EthnoBlog

Cyber-Bullying Is A Real Problem

By Emmi Grooney, Dec 16, 2009 1:18 PM

When people think of Florida, they think of sunny nice weather, a vacation spot with luxuries like Miami and the beach--not 13-year-old middle school girls committing suicide by hanging themselves. What could have caused this tragedy? is the question that arises after the initial shock. Who would have thought a case of "cyber-bulling" could have caused such a heartache in the small town of Ruskin, Florida?

Cyber-Bullying is defined as harassment or abuse that happens online, over the computer, or on the cell phone. Many have never heard of this, and luckily I couldn't find too many numbers of cyber-bullying related deaths, because of it being relatively unknown. What I did find though, is that it’s in fact is a big deal: a report from Boston news stated that legislation is currently pending to regulate bullying of school children.

Prosecuting Young People Who "Sext": For Real?

By NAM Youth Communications Team, Nov 24, 2009 11:20 AM

Editor's note: This blog by Torriano Melancon originally appeared in YO! Youth Outlook.

In a society that glorifies and worships sex as if it were some ancient omnipotent deity, it’s sort of hard to avoid stumbling upon sex-related topics. For example, it’s so ridiculously easy to send a picture message to any number of people in the contacts list of your cell phone, only to have racy photos spread all over the Internet in just one day.

What the hell was picture messaging invented for anyway? It’s technology like picture messaging that makes it so easy to violate people’s lives and privacy.

Facebook Sees Dead People

By Sandip Roy, Oct 27, 2009 10:05 PM

When William showed up as a suggested friend on Facebook I almost clicked on the link. He was an acquaintance. We had friends in common. Then I remembered I had gotten a mail about his memorial service months ago. In the eternal sunshine of Facebook’s mind we could still become friends. There was something simultaneously soothing and creepy about it all.

The Era of Saber-Rattling Is Over

By Andrew Berry, Oct 21, 2009 2:58 PM

After three days of talks between Iran, the United States, Russia, and France, the International Atomic Energy Agency has proposed a plan which could provide a solution to the question of Iran's nuclear ambitions. Under the terms of the drafted plan, Iran would agree to send roughly 80% of their uranium stockpile to the IAEA, who would forward it to Russia for enrichment. The uranium would then be sent back to the IAEA and on to France for the “cell elements” needed for a medical research reactor in Iran. The process would prevent the exported uranium from being further enriched to the levels needed for a nuclear weapon.

Holy Cow! It's Twittergate in India

By Sandip Roy, Sep 28, 2009 3:36 PM

India is in the middle of Twittergate.

Shashi Tharoor, the high-flying minster of state for external affairs in India, was almost felled by Twitter.

A Twitter fan asked Tharoor if, in light of the government’s austerity drive, he was now going to fly “cattle class” instead of business

“Absolutely, in cattle class out of solidarity with all our holy cows,” Tharoor tweeted back.

It was funny.  But not in a country of holy cows.  

Calling All Youth Media Bloggers! Young People Weigh in on the Health Care Debate

By Eming Piansay, Sep 21, 2009 3:00 PM

Former Migrant Farmworker Goes from Salinas Fields to Space

By Silicon Valley Debug, Sep 2, 2009 9:39 AM

Editor's note: Jose Hernandez, a former field worker from Salinas, is set to launch into space in early September. The NASA astronaut did not learn to speak English until he was 12 years old.  Silicon Valley De-Bug writer Angel Luna reflects on the reality of the American Dream for immigrant youth, and hopes Hernandez's achievement will set the bar higher for all Latino youth.  De-Bug, another of NAM's youth initiatives, is a collective of writers, artists, organizers, and workers based in San Jose, California.

As immigrants, America always tells us to dream and to strive for greatness -- like being the store manager of a Safeway, being the owner of a small business or becoming a member of the armed forces. There’s nothing wrong with these choices that we are presented with, but sometimes practicality is not the way to go.

Jose Hernandez, from migrant farmworker to astronaut, proved that we can aim higher. And in his journey to space, a message has been sent to young Latinos all across this country.

Tweets, Terrorism, and Translation

By Cristina Fernandez-Pereda, Jul 31, 2009 12:29 PM

The offending word was misery. The headlines were "Brits face Spain holiday misery after double bomb attack," by The Times. The BBC chose "disrupt. "Spanish bomb disrupts UK holidays".

It took 24 hours for The Times to change the wording even after their Twitter account was flooded with messages from offended Spaniards. But what if all those Spaniards were lost in translation?

Managing My Techxiety

By Rupa Dev, Jul 28, 2009 3:29 PM

A year ago, I lived in Chicago among the crowd of young professionals and recent graduates who populate the north side of the city. None of my friends were laid off in the early part of 2008. People didn’t start and end their day with a “tweet.” The iPhone was still an indulgent mobile luxury. The lifestyle of young adulthood in the Midwest felt leisurely and carefree.
 
This leisure quickly became too static for me. San Francisco, brimming with artists, entrepreneurs, writers, and activists, gleamed in contrast. 
 
I decided to move to San Francisco partially because I was born and raised in Cupertino and familiar with the Silicon Valley. What I didn't anticipate upon moving was how quickly a book-loving, non-techie like myself could assimilate into the overwired, tech-obsessed culture of San Francisco.