Are we honestly still on the kick that meaningful stories should be told through 140 character blocks? AGAIN: Twitter is a sharing tool, it’s a MICRO blogging service. It’s a new way for people all around the world to connect and interact quickly with small bits of information and updates. Am I going to try and understand the complex situation in Ukraine this way? No. But I may send out a breaking update thanks to citizen journalism while I’m there. The science presented here is great and truthful. The purpose for presenting it… not so much.
This article is fascinating. I agree with Lara that the slanted purpose of this peice is a bit out of line, and preachy for that matter. I find it out of place to have an article about preserving our moral fiber on MSNBC.com’s Cosmic Log - this is a science blog no? It reminds me of discussions in my science class at All Saints Catholic School. The title of the piece proves my point alone. What business does the word “evil” even have on a science blog?
But maybe I am giving them too much credit regarding appropriate mainstream tones. Also, the quote from Immordino-Yang of USC could have been plucked from a dusty press release written on a type writer:
“For some kinds of thought, especially moral decision-making about other people’s social and psychological situations, we need to allow for adequate time and reflection.”
Reflecting on a moral dilemma? Not rushing to conclusions? Thinking before we communicate? What completely evolved ideas! I do understand that we have become sloppy with our reaction times in regards to rapid communication. But coming from a girl with a loud mouth who spends a minimum of 55 hours a week behind a computer, putting my foot in my mouth in person versus social media is frighteningly the same experience. These lessons of morality are about how we handle our words, our emotions, and how we message our responses. The medium has little to do with it. This is just another example of blaming the vehicle that carries us to the result as oppose to the driving force.
