Podcast News, Soundbite Snippets & Who Invented Dad’s Day

The Pear Tree Project recorded a podcast! The episode will air on Shewisepublications.com June 11^th.

More information will be posted next week, so please check for the link in our next newsletter/blog entry, as well as a tale about dad.

Below are some highlights from our interview.

What prompted you to create this project?

“The desire for an online presence to flourish without one upmanship, disingenuous likes, and ceaseless anxiety-producing F.O.M.O. (Fear Of Missing Out). Our standard social media sites are presented as a way for users to connect with family members, friends, colleagues, etc., Yet at their core, they are all about competition. I am not one to shy away from the competitive spirit, I love it – it builds integrity and it its purest form it truly develops self-esteem. However, to partake in actual competition requires character not cowardice; I am not sure how much of the former I witness online.”

Do you see a difference in the influence experienced by our youth versus adults using social media?

“Absolutely – while I believe the influence of social media produces child-like behavior in adults, it is the youth who genuinely suffer from the unrelenting attention to detail that is essential to maintain and evolve their online personas. If we do not see the exhaustion this medium is producing on our youth then we are either clueless or careless.”

What are some words of wisdom you can share with our listeners who have youth at home that have social media accounts?

“Foremost, we should not incessantly patrol and monitor everything our youth does on social media. Of course, we need to educate them and put boundaries and measures in place to protect them and ensure safety. However, the rebellious side of youth when given room to breathe and space to mature can produce wonderful imagination, freedom of thought, and sound future leadership.”

What do you see as the number one concern when it comes to social responsibility?

“When it comes to social responsibility, we are all charged with tending to our own emotional and mental landscape. With that responsibility in mind, we must all take note of how we engage with others on social media platforms. The anonymity provided online should be an accepted challenge for vulnerability and the demonstration of kindness, intellect, artistic expression, and the overall experience of humanity – not an opportunistic hijacking and spilling over of base behavior. 

As a community online, we all have the responsibility to ensure the spaces we participate in and promote remain true to their original design and intent.”

DID YOU KNOW? After hearing a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909, a Spokane, Washington woman was inspired to create a similar holiday that celebrated fathers. Sonora Smart Dodd, who was born in 1882, is recognized as the founder of Father’s Day.