SOURDOUGH
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SEPTEMBER Wednesday • September 3, 2025 Dolton Public Library District Presents
ANOTHER COMMUNITY SHRED DAY! Saturday, Sept. 6, Noon-2pm • 14037 Lincoln Ave. Dolton IL PLEASE BRING NO MORE THAN 2 BOXES/BAGS PER PERSON
The scourge of social media, scams and AI
Harris to host grant writing workshop in South Holland Sept. 15 & 16 SOUTH HOLLAND – State Senator Napoleon Harris III is pleased to invite community members, educators, nonprofit professionals and public sector employees to a two-day grant writing workshop taking place Sept. 15-16 in South Holland. “Access to funding can open doors for residents in our community,” said Harris (D-Harvey). “Whether you’re in education, public service or the nonprofit sector, this training is a valuable opportunity to build skills that make a difference.” This workshop is ideal for city, county and state
agency staff, as well as professionals in health care, K-12 education, colleges, universities and nonprofit organizations. The grant writing workshop will be held Monday & Tuesday, Sept. 15-16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Thornton Township Hall, located at 333 E. 162nd St. Registration is required in advance. Space is limited so early registration is strongly encouraged. To register or view full workshop details, including location map and course objectives, visit SenatorNapoleonHarris.com/GrantWorkshop.
by Zebedee Stanley III Zebedee is a student at Unity Christian Academy where he has participated in Soccer and has plans for Volleyball. He is an experienced Roller Skater and has a talent for creative writing. Imagine waking up one day to find your bank account empty or your personal photos used by a stranger online. Scary, right? Not only can this affect a persons physical resources,it can also cause mental and emotional breakdowns. Did you know that 8% of the world has been scammed and 15% of the world’s families have been scammed. Scams, social media, and AI are all bad for the elderly, and younger people as well. Social media can have an overall negative effect on people all around the world. There are so many things that are wrong with social media, and it can actually ruin people’s lives. One of the biggest problems is how it can take away people’s money through something called scams. Scams, fake phone calls, and AI tricks are just some of the ways people can get hurt. Scammers on social media might pretend to be someone you know or a trusted company, just to steal your private information. Once they have your information, they can take your money or even your identity. AI can fake voices and pictures to trick people into thinking they are talking to someone they trust. Even phone calls that seem real can be a trick, as someone that has gotten these phone calls before because these calls are very common. Someone might call and say they are from the bank, but they are really just trying to steal your money. Social media makes it easy for these scammers to find people to target, especially kids and older people. Another way social media can be harmful is because it can hurt your mental health. People spend hours scrolling and comparing themselves to others based on what they read and see online. This can make you feel like you are not good enough. People only show the best parts of their lives on social media, so it can seem like everyone else is happier or more successful. This can lead to sadness, stress, and even depression. Also, cyberbullying is a big problem. Mean comments and online fights can really hurt someone’s feelings and even make them feel unsafe. It is hard to escape the internet, so the bullying can follow you everywhere. This is worldwide unfortunately. In conclusion, social media might seem fun and helpful, but it has many dangers. You can lose your money through scams and fake calls, and it can hurt your feelings and mental health. People need to be more careful online and think twice before trusting what they see or hear on social media. Sometimes, staying away from it is the best choice. One way to stay safe is by learning how to spot scams and teaching others, especially kids and older people, how to protect their information. Limiting screen time and taking breaks from social media can also help with mental health. Schools and families can talk more about online safety so that everyone knows how to avoid these problems. There are new scams developed every day and it’s hard to keep up with what’s going on. Communicating with family and friends is very important because the devil is always busy. Several states in the US are working on legislation to help protect children. This essay is part of a series of perspectives written by students at Unity Christian Academy in South Holland. The topics cover some of the most pressing issues of our times and the opinions are of the writers themselves. We are grateful to UCA English Educator Hannah Morgan for organizing this partnership.
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