Torch, Winter 2012

T he news reports said a disruption bordering on economic disaster was coming. A buying and hoarding frenzy began: bottled water, canned goods, generators, duct tape, and anything else that would aid survival without electricity, heat, or clean water. The year was 1999, and we feared that when the clock struck 2000, computers would shut down. Then we heard that the computer problems had been remedied. It was difficult to know what to think about the Y2K bug. Most of us didn’t know how to respond, so we did nothing or very little. The Y2K hype evoked confusion, not only because information was disparate and unclear, but also because it was difficult to know whom to trust. As news consumers, Beyond the Hype by Jeff Gilbert Beware of hidden dangers lurking inside your home, the latest disaster that could happen to you, and consuming too much media hype. 14 TORCH | Winter 2012 MAGDALENATWORKOWSKA | ISTOCKPHOTO