Give me strength: Do the important things still matter?

On Saturday, Nelle Harper Lee aged 89 died.  At the same time Kylie Minogue got engaged, Caitlyn Jenner released a cosmetics range and Emma Watson left show business.  Which was more significant I have to ask? Give me strength!  

In her 30’s, writing under the pseudonym, Harper Lee, she wrote arguably the most awesome book ever about segregation, To Kill a Mockingbird.

She won the American Medal of Freedom from one President and another declared she “changed America for the better”.  Her first book, released in 1960, still sells a million copies each year and is compulsory reading in many schools worldwide.

Believe it or not, there was a time when we didn’t walk down the street with our African-American friends, who am I kidding, we probably didn’t have any African-American friends. An inter-racial  marriage was not only unthinkable, it was against the law in many states of the USA. To Kill a Mockingbird, told through the innocent eyes of childhood, was instrumental in bringing about the changes we see today.

Facebook, however, with its algorithms which work on some sort of points system showed in “Trending”:

• Caitlyn Jenner filing a trademark for her cosmetic line
• the latest engagement of Kylie Minogue and
• Emma Watson taking a year off from acting
• Kanye continuing his battle with social media.

So What! Who Cares?

Yes! I know I am probably suffering from a phobia which reduces me in a word ending -ist, -ic and -ism, but not one of these events is even slightly important to 99% of the world’s population.

Mr. Zuckerberg, how about adjusting your algorithms to include the opinions of baby boomers like me. If you think the number of us online is not important, see how your algorithm changes if we all decide to leave Facebook.

I sit back and wonder why.  Is it the media’s fault for not really knowing the significance of her?  Surely not.  There have been amazing tributes for Ms Harper Lee, tributes she more than deserved.

Is it because the young in social media don’t “share” our sadness and loss of Harper Lee?

No matter what the reason, it certainly is a pity Facebook didn’t notice and hasn’t really given her the respect she deserved on the day the world mourned her.

Your thoughts?  Are you as mad as me?