To the editor

Oh, joy, it’s summertime

It’s time to kick back in my cool, lush and green, green backyard. My lawn is back greener and cooler than ever. Thick mats of velvety, soft grass that we all love squishing through our bare toes. And, no one loves it more than me. I pride myself on watering every night.

Oh, haven’t you heard? Dona Ana County is awash with water again. Forget the 40-year drought, rationing water and all things “xeriscaped.” It was just a hoax. Aren’t you tired of looking out and seeing beige gravel? Dust? And cacti? You can just see the heat-shimmers rising up everywhere. It’s positively thirst-making.

It’s all over, now. We can water our lawns all night if we want to. And, I want to. All that boring and down-right scary stuff about water shortages and not watering our landscaping was just plain, old wrong. We’re going from beige city to green city.

Why, they’re building a data center for the rich, rich, rich one-percent and it’s going to burn through hundreds of thousands of gallons per day. They’ll punch right through to our aquifer, suck it dry, and then move on to some other little greedy, little hick-town, full of empty promises and suck them dry.

Who doesn’t fall for a great yarn about job-creation and money? They don’t have to prove anything - they just dangle those carrots. Whoops. How time does fly.

I’m going to get some supper and then I’m going to turn on my sprinklers and water and water. Good luck xeriscaping. I suppose you’re saving water for the data center. I surely do hope it’s appreciated.

Leslie Patterson

Las Cruces

Young people and social media

By Ned Rubin,

A 2024 Pew Research Center survey reveals that nearly half of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 are online “almost constantly,” primarily using YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram via smartphones and computers.

While most youth understand that excessive social media use harms sleep, school performance, productivity, and mental health, awareness alone does not prevent harm. For many, usage becomes highly problematic.

Research indicates that the heaviest digital media use is significantly more common among youth who have faced Adverse Childhood Experiences. These stressful events include family conflict, divorce, parental substance abuse, household mental health challenges, and abuse. The greater the adversity a

child experiences, the higher their risk for problematic social media use.

Furthermore, studies suggest that heavy adolescent social media use may increase vulnerability to behavioral and substance-related issues later in life.

Society has long recognized the need to protect children from products that harm their health and development. Just as we restrict alcohol and tobacco, policymakers should seriously consider age-based safeguards for social media access — measures already being implemented or debated in countries like

Australia and Canada.

However, prevention must extend beyond regulation. By reducing family stress and childhood adversity, we address the root causes that leave young people vulnerable to various addictions and challenges. The Doña Ana County Resilience Leaders are dedicated to strengthening families, reducing childhood

adversity, and building healthier communities. We invite you to join our efforts.

Contact: Doña Ana Resilience Leaders at dacrl.org

Ned Rubin

Consultant, Doña Ana Resilience Leaders

Las Cruces