The Press-Dispatch
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C-4 Wednesday, Februar y 26, 2020 The Press-Dispatch HOME LIFE TO ADVERTISE: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: ads@pressdispatch.net Visit: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg Deadline: 5 p.m. on Monday Attention readers: Katie- did Langrock is off this week. Please enjoy the following col- umn by Lenore Skenazy A Springfield, Ohio, man spotted a van — guess what color — that he thought was trying to kidnap a girl, and he ran off to chase it in the most modern of ways: lives- treaming the whole thing on Facebook. The van got away, but the man posted the vid- eo, which went locally viral. Here we must commend Springfield's WHIO T V 7 for checking to see if, indeed, there had been any sub- stantiated reports of actual or near-kidnappings. Police lieutenant Lou Turner told reporter Katy Andersen that the cops had received not a single complaint. Let's hear it for a reality check! The two-minute sto- ry is a great piece of para- noia-puncturing — until the very end, when Ander- son says, "Anyone who sees something suspicious or is a victim to a crime like this is urged to call police immedi- ately to report it." A crime like this? A non- existent, did-not-happen crime like this? The fact that the report- er ended her otherwise sen- sible story this way means that Frank Furedi has a deep point that we should pay heed to. Furedi is a pro- fessor emeritus of sociolo- gy at the University of Kent in England. He wrote "Par- anoid Parenting" back in 2002, long before most of us (except for Nick Gilles- pie in 1997) started notic- ing the trend that would lat- er be dubbed helicopter par- enting. But more recently, Fure- di wrote, "How Fear Works." And one of the fear-reinforc- ing trends he noticed was the way a certain type of story becomes popular in a culture. And in ours, the sto- ry of a kid snatched off the street and sold into sex slav- ery is one that is so incred- ibly resonant the media re- lies on it as a surefire hit. From Liam Neeson mov- ies to "Law & Order" epi- sodes to Halle Berry's "Kid- nap," it's a reliable fictional plot. But it's also a staple of the news, whether the sto- ry is real and tragic, like the terrible case of 6 -year-old Faye Swetlik, who was mur- dered last week, presumably by her neighbor, or whether there is no story there at all. When there actually is no story, the media is faced with a problem: How do you report when nothing hap- pened? Easy! You report on what MIGHT have hap- pened, had the worst-case scenario occurred. To wit: At the beginning of every school year, I wait for a sto- ry somewhere in America where a bus driver acciden- tally drops a kid off at the wrong bus stop. This com- pletely ano- dyne event is often report- ed as not on- ly newsworthy but also as a near-death ex- perience. The reporter inter- views a grim- faced cop, re- lieved noth- ing terrible happened, and a mom usually says some- thing like, "When I think of all the horrible things that could have happened, we are just thanking God our child is safe." As if kidnappings and murders are so common that the odds are stacked against any child walking home half a mile. So, reporters take a sto- ry of safety and turn it into one of danger, reinforcing the storyline we're getting addicted to: A child outside is a child threat- ened. Some readers buy mystery nov- el after mystery novel because they love the genre. Romance readers buy a new romance every week. They KNOW the brash young billionaire is going to marry the sec- retary or the governess or maybe the horseback rid- ing teacher. They just want to hear that story again. In America, for some rea- son, we are hungry for sick- ening stories of innocence violated. When, instead, we've only got the story of some plain old van, we turn it into the story of innocence that wasn't violated but could have been so it qualifies as a Youth First Today By Vicki Kirkman, Youth First, Inc. Let Grow by Lenore Skenazy Favorite story USING SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSIBLY Items will include: Seth omas Clocks, Banjo Clocks, Wooden Wall Mount Telephones, UHL and McCoy Pottery, 41 Beer Steins, 70 Knowles Collectible Plates, Antique Shaving Mugs, H & CO. Fine China, Occupied Japan Collection, Hundreds of Avon Gis still in the box,Vintage Christmas, Barbies and much more. Shane Andis, Auctioneer Lic#AU11900013 Antiques, Vintage Furniture & Collectibles Absolute Auction 1949 S. Lakewood Cir., Francisco Saturday, Feb. 29 • 10 AM CST Location: Francisco Lions Club – 2nd street, Francisco, In andisauctionco.com 812-677-8232 /Andis Auction Co. 5% buyer's premium, cash, check, credit and debit accepted. Concessions available, nice warm indoor auction will last 4-5 hours. Personal Property Auction Saturday, November 22, 2014 • 10:00 am 6507 W. CR 100 S • Petersburg, Indiana 47567 Pictures available online at chipsparksauctions.com "Incredible Service Every Time!" OWNER: The Estate of Tim Stewart Sale Conducted By: Chip Sparks Auctions 812-890-1027 AU10600057 CHIP SPARKS 443.000156 Tractors & Equipment Will Sell at 12pm! Tractors, Equipment & Related: 1945 Farmall H, 1948 Farmall M, 1950 SC Case, 1956 International 300, 1952 Massey Harris 33, 1955 Allis Chalmers WD45, 2-1948 VAC Case Tractors, 2- Old Farmall M Tractors for Parts, Vintage Hand Made 2 or Single Horse Buggy, 2-Seater Buggy, International 5 Bottom Plow, Several Hydraulic Cylinders, Tractor Fenders, Hoods, Grills, Wheels & Tires, & Many Other Parts, Horse Drawn Plow, Old Loader for H or M, Hay Wagon, New Holland 273 Square Hay Baler, 2 Bottom Antique Plow, 2 Bottom Antique John Deere Plow, 3 Bottom Antique Mounted Plow, 4 Horse Trailer, 18ft 5th Wheel Gooseneck Trailer, Co-op, 8ft Calpacker, 10ft Wheel Disc, 8ft Pull Type Interna- tional Disc, 6ft Pull Type Disc, 8ft Wheel Disc, 2 Bottom Plow, Old House Trailer Frame, Auger for Grain Bin, New Idea Viking Elevator, Old Scrap Elevator, 6ft 3pt Hitch Blade, 5- Old Harries, 5ft Grader Blade, Box Blade, Hay Rake, New Holland 851 Round Baler, 2-5ft Bush Hogs & More! Antiques, Tools & Misc: 220lb Anvil, 16" Hillsboro #2 Cast Iron Dinner Bell, An- tique Corn Sheller, Remington Pole Saw, Echo 16" 33cc Chainsaw, Coal Buckets, Antique Portable Washing Machine, Large Amount of Hand Tools, Tap & Die Sets, Pipe Wrenches, Tool Boxes, Chains & Come-alongs, Sandburn Industrial 200psi 60gal Air Compressor, 2-Gas Augers, 2-Sets Old School Lockers, United Heavy Duty Drill Press Model 810, Grinders, Old Forney Welder, Older 5hp Rear Tine Tiller, Small Troybuilt Gas Tiller/Edger, LazyBoy 5hp Rear Tine Tiller, Campbell Hausfeld 2000psi Power Washer, Antique Cast Iron Well Pump, Onan 5000 Watt Generator, Several Western Saddles, Large Amount of Horse Tack & Leather Goods, 2- 24ft Aluminum Extension Ladders, Older White Riding Lawn Mower, Wagon Wheels, Semi Exhaust, 2-Hunting Dog Boxes, Chicken Coop, Old Snapper Rider, 6- 8" Metal Culvert Pipe Approx 16'-18' & Tons More! Auctioneer's Note: Come For A Great Time "And" Some Great Buys! No Buyer's Premium. Concessions & Restrooms Available Online Only Real Estate & Personal Property AUCTION TUESDAY, MARCH 3 103 E. Main St., Petersburg Residential/Commercial Real Estate Next To Hucks on Main Street! 4 Bedrooms, 3 Bath- rooms, Full Walkout Basement, 3-Car Detached Garage, Above Ground Pool w/Vinyl Fencing! Auctioneer's Note: 5% Buyer's Premium on real estate. 10% Buyer's Premium on personal property. Cash, checks and credit cards accepted! Don't miss this sale! Personal Property Sumter Cabinet Co. Queen Size 4 Post Oak Bed w/Pillow Top Mattress Set, Sumter Cabinet Co. Modern Oak Dresser w/Mirror, Tell City Modern Oak Oval Table w/Glass Top, Tell City Modern Oak Kitchen Table w/4 Chairs, Sofa & Matching Loveseat Both w/Dual Recliners, J&C Fisher Baby Grand Piano, Royal Crown Cola Working Chest Cooler, 2-Double Cola Coolers, Double Cola 2 Sided Sign w/Sidewalk Talker Frame, 7Up Cooler, Pepsi Rack, NASCAR Banners & Diecast, Coca- Cola Items, Bassett White Chest of Drawers & Matching Desk w/Chair, Twin Bed, Petersburg Double Cola Bottles & Other Items, Household, Children's Toys, Tools, Outdoor & More! Pictures available online at CHIPSPARKSAUCTIONS.COM Call Chip at 812-890-1027 AU10600057 CHIP SPARKS 443.000156 Everywhere you look you see peo- ple with their heads down staring at a bright screen, often consumed with the endless communication, informa- tion and entertainment that an elec- tronic device provides. Cell phones, tablets, smart watches and comput- ers are everywhere. Kids and teenagers growing up in this digital age are learning how to use technology at a huge rate of speed. When used appropriately, there are so many positive benefits that come with technology and using social media. There are also many risks and poten- tial harmful consequences to social media use. The Oxford Reference defines so- cial media as "websites and applica- tions that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking." There are many social media platforms that teenagers use, but some of the most popular among that age group include Snapchat, In- stagram, YouTube, Tik Tok and Twit- ter. Facebook, Skype, Pinterest, Vine and Linked In are other popular social media sites that people of various age groups use. One of the best benefits of social media is it allows people to easily stay connected through messaging, video chats or photographs. It can provide opportunities to meet people from all areas of the world without even leav- ing the comfort of your own home. So- cial media also provides so many plat- forms to express feelings, thoughts and opinions. It's a great way to ex- plore and learn more about various in- terests and stay informed about cur- rent events. Social media and tech- nology can help someone develop or discover a community or support net- work too. Along with the benefits of social me- dia, risks and negative consequences can arise. Too much social media use can result in lower interaction with family, friends, or co-workers. Expo- sure to inappropriate content like vio- lence and pornography is highly possi- ble without the use of monitoring and parental control applications. Inappro- priate behavior such as bullying, slan- der, or sending/posting risky pictures can happen because a social media us- er has a false sense of security behind the screen. Often people don't consid- er that their digital footprint can last forever. Lack of sleep or interrupted sleep is another negative side effect of too much social media use. Some people report feeling anxious or depressed af- ter using social media. Pictures and stories often depict someone's "best of the best" or "highlight reel." The pressure to keep posts engaging, pic- ture-perfect and time-worthy can add to feelings of anxiety. It is easy to start comparing your life to someone else's digital life and feel down or not good enough. Young people have the ability to be in contact with friends all the time, thus leaving them with a sense of no privacy and "too connected" with peers. Despite the constant ability to stay in contact, they can also feel lone- ly at the same time. Due to apps that share your location or show if a mes- sage has been read, it can be appar- ent if someone is ignoring or not in- cluding you. Listed below are some good remind- ers about using social media and tech- nology responsibly to make the most of the positive benefits it can offer. • Develop and tend to your real life relationships and experiences. • Take an honest self-assessment of your use. How much are you using social media and why? • Be yourself and be nice. • Set limits and take breaks. For ex- ample, no posting during homework time, shut phone off or keep in anoth- er room during sleeping hours, make "technology free" rules with peers and family members. • Don't share your passwords with friends. • Learn about privacy settings and review them often. • Utilize social reporting policies and sites. • Always think before you post. • If you're a parent, monitor and set limits for your children and teen's so- cial media use, have honest conversa- tions about the benefits and risks, and model appropriate social media and technology use yourself. This column is written by Vicki Kirk- man, LCSW, LCAC, school social work- er for Youth First, Inc., a local nonprof- it dedicated to strengthening youth and families. Youth First provides 59 Mas- ter's level social workers to 81 schools in 10 Indiana counties. Over 39,500 youth and families per year have access to Youth First's school social work and afterschool programs that prevent sub- stance abuse, promote healthy behaviors, and maximize student success. APPLE AND CARAMEL BREAD PUDDING MEALS IN Monica's MINUTES Share your favorite recipe! www.facebook.com/mealsinminutes Monica's Meals in Minutes PO Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567 mealsinminutes@pressdispatch.net FACEBOOK MAIL EMAIL By Monica Sinclair It's the final week of heart- healthy recipes and what bet- ter way to end the month than with dessert? It's my favorite meal of the day! My husband and I love bread pudding, and I found a fantastic recipe for it this week. It's only a few ingredi- ents and takes less than an hour to prepare. Enjoy! INGREDIENTS • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce • 1 cup vanilla soymilk • ½ cup fat-free egg product • ¼ cup packed brown sugar • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 5 cups 1-inch cubes French bread • 3 tablespoons sliced almonds • ¼ cup caramel fat-free topping, heated DIRECTIONS 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9 -inch quiche dish or pie plate with cooking spray. 2. In large bowl, mix all ingredients except bread, almonds and caramel topping with wire whisk un- til smooth. Fold in bread. Pour into quiche dish; sprinkle with almonds. 3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and set. Cut into wedges. Drizzle caramel topping over each serving. Source: bettycrocker.com Continued on page 7