago
What a boob!!! Web bullying is no different from any other type of bullying!!! Facebook and Twitter DO NOT cause suicide. Depression, anxiety, and plenty of other psychological disorders are what cause suicide. Each person is responsible for their own social interactions. If one chooses to build friendships only on the web and doesn't ever interact with their web friends in person then my question is are you really friends at all? I interact with people online that I already have known which is really the purpose of facebook and twitter, to keep up with your friends and stay social in today's busy, on the go kind of lifestyle. Welcome to the 21st century grandpa!!!
Justin
· 4 months ago
What a boob!!! Web bullying is no different from any other type of bullying!!! Facebook and Twitter DO NOT cause suicide. Depression, anxiety, and plenty of other psychological disorders are what cause suicide. Each person is responsible for their own social interactions. If one chooses to build friendships only on the web and doesn't ever interact with their web friends in person then my question is are you really friends at all? I interact with people online that I already have known which is really the purpose of facebook and twitter, to keep up with your friends and stay social in today's busy, on the go kind of lifestyle. Welcome to the 21st century grandpa!!!
tabish123
· 4 months ago
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tabish123
· 4 months ago
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tabish123
· 4 months ago
I believe him because it is creating depression among youngsters. I would also like to share this with you http://www.techmahser.com
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Its only a matter of time before the old guard passes on and the church once again begins loving and accepting all walks of life and stops alienating everyone that isnt white, straight, and married. I believe it is time that the "For Profit" religions lose their IRS tax exempt status and start paying taxes like the rest of the businesses out there.
Cough it up.
I don't think teenagers kill themselves just because someone called them ugly on Bebo or Facebook, I think some kids have much deeper issues related to things like trauma, abuse, neglect, divorced parents, substance misuse, and the all important PERFORMANCE. Kids today are judged by what they can do on paper, how many sums they can do and how many tests they can pass. Schools steer them towards common careers like office work, when many are cut out for a lot, lot more.
These very adult expectations of people who are not even old enough to know who or what they want to be in the 'future' have a LOT to answer for.
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Yea I am not sure if I am believer in this convept or not.
Change is not loss. Loss is change. Humans tend to feel the opposite is true, but let's apply our minds and see the positive.
Whilst some points are valid, there are many equally contra points to be made in favour of social media
reading his comments it seems like he's pointing out the necessary elements of human interaction which are missing, as opposed to arguing the technology does not have uses.
and that is one of the absolute beauties of the technological age. It opens things up. Follow who you want to follow !
EXACTLY! I think the problem here is that few parents are teaching this to their children. It's not entirely their fault, in a way, since technology advances so quickly that many parents haven't had time to catch up to the tools that are available to their children. We, as parents, are now faced with the daunting task of researching, understanding and ultimately teaching our children how to best use these tools and how NOT to be used by them. Unfortunately, many parents just aren't aware of the existence and importance of this new responsibility.
Your title/headline, as every headline, is wordcrafted to catch attention.
However, this title is totally misleading, and pastes words together in a sentence which, as far as we can judge from the texts here, is neither expressed or implied.
I am sure that this is not done on purpose, however I am quite surprised: I was expecting to find some substance behind the strong wording of the title. Although there is a great substance, it reflects in no way the title.
I feel cheated, not by the post content, but by the lying title.
The title is misleading or lying. This is the title that is retweeted and taken in lots of posts.
It is creating a false truth.
Soon we will this this title as a "truth" on CNN, explaining that they are "based on Internet reports".
This headline, and its distance both from content and truth, is a pure disinformation.
Because of this title, you read the post, and so did I! Is that a justification for misleading, specially when there can be large consequences?
Writing and posting, specially on a site like this one, should lead to assume responsibility in being clearly trustable. IMHO This title just creates a crack into the site's trustworthiness.
Nowadays, people can't enjoy a simple face-to-face game where most of the joy comes from just being together. The focus has turned to the game itself - if the game isn't entertaining enough to pump our system full of endorphins, people get bored. The game is no longer a tool to gather around as a group, it is now the focal point of our attention. Social interaction has become much more selfish - it's no longer about having fun as a group, it's about each individual's personal feel-good level.
I think people experience the short-term endorphins a video game provides, and fool themselves into believing this means they have a heathy relationship with the other gamers. If you beat level 30 of your favourite game with an online buddy miles away, chances are your feel-good moment has more to do with having beat the level than it has to do with the fact that you rose to the challenge with a buddy.
Animals (including us) are built to form bonds while being in extremely close proximity. These bonds cannot physically be made without hearing, smelling, seeing and touching the other party. I think it's a joke that people lock themselves in their bedrooms playing video games and chatting with people online and then pretend like that provides anything meaningful.
I disagree that technology is ruining personal relationships. If a relationship is ruined, it's because the people who are in it make choices that compromise it. I invest many hours a day using technology in large part because my business runs on it. I really enjoy it and I'll even admit to spending more time using technology than I need to -- simply because I enjoy it so much.
Having said that, at some point, I choose to get up from the laptop and go do something else. I attend church weekly. I belong to the Y with my family and we work out there frequently. I have a few girlfriend clubs I go to. I attend local chamber of commerce events. I belong to a local MasterMind group. Me and my kids play Trouble, Scrabble, Go Fish and all that.
My point is that, I am surrounded by as much technology as the next person, but it's my personal choices about what to do with that technology their either strengthen or weaken my relationships.
As adults, we are responsible not only for educating the next generation and keeping them safe, but we are also responsible for preparing them to engage in strong and healthy personal relationships, both online and offline. If either one is emphasized to a fault, then their ability to engage relationally on the whole will be compromised.
If someone is killed by an automobile, it's usually because someone made a choice to use the automobile in an unsafe or unhealthful manner. Likewise, if a relationship is ruined because of a piece of technology, it's because someone in that relationship made a choice to use it in a way that was harmful and not helpful to the relationship.
Thanks for a thought provoking discussion.
I agree with you about video games vs. boardgames. The boardgame provides an experience that really brings people together especially if it provokes discussion. Ironically, given the archbishop's negative comments, I am the author of a board game on how popes are elected. My work on the game was about 85% over the Internet (my graphic designer lives 1,000 miles away) and I could not have done it without the Internet. I am proud to say that the game "Vatican" does really engage people in animated face to face discussions about critical issues facing the church. www.vaticanboardgame.com
Roig
And do you know any less 'social' people that IT (or even social media) geeks that spend all their time behind their computer?
That sort of proves the point. We should balance it out to be rounded people. Life happens off-line. Not online. (And I'm an online PR!!!)
Keep the government out of my home, and the church out of it for that matter.
And lets be clear...There is a huge difference between church and government intrustion not being wanted in a persons home, and religion and faith being there.
Ciao.
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I remember the days in elementary, jr. middle school, and even high school when after class I would be out and about in sports socializing or playing...More to the point, I had face to face interaction..
My interaction with my brother..who is constantly on his I-phone updating Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, texting, IM chatting has deteriorated greatly.. We speak in the language of Text and Twitter..
The other day I was with family at a restaurant and across from me was my sister-in-law that was texting, updating, etc. Abruptly I said to her across the table "I could have sworn Linda was here" she then put down the phone...
We lose face time.. If the person on the other end of that phone or computer or whatever is so important than you should be there or they should be here..but what matters is you are here with us and we should be interacting without devices stuck to our hip to do so...
Maybe next time ill sit at another table in the same restaurant and just update twitter her to get her attention...
Oh'one other thing..its easy to be behind a computer screen and say what you want to say but its another thing to do it in person..Plus all you get on those Facebook and Myspace pages are pics and updates that 99% of the time show the good pics, good times, and funny times...Seldom do we see the full spectrum of ones life, even our closes "friends", only what ones wants us to see...
nothing beats the old fashioned face-to-face social gatherings..
James
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James
Email Marketing Software
FB and other networking sites may contribute on some level but it's the entire body of work; namely, what's going on in a person's mind. There are a myriad of triggers which cause depression and suicidal tendencies but it's wrong to label any one as a root cause.
Ryan
debit
debit
Four years ago, when my daughter was 15, she was bullied on MySpace by a classmate at her school. The principal wouldn't get involved because it was happening off of school grounds. The bully got other girls to join in, but it was all done on the internet. Nothing I did stopped the bullying and the principal was no help. My daughter was not the bold, fight back type. Her idea of fun was to sit under a tree and have book reading marathons. I was about ready to pull my daughter out of school and get her a tutor because she was miserable. One day something snapped in my daughter. She went to school and beat the living daylights out of the girl who was bullying her.
I received a call from the principal and it took a couple of minutes to register in my brain because my daughter was not the fighting type. She was the total opposite of that. The girl's mother was livid because the girl needed medical care. My daughter broke the girl's nose too. The mother called the police. The police came to the house to discuss the matter. I showed him everything on the internet. He took my daughter's side and said that he was going to do everything to see to it that nothing happened to her.
To make a long story a bit shorter, nothing happened to my daughter other than getting suspended for a day for fighting in school. And the bullying stopped. I don't advocate violence. But I also don't know what the answer is to stop bullying. Point is that kids in school are taking bullying to these social networking sites because they know that the school won't get involved and they won't get in trouble.
Frankly, as a retired person my level of interaction and my ability to discover others with like interests has never been greater. Far from being "home alone" and isolated I am home with hundreds of others as Internet friends and contacts while seeing and interacting with as many or more real persons as ever.
Roig
The problem isn't the internet.
The problem is that in this world parenting is not something that everyone knows how to do effectively. If all children—all people—had the benefit of a loving, emotionally stable parent or guardian to help then develop self-esteem, inherent value, self-respect & respect for others, healthy social abilities and emotional maturity, then there would be no problems anywhere with anyone!
But human beings can only teach what they know. Call that "original sin" or perhaps it should just be acknowledged that it is the nature of ignorance—not being aware or not knowing. We all have ignorance. All of us. We can only just try to move through it & seek truth as we go.
So if a parent doesn't know how to communicate or develop healthy relationships with a child—or they don't think it's important for them to do so, how can the child grow in those essential areas? In my opinion, that's where reliable mentors, community & spiritual leaders, as well as any individual who can shine a little light in the world—are necessary.
The internet has been a blessing, far more than a curse. It has taken power out of the hands of a few who seek their own interests, and dispersed it among the many. It also provides more than one point of view on any subject that might be in question.
This world is made up of people. And if "we people" can reach out to one another to offer what good we can, then perhaps the children who fall in between the cracks might at least have some valuable resources to use for making positive choices in their lives. We all can find the help we need through helping one another. And what better way can we do that than letting "healthy, wise & compassionate words" spread throughout the world. Whatever works.
God bless us all!