Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. advocate (n.) – a person who speaks or acts in support of a goal or a movement
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. advocate (n.) – a person who speaks or acts in support of a goal or a movement
Example:
Advocates for justice make posters about the fair treatment of all
people.
2. inappropriate (adj.) – not suitable or
fit in a certain situation
Example: Interrupting
someone’s speech is inappropriate.
3. stigmatize (v.) – to mark something as bad
or shameful
Example: Women
who work are stigmatized in some strict countries.
4. platform (n.) – a place for public discussion
or exchange of ideas
Example: The
Internet is a good platform to share ideas on world news.
5. liken (v.) – to compare something as
similar to another
Example: They
likened the colorful painting to
a real photograph
Article
Read the text below.
Advocates for breastfeeding protested outside
Facebook offices in different countries. They accused the social network of
repeatedly removing uploaded pictures that show mothers breastfeeding their
babies.
According to childbirth and breastfeeding educator Emma Kwasnica,
who helped organize the protest group, breastfeeding is natural and mothers
are allowed to do this wherever it is legal. She says that doctors always
encourage women to breastfeed, but platforms
such as Facebook only further stigmatize
breastfeeding.
In response to the protests, a Facebook spokesperson said the social
network allows breastfeeding photos to be uploaded, and that these pictures
do not usually break any policy. However, if another Facebook user reports a
photo as inappropriate the photo
can be removed.
The company also defended itself, saying it gets hundreds of
thousands of reports about inappropriate content every week. Staff may
sometimes make mistakes and remove pictures that are good to use. Facebook
added it is happy that its service is used to discuss important parenting
issues, including breastfeeding.
But Kwasnica believes employees are not just making mistakes. Dozens
of her breastfeeding photos have been removed since 2007. Facebook has even
closed her account four times. Until now, she receives messages from other
mothers who've had similar experiences. She hopes Facebook can improve its
system to prevent the same errors from happening to the same clients.
Other health experts also do not want people to think of
breastfeeding in a negative way because of its health benefits for babies.
Susan Burger of the New York Lactation Consultant Association likens breastfeeding babies to people
who are normally eating. She says Facebook does not remove photos of people
eating, so it should not remove photos of babies eating either.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
●
Do
you think pictures of mothers breastfeeding their babies are inappropriate? Why
or why not?
●
How
can advocates of breastfeeding support their cause without being inappropriate?
Discussion B
●
How
influential are social networks, like Facebook, in your country?
●
Do
you agree that some data in these websites should be controlled? Why or why
not?