That is the question being scrutinized recently after Scott Simon, host of “Weekend Edition Saturday” on National Public Radio, live-tweeted his mother’s final days.
While some commentators believe his tweeting crosses the line of good taste and privacy, others see his act as simply a loving tribute to his mom, and a means to connect with and embolden others in similar situations.
Read the full story here.
- Do you think people should use social media to communicate very personal moments in their lives? Why or why not?
- Some say that the emotional support Simon received from sharing this deeply personal moment outweighs everything else. Have you ever found emotional support through sharing on social media? Or have you found the opposite? What happened?
- The article also addresses the notion that social media and all the robust media out there (videos, games, etc.) compete with our attention so there is less actual talking with friends and family. Do you agree? Do you think talking in person is a better means of communicating than using social media and texting? Why or why not?
- Scott Simon is, at heart, a storyteller. Is the tweeting of his mom’s final days a new form of storytelling perhaps (representative of the times), or is it something else?
- One can assume that Simon’s mother knew he was tweeting throughout their final days together, so he was not invading her privacy. Do you think about privacy issues when using social media? In what way?
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