The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

Not worth the tweet: international turmoil and social media's short-term memory

Turmoil: the word graces headlines daily. We use it to describe growing tensions in the Middle East, our failing economy and natural disasters. Most days, it seems as though the globe is in a perpetual state of turmoil, but what does it mean to students? In the age of Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter, it doesn’t mean enough.


Turmoil: the word graces headlines daily. We use it to describe growing tensions in the Middle East, our failing economy and natural disasters. Most days, it seems as though the globe is in a perpetual state of turmoil, but what does it mean to students? In the age of Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter, it doesn’t mean enough.

Walking on to any college campus, students couldn’t truly care less about the effects this so-called turmoil may have on them. Most students have an out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality when it comes to these tumultuous events. While the United States enters a new conflict with Libya, trending topics on Twitter range from crazed Charlie Sheen babble to pre-teen Rebecca Black’s disastrous hit Friday.

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The turmoil that has plagued Japan is arguably the worst natural disaster the world has ever seen. Turmoil in Iraq has overwhelmed the United States for eight years. Even in Ohio, turmoil seeks to endanger students’ education at our very institution. Republican Governor John Kasich seeks to cut public universities’ funding, inadvertently affecting those seeking higher education.

In spite of all this, it is rare to see students taking these uproarious events into consideration. Rather than donating blankets to Japan relief or protesting for labor unions, we find ourselves more concerned with the turmoil that threatens Sammi and Ronnie’s relationship. It’s funny where our priorities lie.

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