Many of us have found comfort and fellowship in online communities via social media and the internet. But how do those online communities interact with our real-world geographic communities? These days, a small incident in a small town can quickly become fodder for an international firestorm on the internet, and that can make local communities and local businesses feel harassed or overwhelmed. We'll talk about what defines a community in the digital age with Champlain College professor of Digital and Social Media Marketing, Elaine Young, and Jason Mittell, Professor of Film and Media Culture and American Studies at Middlebury College.
Also on the show, we'll visit Safe Harbor Health Center. Safe Harbor is Vermont's only federally funded homeless health care center in the entire state. While much of the work that goes on inside this nondescript building in the center of Burlington is the same as you'd see in any health clinic, the unique needs of the patients drive the way the center functions, from outreach services that include taking clean dry socks to camps and shelters, to dealing with dental issues that can be a barrier to employment as well as health. The center also takes on the difficult issue of housing, something staff say is intimately tied to good health.
Broadcast live on Tuesday, September 9 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
