So long social media: The kids are opting out of the online public square

So long social media: The kids are opting out of the online public square

When my digital media students are sitting, waiting for class to start and staring at their phones, they are not checking Facebook. They're not checking Instagram, or Pinterest or Twitter. No, they're catching up on the news of the day by checking out their friends' Stories on Snapchat, chatting in Facebook Messenger or checking in with their friends in a group text. If the time drags, they might switch to Instagram to see what the brands they love are posting, or check in with Twitter for a laugh at some celebrity tweets. But, they tell me, most of the time they eschew the public square of social media for more intimate options.

Obama plans historic trip to Cuba to further ties
Barack Obama

Obama plans historic trip to Cuba to further ties

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will pay a historic visit to Cuba in the coming weeks, senior Obama administration officials said, becoming the first president to set foot on the island in nearly seven decades.

The brief visit in mid-March will mark a watershed moment for relations between the U.S. and Cuba, a communist nation estranged from the U.S. for over half a century until Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro moved toward rapprochement more than a year ago. Since then, the nations have reopened embassies in Washington and Havana and have moved to restore commercial air travel, with a presidential visit seen as a key next step toward bridging the divide.

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