“But to a large extent, we hate Facebook because Facebook is other people.” The rise of the Internet seems to have brought with it a surge of people whose voices were previously left unheard and ignored. They flock to social media to post about their grievances, often caused by society shunning them. Mary Gaitskill equates this phenomenon to Chekhov’s famous story, “Gooseberries”; they are the people with little hammers, knocking on the doors of us happy men, reminding us that they exist and that we failed them. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
