âWhen I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, âLook for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.ââ
It was Fred Rogers who once shared those words, trying to help young children deal with the horrors and downright terror that can all-too-often flash on our television screens in the form of the evening news.
Of course, I dated myself a little with that reference. The âevening newsâ is now a 24-7, opinion-fueled, riches-go-to-the-loudest forum that has spread from the confines of the family television to mobile news sites in the palm of our hands. The one-sided torrents of hate that have infiltrated our brains get re-released by individuals on their social media feeds â resulting in these sites transforming from their roots of bringing people together to gladiator forums fueled by hate, misinformation and a little more hate, with the result predictably being people ripped further apart.