Do what was Right!

Social media had been shaping our lives on how we acquire information for many years now. It is so new that we are not sure how it is affecting our society. I think the recent events involving Penn State have shown us how infused it is into our daily lives. Not only can I read what the media is saying about the happenings at Penn State but I can also see what my friends and others think almost as stories are being reported. Our circles of friends influence us, for better or worse, and their opinions often guide us in forming our own opinions. Social media allows us to share what we think, but it also allows us to see what others think and then align ourselves with the group we most agree with. Not just a media group that is far away from us, but with people that are our next door neighbors, or ones that go to the same school, even with people that live in other states. It gives us strength and then bolsters us up in our opinions and then our actions. I’m sure the large gathering of students protesting the firing of Paterno was started by a txt message and then a post on facebook to all meet up somewhere and then a tweet on how it’s all going down, then all of a sudden it’s in the media because students are rioting.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, how more true is that statement in regards to this scandal? The powers to be didn’t want to do anything to hurt the image of the school. That thought over powered any other thought in the minds of these powerful men of the university. If they had just dealt with it in the beginning, they would have had a disgraced assistant football coach that was arrested for some awful crimes. They would have fired him, he would have been arrested, and the process of recovery could have started. Now, a president and head football coach are fired, another coach is put on administrative leave and is being protected due to threats, two high ranking officials are arrested for obstruction and one disgraced football coach is behind bars for some awful crimes that he committed. How easy it would have been to do what was right and then let the consequences follow. Call the police and stop a sick man from hurting others. That should have been the entire thought process of anyone involved. The cover up seems like it is lengthy and will take time to fully be unraveled. But the media can’t wait for time to tell. They need to be the first to report breaking news which will make them a better news agency. If we take a step back and wait for as much information as possible to come forward then we will be able to make a sound judgment on the situation. The media is driving the frenzy of information being circulated and all for the HONOR of being the first to report something new.

Social media though seems to be a hindrance in this situation, videos of riots and people protesting, tarnishing the reputation even more for Penn State. Although I read an article (http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/16078483/the-real-penn-state-in-room-206-plenty-of-heart-to-be-found) and it reminded me that there are others at the school that are just as distraught but are not using violence to get their message across. They are just as hurt by this as I think a lot of America is, and they are trying to get through the day and make sense of what is happening to their school. The social media networks are being used by them to help plead for peace and understanding. Because of the social media, everyone’s thoughts can be heard, not just the ones that the media seem to be reporting for us to hear. This is a tremendous help as we all try and make sense of where this is taking us.