Social Impact with Emma » social media : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Earth Day 2018: Can We Win the Battle Against Plastic?

April 23rd, 2018

This Earth Day, I found myself struggling with some philosophical truths. We humans are in danger of destroying everything around us (and thus, inevitably, ourselves) with situations that we have ourselves created (and one material in particular, which was this year’s Earth Day theme: plastic). Climate change has now been acknowledged by most scientists as […]

The Problem with “Bad Mind”

March 11th, 2018

I have a problem with “bad mind.” How can I translate this broad (but at the same time specific) term to non-Jamaicans reading this post? It’s not exactly jealousy, nor is it envy. It’s not the queen in the “fiery green gown” of Jimi Hendrix’ song, although a dash of the green stuff may be […]

The Millennial Obsession: Thoughts from a Baby Boomer

October 28th, 2017

“Millennials” seem to be much in the news these days – and they don’t seem to be getting very good press. According to media reports (including social media), Millennials are self-absorbed, “entitled,” obsessed with money and material things, and they complain a lot. I am the mother of a Millennial, born in the 1980s. Millennials […]

The Word “Discipline” Means Teaching and Learning, Not Violence and Sadism

October 7th, 2017

Yet another furore has occurred over a “viral” social media post of a woman beating her daughter in her yard. This is most likely an everyday occurrence around the island; but this time, a Jamaican with a smartphone was nearby to record the child abuse. So, Jamaicans were shocked, as if they did not know […]

Hurricanes and the Media: Yes, We Have a Choice

September 10th, 2017

Hurricane Irma (and her boyfriend, following along behind, José) both decided not to bother with Jamaica, for which we are thankful. While the north coast had blue skies and sunshine however, down in Kingston we have had heavy showers, stopping and starting, and thunder grumbling away. A storm on Friday has sent our dogs into […]

What Really Is Fake News? And How to Spot It

June 6th, 2017

Today I joined a radio discussion on fake news. We have heard a lot about this, especially since the Trump era. That man labels any reporting he doesn’t like as “fake news.” In other words, I suppose, he is suggesting that it’s incorrect – because he doesn’t like it, and that we should all ignore it. […]

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