Twitter has become a utility where we make too much of our private lives public knowledge. We divulge in our sexual escapades, our relationship woes, our employment failures, and our monetary breakdowns; all for a higher number of followers. But when does it cross that line, when do we have to sit back and really think... "ok, let me not put that out there... let me save something for myself." When do you get to that point where you have to say... "I'm not gonna put that online?"
I've recently had a couple conversations with close friends about "Would you ever date someone you met in person, and let them follow you on twitter?" The situation goes that you meet someone in person, you begin to get to know each other, then he wants to follow you on twitter. I've heard a couple of different opinions on it, but here's mine.
Immediately, I say no - and that goes for all social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, etc). I feel that as a society, we constantly look for the easy way out, or the fast lane to get where we need to be in the least amount of time. There are too many times where I have found people (myself included) saying things like "Oh yeah.. I know you, We're friends on facebook" or "Yeah, I know you, I follow you on twitter." Now for friendships, or people you barely know, this is fine, we can all have glimpses into each others worlds while keeping the understanding that we're not REALLY trying to get to know each other on a romantic level. But, if you're honestly trying to get to know someone on a romantic level, try and avoid social networking sites to save yourself from coming to a misunderstanding about said person - at least until you've known each other for a little while, then you can handle all the other little stuff.
Now on the other hand, if you MEET on a site like twitter or facebook, etc., then all that stuff goes out the window, because there's an impression that you've already gained from that person which makes you feel like you like them. I will say one thing, there's a lot more to know than a cute default and a 140 character limit. We rely on brief bio's and pics to tell us about people that we no longer take the time to get to know people. What ever happened to going out on dates? Having face-to-face conversations? What ever happened to getting to know people for who they really are... and not what they paint themselves to be?
#FoodForThought
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
150 steps back....
I'd never realized how jaded we are as an African-American community. We sit back and because of how things used to be for us, we allow them to continue - and allow ourselves to fail. On the dawn of a new decade, with as many advances we have made (as people), I am baffled to see how conditioned we have become, to believe that society is made for us to fail... so we will do just that. There is no more "going against the grain" or "making something out of yourself"... it's "I don't have to do anything, but stay black and die."
As you already know, I'm a teacher in a high school in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. Mainly, my day consists of dealing with suspended and tardy kids - my classroom is more of a holding room than anything else. Some days, I'll have 25 kids... and some days, I'll have 5. This particular day last week, the room was full of kids who came to school after 10am (3rd period). The dean who stays with me once in a while, asked the students, "why do black people kill each other?" Their answer was "The white man wants us to fail... They want us to kill each other." THey continued saying, "They give us the drugs and the guns... so we're gonna learn how to use them." I wanted to say I was heartbroken, but that's an understatement. I was crushed. I'd never known a group of teenagers to be so broken to feel that they have nothing to offer themselves.
The idea to work and get an education and get out of "the hood" isn't the same anymore because a lot feel that EVEN WITH an education, that's not enough. A lot of students feel that there is no way out. There is no method to escaping poverty and failure. As disheartening as it is, we have to realize that as African Americans, it WILL BE a harder struggle, because society is already posed to think that we, as a people, are less qualified. But as African Americans from NYC, its even MORE of a struggle, because add the urban mindset with a impoverished mentality, and you have all the variables needed for failure.
I guess we need to start from the beginning - start over - brand new even. Let these kids know from day 1 that failure is never an option. "It's too hard" or "I don't get it" or "I can't" are cop outs and these excuses need to be deleted from our vocabulary. I try and tell my students all the time, "There's always something out there for you to excel in, and that's not guns, drugs, gangs, or sex. You need to get an education so you can do something with your life." College might not be for everyone, but there are other options out there for people. Job Corp, Trade Schools, Armed Forces, etc. For real, with the proper education and guidance, we can change the world - on mind at a time.
As you already know, I'm a teacher in a high school in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. Mainly, my day consists of dealing with suspended and tardy kids - my classroom is more of a holding room than anything else. Some days, I'll have 25 kids... and some days, I'll have 5. This particular day last week, the room was full of kids who came to school after 10am (3rd period). The dean who stays with me once in a while, asked the students, "why do black people kill each other?" Their answer was "The white man wants us to fail... They want us to kill each other." THey continued saying, "They give us the drugs and the guns... so we're gonna learn how to use them." I wanted to say I was heartbroken, but that's an understatement. I was crushed. I'd never known a group of teenagers to be so broken to feel that they have nothing to offer themselves.
The idea to work and get an education and get out of "the hood" isn't the same anymore because a lot feel that EVEN WITH an education, that's not enough. A lot of students feel that there is no way out. There is no method to escaping poverty and failure. As disheartening as it is, we have to realize that as African Americans, it WILL BE a harder struggle, because society is already posed to think that we, as a people, are less qualified. But as African Americans from NYC, its even MORE of a struggle, because add the urban mindset with a impoverished mentality, and you have all the variables needed for failure.
I guess we need to start from the beginning - start over - brand new even. Let these kids know from day 1 that failure is never an option. "It's too hard" or "I don't get it" or "I can't" are cop outs and these excuses need to be deleted from our vocabulary. I try and tell my students all the time, "There's always something out there for you to excel in, and that's not guns, drugs, gangs, or sex. You need to get an education so you can do something with your life." College might not be for everyone, but there are other options out there for people. Job Corp, Trade Schools, Armed Forces, etc. For real, with the proper education and guidance, we can change the world - on mind at a time.
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