Obama Says Social Media Magnifies the Dangers of a 'Messy' World

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Islamic State militants making gains in Iraq and Syria, raising fears of terror attacks in the west. A tense truce between Israel and Hamas after weeks of bloodshed. Russian forces entering Ukraine in a throwback to the Cold War.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Friday that the world's challenges can seem "pretty frightening" to Americans. But he argued that they pose no greater threat than in previous decades — it's just that social media makes the dangers seem closer to home.

See also: Obama on Islamic State in Syria: 'We Don't Have a Strategy Yet'

"The world has always been messy," Obama said, speaking at a barbecue for Democratic donors in Purchase, New York. "In part, we’re just noticing now because of social media and our capacity to see in intimate detail the hardships that people are going through." Read more...

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