"Together, we have the power to protect the most vulnerable among us." There never was a truer, more urgent call to the world's social media users. It's from Nadia Goodman, TED's social media editor, in a blog post about the digital aftermath of posting the video of Monica Lewinsky's TED talk in the TED site. [This is a followup to my post on Sunday about the talk, which has gotten nearly 2 … [Read more...] about How brave commenters are growing the power of Lewinsky’s talk
empathy
Monica Lewinsky’s talk going viral: A sign
At some point yesterday, shortly after TED posted it, Monica Lewinsky's 2015 TED Talk had about 198,000 views. One day later, as of this writing, it had gotten 644,394. I believe the reason for this is not just because we're encouraged ourselves when someone has the courage to turn horrific public humiliation into social change. It's also because of the timing of Lewinsky's talk. "There are two … [Read more...] about Monica Lewinsky’s talk going viral: A sign
From public shaming to public compassion
The public discussion about "online reputation" has gotten darker, as "public shaming" appears in more and more headlines. We may think it's tough to be a celebrity, having everything one does – good, bad or anything in between – go viral. But it's even tougher not to be, if you post something negative online. Because when you're not a celebrity, it seems only bad stuff goes viral, not just every … [Read more...] about From public shaming to public compassion
An app for teens that promotes (& gets) positivity
Last spring I asked, "Will safety ever be baked in to social apps?" Well, it's actually starting to be. Let is a perfect example. A social app (mostly on Apple's iOS phones) with an overwhelmingly teen-aged user base that launched last March, its L.A.- and Marseilles-based creators seem to have grown a digital community in which teens and young adults, mostly girls, feel safe and help each other … [Read more...] about An app for teens that promotes (& gets) positivity
Sydney: A hashtag for a city (and world) in need of healing
"The city is now in mourning," wrote author, researcher and Sydney resident Nina Funnell to a group of colleagues in the wake of the horrific siege in a financial district chocolate shop. Australians (all of us, really) are trying to make sense of the attack, The Australian reported, invoking 9/11 and attacks since then in Madrid, London and Boston. "But out of all this horror, there have been … [Read more...] about Sydney: A hashtag for a city (and world) in need of healing