Yes, it was my birthday this week. I keep it to myself as I am low key on such matters but then I am feted at the office of Caritas Thailand by the staff, offering a gift and singing "Happy Birthday". I asked how they knew and am told Facebook. So you just can't keep a secret these days.
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| Birthday at the top of Bangkok with friends. |
What puzzles me is the power of social media as it is a mixed bag. It is a social reality but what is its impact? The question arose for me this week after my Irish neighbour shared about a possible return to the polls in Ireland due to the power of the social media in revealing publicly a lacking by their Deputy PM. Is it that powerful? Yes, it is but my question then becomes how the users of social media choose their issues and how factual is what they share. I am not going to go on a 'fake news' tirade but these are serious qustions for me.
I was recently sent a great piece by Pope Francis that was posted by a Catholic parish in the USA. I was so impressed that I wanted to share it myself but some little part of the piece did not speak of Pope Francis. So I did a Google check and discovered that this is a popular piece but it is not from Pope Francis himself, only being attrubuted to him. This meant that I did not share the piece.
While the Irish Deputy PM fell, do proceed with caution. Same as the papers - don't believe everything you read.
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