Letter from the Editor One of the great ironies of social media is just how... unsocial it can be.
PortStanley FestivalTheatre
Now, lest anyone starts typing an angry comment before they’ve fi- nished reading this, let me be clear: I’m not anti-social media. They have tremendous value, reconnecting old friends, helping small businesses reach customers, spreading impor- tant community information in se- conds and, occasionally reminding us what our neighbours had for dinner. That’s a lot of power. But like any powerful tool, it comes with a downside. It’s amazingly easy to criticize someone from behind a keyboard; it’s easy to say things we’d never dream of saying face-to- face. Sometimes it’s a harmless disagreement. Other times it’s downright cruel. I’ve seen firsthand what social media can do to people’s confidence, especially young people. They can create an inflated sense of self-worth one day and completely tear someone down the next. Personally, I think social media should come with an age requirement much like a driver’s licence. We expect teenagers to learn how to safely operate a vehicle before we hand them the keys. Perhaps the same should apply before we hand them access to a world where every opinion, comparison and criticism is only a click away. Even beyond that, there’s something else we’ve quietly lost. We’ve forgotten how to simply be social. This community is full of opportunities to reconnect with one another: grab a coffee at a local café; wander through the Horton Market; stop into a neighbourhood business and ask the owner for a recommendation instead of reading twenty anonymous online reviews from people you’ll never meet. Of course, the hardest part is taking that first step – walking into a room, introducing yourself and starting a conversation where you don’t know many people. But I promise, they don’t bite. Most adults don’t make new friends nearly as easily as they did when they were kids. We meet people through work, community events or because our children become friends. Those opportunities don’t happen if we stay behind a screen. So this month, challenge yourself. Visit the Horton Market. Attend Bridges to Better Business. Stop by a local festival. Strike up a conversation with someone you’ve never met before. Support a local business and spend a few extra minutes chatting with the staff. It’s good for our businesses. It’s good for our community. And it’s good for the soul. Besides, after you’ve had a great conversation with someone in person, don’t be surprised if you get home and Facebook immediately suggests them as someone you might know. Maybe the algorithm has finally figured out what we’ve known all along. The best connections still happen in real life.
PACKED WITH FALL ENTERTAINMENT! SIMON JOYNES PLAYWRIGHTS’ FESTIVAL Join us for three nights of FREE Public Readings as we develop new Canadian stories. Hosted by PSFT Artistic Director Liz Gilroy September 17- 19 th , 2026 at 7:30pm “Now The Bells Ring” A Docu-Concert by Lindsay Kyte, Music by Rita MacNeil “Martha Rules” (working title) by John Spurway “Hen Party!” by Jody Stevens Reserve Free Seats in Advance Donations Welcomed at the Door
OCTOBER 3 7:30pm
A GRINCHY CELEBRATION Saturday December 5 1pm & 7pm
A PSFT FUNDRAISER
519-782-4353 www.psft.ca RESERVE YOUR SEATS
Page 2 Hometown St. Thomas • September 2026
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