We’ve become so engrossed in ourselves, and in the portrayal of our lives on social media, that we’ve completely lost touch with reality. I’ve had friends tell me, in private, that they’re feeling pretty terrible, or going through something difficult, and moments later, I see them post a photo with a caption like “never been happier.”
We are so afraid that the real world will catch on to the fact that maybe we’re not okay, and rather than face these insecurities
Everything will be fine, and in the meantime, here’s what you missed in the news yesterday.
Facebook Is Going Ghost
In the case of apps like Instagram, when someone posts to their “story,” these media bites last twenty-four hours before disappearing into the ether of the cosmos. In a recent blogpost, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and Founder of Facebook, which also owns Instagram, spoke about how, for years now, Facebook and Instagram have existed as a digital equivalent to that of a “town square.” He continued to explain that “people increasingly want to connect privately in the digital equivalent of the living room,” referring to the notion that some people choose to message friends privately, as opposed to in a Facebook group or on somewhere more public. Zuckerberg goes on to share that predicts privacy-based communications platforms will soon become all the more important, which is interesting given Facebook’s track record with data privacy-related issues.
“I understand that many people don’t think Facebook can or would even want to build this kind of privacy-focused platform — because frankly we don’t currently have a strong reputation for building privacy protection services, and we’ve historically focused on tools for more open sharing…but I believe the future of communication will increasingly shift to private, encrypted services..and we plan to build this the way we’ve developed WhatsApp and Facebook, including in private messages and stories..”
–Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and Founder, Facebook
It’s a bold strategy for Zuckerberg to suggest that Facebook take the steps necessary to make its platforms more secure, and ephemeral, especially at a time where data transparency is a primary concern for users across all social platforms.
This Is Why Men Shouldn’t Be In Office
It amazes me that, despite headlines popping up everyday about how men holding governmental positions, exercise their power to sexually abuse or assault women, and think there’s nothing wrong with doing so. Let me rephrase that, it’s absolutely disgusting that this is taking place. On Wednesday, during a congressional hearing on military sexual assault, Sen. Martha McSally informed the press that, when she served in the Air Force, one of her commanding officers raped her.
“I also am a military sexual assault survivor, but unlike so many brave survivors, I didn’t report being sexually assaulted. Like so many women and men, I didn’t trust the system at the time. I blamed myself. I was ashamed and confused. I thought I was strong but felt powerless…”
–Sen. Martha McSally
