Social workers separated a teenage mother from her daughter, thinking the child would have more chance of success with foster parents. During their 20 years apart, the mother longed for her daughter and decided to try to track her down, despite not knowing her surname.
She typed her daughter's Christian names into a Facebook search. Hundreds of results came up from across the globe. When she saw a face that looked the way she did at a similar age, she contacted the girl and they started chatting. They were both thrilled to be connected again.
There are many drawbacks associated with our modern way of communicating, but this isn't one of them. It's incredible to find someone you never thought you'd see again. The same thing happened to me when I found my grandson.
When I was a child 60 years ago, such a possibility wouldn't have been possible. But, along with the good, there's a down side to our technology. We should wonder where the materials and power come from to operate social media, or any of our other devices, and what effect it will have on the planet.
When you think about it, e-readers would seem to be more environmentally friendly than your typical paper and cardboard book, even a paperback. However, the energy of manufacturing and then disposing of an e-reader is probably greater than the same for a traditional book.
There are many considerations—the trees needed to make paper versus the manufacturing of electronics products, the shipping costs, fuel, and ultimately, the energy needed to recycle these materials at the end of their useful existence.
Whatever we do on electronic devices, we'll eventually harm the environment. We have to hope humans will find a way through the mess, because social media is performing a wonderful service—sometimes miraculous, like reconnecting friends and families.
Do you have a story to tell?