With all of the impressive technology in existence today, there are rarely times when I stop and truly marvel at how beautiful many electronics' capabilities are. Apple has truly revolutionized how people keep in touch and one can only imagine that it will only get more advanced as time goes on. Innovative applications like Snapchat and GroupMe only further allow those that may not normally be able to stay in touch effortlessly remain updated on each other's lives. It has never before been easier to keep in touch with friends and family and we truly have technology to thank for that. This past week, I found a video that only further emphasized my belief that technology truly has the potential to connect people in magical ways.
Although Skype has been around since 2003, it still has a powerful impact in allowing people to stay in touch. When I was abroad, I would Skype with my parents every Sunday. It became a ritual that I loved and absolutely looked forward to in a world with no cell phone plan. Skype is used by those who are separated by distance and can either not speak on a phone or wish to see their loved one's face.
In this video that I recently found, a beautiful friendship is able to develop and remain in tact due to Skype. I wanted to share it because I had never seen it before and think that it is truly remarkable how far technology has come. I really hope that you enjoy it and see the beauty of the relationships technology makes possible.
This past Wednesday, Facebook launched the Bully Prevention Hub, a place where Facebookusers have "Tools, tips
and programs that help people stand up for each other." Facebook joined forces with Marc Brackett Ph.D., Robin Stern Ph.D. and their team at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence to give Facebook users of all ages with the tools and to help them address issues with bullying behavior. Facebook and the team at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence have the goal of empowering users of all ages to create a climate where people feel connected and safe. This new hub gives tips and resources for teens & friends, parents & guardians, educators & mentors to reach out and ask for help when they or someone they know is being bullied. This is the first time that an internet company is integrating a bully prevention tool into with its existing product.
The Facebook and Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence define bullying as:
Bul·ly·ing (verb) Aggressive
behavior that is repeated over time and involves an imbalance of power. This
imbalance can be the social status, age, or even physical size of the
perpertrator. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading
rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a
group on purpose.
Facebook promoted the new Bully Prevention Hub in a post on their Safety Page :
Today, we are launching the new Bullying Prevention Hub,
offering important tools to help people stand up for each other when they see
bullying behavior, both online and off.
The new Hub, created by Facebook engineers and our partners at
the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, is the first time an internet
company is integrating bullying prevention tools directly into a product. It’s
just the latest step in a longstanding commitment to protecting the safety of
our users, especially young people.
Today on Facebook, we encourage anyone who sees harassment or
bullying to report it, and we even offer teens the ability to connect with a
trusted adult to get help as part of our social reporting tool.
With the new Bullying Prevention Hub, we’ll be arming bullying
victims with information on what they can do when they see harassing content,
recommendations to adults who want to help, and even guidance to the person
accused of bullying on what he or she has done and how he or she can do better.
These scripts and accompanying information are the result of
years of groundbreaking research from dozens of community organizations,
academics and others on the topic of bullying prevention. Rather than simply
focus on awareness of this information, we’re putting it at people’s fingertips
at the moment they need it most.
We’re
also excited to announce the 4th Compassion Research Day, where we’ll be
sharing preliminary data on how people are using the new Hub, and everything
else we've learned in the last year about applying the science of how people
relate to each other to social technology. Compassion Research Day, scheduled
for December 5 at Facebook’s Menlo Park Campus, will feature speakers from
Yale’s Center for Emotional Intelligence, Berkeley’s The Greater Good Science
Center and more.
Currently, the hub is featuring three promotional videos titled:
Introducing the Bullying Prevention Hub
We are All Daniel Cui
Social Resolution of Conflicts on Facebook
There are may supporters of the Bully Prevention Hub. Lee Hirsh, the director of The BULLY Project have partnered up with the hub and released a statement through Facebook saying, "Nothing replaces the power of teens to create a culture where bullying is uncool, and that starts with social and emotional learning. These resources will empower the hundreds of thousands of followers of The Bully Project."
Need to take a break from work? Look no further than our latest issue of the Marist PRSSA Chapter newsletter, esPResso.
You'll find 20 articles within the issue covering major current events
from the past few months including the government shutdown, the new Marist curriculum and news from your fellow PRSSA members.
If any members are interested in writing for esPResso next semester, contact Director of PR, Marguerite Pinheiro for more information.
Enjoy your shot of PR industry insight withesPResso! Good luck on the rest of finals week!
