The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2013-11-27, Page 44 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, November 27, 2013 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com Seaforth Expositor PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 P.O. Box 69, 8 Main Street Seaforth Ontario NOK 1 WO phone: 519-527-0240 fax: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor SUN MEDIA A Quebecor Media Company II NEIL CLIFFORD Publisher neil.clifford@sunmedia.ca WHITNEY SOUTH Multimedia Journalist seaforth.news@sunmedia.ca MAXWELL BICKFORD Advertising Rep. max.bickford@sunmedia.ca DIANNE MCGRATH Front Office seaforth.classifieds@sunmedia.ca Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT P.O. Box 69 Seaforth ON NOK For any non -deliveries or delivery concerns: phone: 519-527-0240 Advertising is accepted on condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn at any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproduction purposes. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Canada, editorial Bullying awareness isn't just for teenagers Canada's annual Bullying Awareness Week has once again come to a close. Celebrating its eleventh year, the program was originally conceived by parent and educator Bill Belsey to help spread the message about bullying and harassment prevention. Schools across the country participate each year, taking the time to teach students that bullying is not a 'normal part of growing up', but something that can and should be prevented. Educators are supplied with suggested topics to cover each day and are encouraged to put their own spin on the issues. An example close to home was St. Anne's Catholic Secondary School in Clinton, who reminded their stu- dents if they can't say something to their grandma, they probably shouldn't say it at all with their #sayittoyourgma campaign. The value of the time these schools take to educate their students is immeasurable. According to BullyingCanada.ca, a national anti -bully- ing organization, a study published in the medical Journal of Pediatrics found about one in seven Canadian children aged 11 to 16 are victims of bullying. Coupled with the fact more teen suicides making head- lines have been found to be tied to some sort of harass- ment, educating kids on the dangers of bullying has become a priority. In the case of 15 -year-old Amanda Todd, who took her own life after enduring ridicule and torment at the hands of her peers, a public outcry calling for justice brought intense focus to the problem of bullying and its impact on teenagers across Canada. But bullying isn't just for kids and is sometimes as com- mon in the office as it is in the schoolyard. Employers need to be teaching their adult staff about harassment and inappropriate conduct in the workplace, looking to the schools as inspiration. According to the Bullying Awareness Week web site, research has shown approximately 15 per cent of a given population in a school or workplace are directly involved with bullying, leaving 85 per cent as potential bystanders or silent majority. Meaning that while not everyone may be an instigator or victim, stepping in and helping to put a stop to conflict is everyone's responsibility. Adults need to show the younger generation what it is to treat one other with dignity and respect instead of cru- elty and anger. Bullying Awareness Week is about more than teaching just young people about respect, and though schools are an important part of the solution, bullying should not be defined solely as a "school problem" but a community issue. Put an end to the technology take over Each year, the Oxford Dictionary selects its international word of the year. And despite what you might think, any- thing is fair game. In the grand tradition of past winners such as 2012's `GIF' Oxford has gone with a word that finds its humble beginnings in technology. With- out further ado I give you, 2013's word of the year, selfie. By Oxford's definition, a 'selfie' is a "photo one has taken of oneself, typically with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website Meaning that thing you see people do, where they're hold- ing their cell phone at arms length while looking into it with a cheesy grin their face, even at the strangest times, actually has a name. We've all seen people doing it. For me, the strangest experi- ence came at the Toronto Zoo. Waiting in line with friends to see the visiting pandas, we noticed the line had come to a sudden stop. Looking ahead, we were soon able to identify the hold up. Two teenage girls were taking the time not to snap photos of the giant bears, but to capture their own image in front of said bears. I couldn't help but wonder about the attraction one has in taking a self-portrait with a blurred panda background, but I guess that's just me. Selfies have become a phe- nomenon and according to Oxford Dictionaries, the fre- quency of the term has increased 17,000 per cent since this time last year, making it this year's runawaywinner. But selfie did see its share of competition, including every- thing from 'schmeat,' to `twerk: And while to most of us these words may sound like nothing but silly gibberish, it's the fact people are using them in everyday conver- Colu mn Whitne y South sation that gets them on the list in the first place. Our culture has become so wrapped up in social media that these fabricated words are finding a common place in our everyday language. Though not everyone is familiar with all the terminol- ogy, we are all spending more time online than ever before. The number of monthly Face - book users around the world has climbed to over 850 million since its launch in 2004. With Canadians making up over 18 million of those users, 54 per cent of the country using social media on a consistent basis. By immersing ourselves in this technology, whether it be taking selfies or communicat- ing through text messages, we are losing our grasp on the art of everyday conversation. However, it seems social media isn't making us a more social society after all. As the holiday season approaches, we all need to take more time in having real con- versations instead of electronic ones. Turning off the computer for a week or leaving the smart - phone at home for an afternoon are just some of the ways peo- ple can re -immerse themselves in the real world. We have to get back to appre- ciating the world around us and make some real connections. SEAFORTH HURON EXPOSITOR — HOURS OF OPERATION MONDAY: 9:00 - 5:00 • TUESDAY: - CLOSED • WEDNESDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • THURSDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • FRIDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • SATURDAY & SUNDAY: - CLOSED ADVERTISING DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 2:00 • PHONE 519-527-0240 • FAX: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com