Antiwar

 

After looking at both Antiwar and The American Conservative, I noticed something interesting. There are a lot of people who disagree with war and U.S. military involvement. But we don't always hear their opinions. 

I first looked at Antiwar.com first. The website focuses on people who are against war and believe the
U.S. should avoid unnecessary military involvement. 

I also looked at The American Conservative. It has articles about U.S. foreign policy and questions whether America should be involved in certain conflicts. Why are we not hearing these opinions more often? 

I think one reason is that mainstream news usually focuses on the biggest stories. They often talk about politicians and major events. Because of this, smaller or less common opinions often get overlooked. 

I also think most people do not take the time to search for different websites, I know I don't. If you only watch the news that you typically watch, you might not see other viewpoints. 

This does not mean that smaller websites are always right. It shows why it is important to look at different sources. Hearing different opinions can help us understand an issue from more than one perspective. 

Overall, I think people should be willing to look outside of the sources they normally use. There are many different opinions out there. Sometimes you just have to look for them. 

History of Social Media

Social Media Timeline

Social media is something most of us use every day. Whether it is scrolling through Instagram, watching TikTok videos, or checking updates on Facebook, social media has become a major part of modern life.

What surprised me most while researching this topic was learning that social media did not begin with the platforms we know today.

The first widely recognized social networking site was SixDegrees.com, which was launched in 1997 by Andrew Weinreich. The site allowed users to create profiles, connect with friends, and build online networks. It introduced many of the features that later became common on platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn.

At the time, the goal was simple: help people stay connected.

Before social media existed, people relied mainly on phone calls, letters, and email to communicate with others. Connecting with friends or family who lived far away often took more time and effort. SixDegrees offered a new way to build and maintain relationships through the internet.

Even though the platform eventually shut down, its influence continued.

The ideas introduced by SixDegrees helped shape the future of social networking. Over time, new platforms expanded on these ideas and transformed social media into a global phenomenon used by billions of people.

One of the biggest ways social media has changed the world is through communication.

Today, people can instantly connect with friends, family members, coworkers, and communities across the globe. Messages, photos, videos, and updates can be shared in real time. Information that once took days or weeks to spread can now reach millions of people within minutes.

I think this is one of the reasons social media has become so important.

Different Social Media platforms

It allows people to stay connected even when they are separated by long distances. Social media also gives users the opportunity to find communities that share their interests, hobbies, or experiences. In many ways, it has made the world feel smaller and more connected.

Businesses and organizations have benefited as well.

Companies use social media to communicate with customers, advertise products, and share information quickly. Schools, governments, and community groups also use these platforms to reach large audiences and keep people informed.

However, social media is not without challenges.

Cyberbullying has become a serious concern, especially for younger users. Privacy issues are another major problem because social media companies collect large amounts of personal information. Many users do not always realize how much of their data is being shared or stored.

Negative effects of Social Media 

Another challenge is misinformation.

Because information can spread so quickly online, false or misleading content can reach a large audience before it is verified. This makes it important for users to think critically about the content they see and
share.

Social media can also become a distraction when it is used excessively.

Spending too much time online can sometimes affect school, work, and face-to-face relationships. Like many technologies, social media can be extremely useful when used responsibly.

Overall, social media has completely changed the way people communicate and interact with one another. It started as a tool for connecting people online and has grown into one of the most influential technologies in the world. While it offers many benefits, it also presents challenges that require thoughtful and responsible use. Understanding both sides of social media helps us appreciate its impact on our daily lives and society as a whole.

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AI Disclosure: This post was a collaboration with Microsoft Copilot. I took my presentation and speech on the history of social media and had AI write me a blog post. In addition to what I learned, I asked Copilot to help me improve the text by correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation. I asked Copilot to help me shape the text into a blog post format. After reviewing the text, I added appropriate links and images. 

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Privacy, Online and Off

Online Privacy

After watching the TED Talks by Catherine Crump and Juan Enriquez, I came away with one major realization: privacy is much more fragile than most of us think.

Catherine Crump giving a TED Talk.

Catherine Crump focuses on government surveillance and the amount of information that can be collected about ordinary people. One example that stood out to me was the use of automatic license plate readers. These systems record license plates as vehicles pass by, and police departments can store that information for future use. When enough of this data is collected, it can create a detailed picture of a person's daily life.

What surprised me most was learning that people can become subjects of government attention without doing anything wrong. Crump mentioned a case in which an 80-year-old man was placed on a watch list simply because he regularly attended public events. She also discussed StingRay devices, which can detect cellular devices in nearby homes. To me, these technologies raise serious concerns about civil liberties and personal freedom.

Juan Enriquez giving a TED Talk. 

Juan Enriquez approaches privacy from a different angle. His message is that our online activity can follow us forever, much like a tattoo. Photos, comments, videos, and social media posts may seem harmless in the moment, but they can remain accessible long after we have forgotten about them. That idea made me think twice about how permanent online actions can be.

These issues affect not only me but also my friends and family. Nearly everyone shares information online, often without considering who might see it in the future. At the same time, many people are unaware of how much information can be collected about them offline through surveillance technologies.

I believe the government should create stronger safeguards to protect privacy while still allowing law enforcement to do its job. There should be clear rules about what information can be collected, how long it can be stored, and who can access it.

As individuals, we also have a responsibility to protect ourselves. Being thoughtful about what we post online, reviewing privacy settings, and staying informed about surveillance technologies are simple steps that can make a difference.

These TED Talks reminded me that privacy is not something we should take for granted. Once information is shared or collected, getting it back may be impossible. 

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AI Disclosure: This post was a collaboration with Microsoft Copilot. I took detailed notes while watching two TED Talks about Privacy Online and Off. In addition to facts I learned, I emphasized my own reactions and opinions while watching. I then asked Copilot to help me improve the text by correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation. I asked Copilot to help me shape the text into a blog post format. After reviewing the text, I added appropriate links and images. 

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Watch Now 

Eight Values of Free Expression

Eight Values of Free Expression

Based on the Eight Values of Free Expression the ones that resonated with me the most are Stable Change and Protect Dissent. They felt the most important to me because they didn't just connect to politics and the. government, but also my everyday life. I'm sure some would say the same about some of the other values but these ones felt personal to me. 

Based on the definition of Stable Change it mentions the word "Vent". That really stuck to me and made it easier for me to understand Stable Change. The way I view Stable Change is that if someone feels a certain way if they just vent it out it could stop them from getting violet. 

The example I have for this is if my sister and I are arguing and I'm just so incredibly frustrated with her, I'll just vent to my mom so it stops me from exploding. right after venting I instantly feel so much better and can approach the situation in a calm manor, where as if I didn't vent I may have gotten into a huge fight with her which doesn't help anyone in that situation. You can apply this to anything you do, I think thats why Stable Change stood out to me a lot because this is truly something that affects you daily. 

Now I don't know if this could work all the time, but most of the time I believe it could, depending on the person no. Do I believe that when people break the law if they just vented out the issue they wouldn't do these bad things? Yes. But I think that when someone is planning on committing a violent act their set on it, so it would be hard to stop them, not impossible though. 

Now when it comes to Protect Dissent I believe this might be one of the most important Eight Value's of Free Expression. The right to disagree with people is probably the most important thing anyone could have. There are a lot of things I say that people most definitely don't agree with but it's my opinion and I have the right to say how I feel. 

Especially in todays date our country is so divided and I don't think thats because we have different opinions, I think its because people don't like that other people don't have the same opinions as them, and thats were the problem comes from. The fact that people now take a personal offense when you feel differently then them is insane. Everyone has the right to Free Speech and no when should be judged for that. 

We as people are so lucky to be able to disagree with the government because in other countries that's not the case, but we also need to understand that if someone feels differently than you thats okay. We are all people at the same time and are allowed to say how we feel. 

Overall The Eight Value's of Expression are very important and something that everyone should know. They connect to the real world and are probably something you use everyday without realizing. 

TOP FIVE SOURCES OF NEWS AND INFORMATION

 

News and Information

Social Media:

My most used used source to find information is social media. I don't watch the news at all so the main why I find out what is going on in the world is through social media. TikTok is my most used app and is the way I find almost all my information. I found out different celebrities died through TikTok. When the talk of war was going around I got all my information from there too. Now the one thing about Social Media is it doesn't know me everything. My algorithm if programmed to things that I found interesting so I am not getting everything that is going on. 

Google:

Google News is a great way for me to find information because it makes it really easy to know what is happening in the world. Google is very convenient for me because it is right on my phone so if I ever need some information on something I can just pull out my phone instead of having to wait till I'm home to watch the news. Google is really helpful because I can search for literally anything and get multiple links and articles about the topic. Google also isn't bias so I can go to multiple different websites and see a bunch of different perspectives. Google is adding new information daily so your always gonna be caught up with the latest news. 

E News: 

E News is a source I use all the time to get the latest news on celebrities and what is trending at the moment. I usually go on E News when I want to see what is going on with some of my favorite celebrities. I like that the articles are really easy to read. E News is a great source to be caught up with pop culture. Its a fun way to stay up to date on the latest news. 

Spotify:

Spotify is a great source for me to find information especially since I listen to podcasts. I like using Spotify because I can listen to information rather than sit and read whats going on. There are a bunch of different podcasts so you can find the one that interesting to you. Spotify is a great ways to be to hear the latest drama in pop culture. You don't have to listen to one specific podcast you can listen to multiple that talk about a variety of topics. Spotify is so convenient and easy to use, I can just put my headphones in a go on a walk listening to things that are interesting to me. 

Family and Friends: 

The most common way I hear about news is through family and friends. Since my parents watch the news they keep me updated on the latest news happening in the world. Its a great way for us to have real conversations at dinner that keep me and my sister updated and informed. Now with my friends they keep me updated on the latest pop culture news. We can talk about pop culture for hours and be really engaged and interested in these topics. My family and friends are the most important to me and having meaningful conversations with them about the latest news and information is the most important thing to me. 

   

Supreme Court Reflection

U.S. Supreme Court remains the most powerful one on earth. 

Before watching this video, I knew the Supreme Court was the highest court in the United States, but I did not realize how much influence it has on the country. One thing I learned is that there are nine justices on the Court and that every time a new justice joins, an official group photograph is taken. I also learned that more than 100 people have served as Supreme Court justices throughout American history.

The most important takeaway for me is that the Supreme Court remains one of the most powerful institutions in the world. Its decisions help define the boundaries of government power, which means the Court is often at the center of major controversies.

At the same time, the video emphasized an interesting balance. Although the justices are not directly controlled by public opinion, their power ultimately depends on public trust and acceptance. They are responsible for interpreting and applying the law, not for making decisions based on popular demand.

John Marshall

One of the most significant figures discussed was John Marshall, who became Chief Justice and helped shape the authority of the Supreme Court. I learned about Marbury v. Madison and how it established one of the Court's most important powers. I had heard of the case before, but I did not fully understand its importance until watching the video.

The most surprising thing I learned involved the Court's role in issues related to slavery. I did not know that, for many years, Congress lacked the power to abolish slavery, which contributed to what the video described as a self-inflicted wound by the Court. Only after the Civil War was slavery finally abolished. I also learned about the Fourteenth Amendment, which was described as a "second Bill of Rights."

Current Supreme Court Justices

Another fact that stood out to me was the Court's workload. The Supreme Court receives about 100 new cases each week, adding up to roughly 7,000 cases per year. Despite that large number, the Court accepts only about 100 cases annually.

Overall, the video changed the way I view the Supreme Court. I now see it not just as a court, but as an institution that has played a major role in shaping American history and government.