“Two Gordon College professors, based in Massachusetts, authored a recently published study, “Pulling the Mask Off of Facebook: The Impact of Social Networking Activities on Evangelical Christian College Students,” which studied the use of Facebook in more than 1,300 students at Christian colleges. Their main premise is that many students who are using Facebook and other social media technology are doing it so much that they don’t have time for the reflection that Christians should engage in.” (Joshunda Sanders, Of Sacred and Secular)
Related: I wrote about our need for self-control in a wired world and linked to a clip from a great sermon on the subject here.
Those between the ages of 16-24 are having a hard time finding a job. BusinessWeek says it’s a crisis, both now and in the future, and both for young adults and the society at large.
“Eating a Mediterranean-style diet — packed with fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil and fish — is good for your heart, many studies have found. Now scientists are suggesting the diet may be good for your mental health, too” (NYT).
“What if Jesus Christ showed up in the 21st century? What would he look like? What would he do? Michael Belk, a Florida fashion photographer turned biblical chronicler, decided to find out.” (Read about Belk’s project to photograph Jesus in modern settings; view his images at his website.)
“The most au courant thing about Hayley Williams [lead singer and singwriter for Paramore] might be her upbringing—she grew up in a Christian household outside of Nashville, Tenn., a background she shares with fellow pop-rock superstars Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift (who moved to the state at age 13). From Cyrus and Swift to Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson, there's clearly something in the baptismal water these days—the top of the pop heap is crawling with Christian girls” (Slate).
“Disorientation begets creative thinking, though it can also lead people to embrace bizarre conspiracy theories....When [normal] patterns break down — as when a hiker stumbles across an easy chair sitting deep in the woods, as if dropped from the sky — the brain gropes for something, anything that makes sense. It may retreat to a familiar ritual, like checking equipment. But it may also turn its attention outward, the researchers argue, and notice, say, a pattern in animal tracks that was previously hidden. The urge to find a coherent pattern makes it more likely that the brain will find one” (NYT).
The Most Annoying Phrases: “In a recent Marist poll, nearly half of Americans – 47% – said they find ‘whatever’ most annoying. The other sayings weren’t quite so loathed. 25% say they find ‘you know’ most grating; 11% can’t stand “it is what it is”; 7% would like to ban ‘anyway’ from all verbal exchanges; and 2% reported that they could do without hearing ‘at the end of the day.’” (story)
Related: "Totally like whatever, you know?" happens to be one of my favorite poems.
Good-bye, Email: “Email has had a good run as king of communications. But its reign is over. In its place, a new generation of services is starting to take hold—services like Twitter and Facebook and countless others vying for a piece of the new world. And just as email did more than a decade ago, this shift promises to profoundly rewrite the way we communicate—in ways we can only begin to imagine.”
Reaction to Awarding President Obama the Nobel Peace Prize:
“This ill-concealed crusade is clearly damaging the prestige of the Nobel; the winners are supposed to be honored for their achievements, not for symbolizing the committee's grudges. And it probably won't do Obama any favors; he wants to be a leader, not a symbol, and honoring him for his rhetoric about a new American approach to diplomacy only reinforces the meme of his critics that he's merely a man of rhetoric.” (Time)
“Let's face it: this prize is premature to the point of ridiculousness. It continues a pattern that holds some peril for Obama: he is celebrated for who he is not, and for who he might potentially be, rather than for what he has actually done” (Swampland).
“Mr. Obama’s aides had to expect a barrage of churlish reaction, and they got it. The left denounced the Nobel committee for giving the prize to a wartime president. The right proclaimed that Mr. Obama sold out the United States by engaging in diplomacy. Members of the dwindling band of George W. Bush loyalists also sneered — with absolutely no recognition of their own culpability — that Mr. Obama has not yet ended the wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq” (NYT Editorial). Wow, these guys don't read the same websites I read. Criticisms from the right and left, yes (well, more mystified bemusement). But not for the reasons the NY Times gives.
The Austin-American Statesman defends the choice of President Obama for the award: “It doesn't say anything about results. It's about effort. And, though a work in progress, Obama has made a bold effort to reposition the U.S. among the family of nations.”
Slate says you really can't take the decisions of 5 people in the most eccentric and provincial country in the world too seriously.
Fun with Photoshop: Time magazine photoshopped Obama receiving other awards.
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