Letter: Reader prefers city newsletter in hard copy

Dear Editor:
After reading your editorial in Friday’s paper about putting the city’s newsletter online, I just kept getting angrier and angrier and felt it was time to write.  It’s not so much that I disagree with this particular situation, (with the city in desperate financial shape, and employees having to take furloughs, and cutbacks of city services), $20,000 is a lot of money, but it’s your tone.  It’s that constant feeling that just because something is electronic, or faster, or newer that it’s better.  What especially makes me angry is that our children are being taught this notion from the time they are born. Electronic social media, texting, twitter, email and the like are being thrust upon our children and we are not teaching them to use them responsibly.  I’m sure most people will disagree with me, but I actually believe that being issued a cellphone or a facebook page, twitter account, even an email account should be regulated.  I think that anyone wishing to get one of these things should have to pass some type of test indicating that they are responsible, socially adjusted persons in order to use it.  Think about it, parents give 10 year olds iphones, preteens and teenagers are getting facebook accounts, and in many cases no instruction is being given to the kids on what is acceptable, morally right, and socially responsible to post, text or forward.  Ask any parent of a child who has committed suicide as a result of cyber bullying if they agree with me.  Many teenagers think about the consequences to their social media presence when making decisions about what they should do or not do; when they should be asking themselves what is the right thing to do.  Make it like getting a drivers license, maybe even do it through the school system, and when you are caught making inappropriate posts have your privileges revoked.  I know that there are a lot of issues with this idea but I think it’s something whose time has come.  I am also sure a lot of you will make inappropriate posts about me as a result of my letter, but I guess to you I will just say too bad I won’t ever see them, because I will be the one person in Hollister who reads the newsletter in hard copy.  
Randy Logue, Hollister