The Downside of Positivity Culture

You see them everywhere. Those little journals that have you write down the answer to “one question a day” for five years or “something you did that made you happy.” Or books telling you how to always be in good spirits when everything might not be going so great. Or Instagram accounts with inspirational quotes.…

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Why reunions?

This Memorial Day weekend, I return to New Haven for the Class of 1989’s 30th reunion. This will be my sixth class reunion. And because my wife is a member of the Class of 1988 and I have accompanied her to several reunions, I can safely say that I have been to at least ten…

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Thinking About Campus Transparency

To pass the science building at night is to wonder at the glow of lab tables and Smartboards, the white lab coats and goggles neatly hung, the textbooks and spider plants bathed in the light of energy-efficient dimmers. You don’t have to look closely to catch the faculty prepping the week’s lessons—or tending to something…

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Talking to Kids and Teens About Social Media and Sexting

Social Media Today’s teens and tweens are connected to one another, and to the world, via digital technology  more than any previous generation. Recent data suggests that social media venues like Facebook and Twitter have surpassed e-mail as the preferred method of communication in all age groups. While today’s tweens and teens may be more digitally…

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Combating intellectual laziness

I discovered the subreddit /r/changemyview two years ago. I was immediately fascinated by it, and it has charmed me ever since. Reddit gets a lot of flak for imparting a safe haven to anonymous, misogynistic, white male trolls. Change My View is special. It stands out as a forum that houses some of the most productive discourse…

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