Rage and Social Media

No, I didn't even make it a month away. I thought about posting a number of times and chose to ride my bike or work at the bench or tell my husband instead. This is different.

Last week a freshman at Rutgers University, Tyler Clementi, committed suicide by jumping off the GW Bridge. He was 18. My son is considering attending that school. He has friends there, and knows a girl who lived in Tyler's dorm. It has hit us close to home.

It seems that 2 of his dorm mates streamed video across the internet of Tyler, in his room, with another guy. They are charged with invasion of privacy and likely, bias crime.

I am completely baffled by the lack of boundaries that social media encourages. The availability and ease of technology changes people's attitudes towards privacy and dignity in the social networking arena.

I see a decreased level of empathy, and what really frightens me is the level of intimacy people have on line with strangers, people they don't know at all.

Mostly though, I am thinking about my son and the world we live in. I am also thinking about Tyler's mom and dad and the grief just overwhelms me.

Kiss the ones you love, and hold them tight today,
xoSherry