Are your Facebook friends replacing your real ones?

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/is-facebook-making-us-lonely/8930/

 

Does Facebook make you lonely?  Does it make you narcisstic?  Does it make you a constant seeker of happiness, and therefore someone who will have a harder time finding it?  Does the loneliness effect depend on your view of Facebook and which functions you use?   (Although this article is a bit long, I think it has some really interesting things to say, so feel free to skim some of it, and zero in on the parts that grab you.)

Away with the Awa

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/22/brazil-rainforest-awa-endangered-tribe

 

In our modern over-populated world, it seems hard to believe that some groups remain isolated and untouched in their original environments.  Can something be done to preserve them from outside influence and protect their natural resources, or is an end to their way of life inevitable?  Who is most to blame for this situation?    (A glance at the comments section may give you some other viewpoints on this situation than those presented in the article.)

Empty pockets, empty wombs

http://www.buzzfeed.com/annanorth/is-teen-pregnancy-affected-by-unemployment

Does it seem likely to you that teens who may get pregnant otherwise would be more procreatively responsible in an economic downturn?  Or do you agree with some of the voices in this article which say that this is more likely because of sex education?  Should sex ed be a part of the Slovak curriculum if it helps bring down teen pregnancy?  Are reality shows about it a good thing as well?