Blog 6: Anti-War

    I had never realized that I have never heard anti-war in the news until writing this blog. The government has been censoring criticisms of the government and war for a long time. The espionage act of 1917 punished government employees that criticized the government because it harmed the war. This should go against the first amendment because we are guaranteed to speak freely against the government. In 1919, four men that were communist/socialist and antiwar were thrown in jail. Instead of the court defending their first amendment, they agreed with the government because they could. How is this fair in America? America is supposed to be the land of the free but innocent people were thrown in jail for speaking against the war. America is supposed to be made by the people for the people but now there is a great boundary between the people of America and the government.

    War and violence are not the answer to compromise, so why not speak out about it? The government does not want to admit that what they are doing is wrong. The government doesn't care about what is right, rather they care about wealth and status among the people. I was unaware that America had troops still in Syria until I read an article on the website "The American Conservative." I don't understand how it is okay to kill people with no justified cause. Also, President Biden shouldn't be able to strike war without it being America defending itself from an attack, but he sent troops to Syria anyways. The government is slowly taking over our rights. 

    I feel like the government puts reasons for war out there but really does it for secret and corrupt causes like gaining power and oil. One website discusses the actual ideas behind the TikTok ban going on right now. We are meant to believe that the banning of TikTok is for our safety to prevent data leaks to China, however, our own government takes and looks at all of our data. We don't even have privacy in our own government, so why does it matter if China has our data too? The article suggests that this is a way for America to start up a Cold War with China. The government just wants to make a wedge between itself and China because they are enemies. The American government should fix its own country's data privacy issues before worrying about another country.

    

Blog 5: EOTO

    Music has been a big part of many people's lives. There are so many options of music genres that people can choose from so it is very personalized. No matter what mood someone is in, there is a music genre for it. This is why the iPod was such a significant invention of its time. People had previously had MP3 players, but the MP3 player did not have nearly as much storage space as the iPod. 

    

    The iPod was released in 2001 and was created by Tony Fadell, however, many give credit to Steve Jobs. Fadell's goal was to create a better version of the MP3 player. He tried to work with RealNetworks but was turned down and that was when he was hired by Apple to work with them on his project. After 8 months he created the first prototype by working with PortalPlayer. The iPod would be easier to carry because people would no longer have to lug CDs around for the MP3 player. 

     The iPod became so successful when it was released that they kept making newer and improved models of the iPod. In 2004, they made an iPod mini, and then in 2005, Apple came out with the iPod shuffle, which was even smaller. Then the iPod mini was replaced with the iPod nano in 2005 which
featured flash memory. In 2007 Apple came out with the iPod classic which was thinner and had better battery life. Then finally Apple came out with the iPod touch which had a touch screen and was similar to the iPhone in 2007.

    The iPod was an introduction to the iPhone. Many people now, including myself, use the iPhone every day. The iPod was also a huge part of my childhood. I used to set up my iPod nano on a speaker and dance with my friends when I was younger. Being able to have core memories of the iPod shows how important it was to people in my generation. The music I remember listening to is old Taylor Swift and it started my love for her music. I also later received an iPod touch. I used to play a variety of games on it and text my friends and family. 

    An iPod was a great way to take a break from the world around you and immerse yourself in the music, however, the invention had its flaws. The iPod created less conversation and human interaction. Instead of conversation on the school buses, children were plugged in and listening to music. It is essential for children to learn how to socialize and iPods were preventing that from happening. iPods were just the start of technology causing bad social habits. In today's society, there is a phrase called "iPad kids." These are children that are always on their technology instead of socializing. For example, at my thanksgiving, there were multiple children ages 5-12 on their iPads the whole time which defeats the purpose of spending time with family. iPods created a chain reaction in technology that harms society. 

    

Blog 4: Speech Theories

     America is very different from most countries because it promotes the freedom of the people. The first amendment resonates with many American citizens. It states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." America was built on the foundation of freedom and new beginnings, so it is no surprise
that the people wanted to guarantee their basic liberties by writing them in the constitution. The eight values of free expression are marketplace of ideas, participation in self government, stable change, individual self-fulfillment, check
on government power, promote tolerance, promote innovation, and protect dissent. 

   The values of free expression or speech theories that I find to be most important are individual self-fulfillment and promoting tolerance. Individual self-fulfillment is one of the first concepts I think of when I think of what it is to be an American. In America, everyone is allowed to be who they want to be and promote it. Whether you are trans, gay, non-binary, black, white, Jewish, Christian, etc. you will be accepted in America in today's society. In many other countries, people are punished for their identity and beliefs but Americans are allowed to express themselves freely. For example, if someone wants to speak about how they hate the government, they are allowed to do that in America. However, if someone in North Korea spoke out against their government it could lead to their arrest and force them to join a "re-education" camp. It is unfair that they can't express their views without being punished and "re-educated." I talk freely about my faith and my likes and dislikes about a variety of topics on a day-to-day basis so having the speech theory of individual self-fulfillment is very important to me. 

    Promoting tolerance is also an important speech theory. In today's society, promoting tolerance is very prevalent. The government protecting hate speech allows others to correct people that say hate speech. In social media, if you say something that is against a group of people because of their identities or beliefs then you will be "canceled." Being canceled basically means that everyone on social media hates you and unfollows you if you say or promote hate speech. Your reputation can go from 100 to 0 really quickly if you say something wrong that society disagrees with. For example, if someone finds a video of an online influencer saying the N-word then they will suffer the consequences of their career being ruined. The government does not need to ban hate speech for people to be punished for the consequences because society does it for them. I'm glad that people can't get away with saying hate speech because people need to learn that there are consequences for their actions. I also appreciate when someone corrects me if I say something that is wrong because then I can learn from my mistakes. 

I could not imagine living in a country that didn't promote freedom of expression. 

Blog 3: The Supreme Court

     The Supreme Court has been around since 1789. One power consists of checking the executive and legislative branches. When a case is sent, the job of the supreme court is to see if the lower court applied the law properly and if the law is constitutional. 

    Many things surprised me about the Supreme Court because I have not learned about it in detail prior. I knew the functions of the Supreme Court and the basics of what the powers are from classes I have taken on history and politics. However, I had no idea that the Supreme Court was the most powerful judicial body on earth. I always assumed that there had to be a better judicial body somewhere else. I also thought that the Supreme Court Justices were confident and did not fear anything since they are elected by the president. The video portrayed otherwise because the people in the Supreme Court described joining as overwhelming and like a lightning strike. They also described how it took years to get used to being a Supreme Court justice.

    The part 1 video provided many interesting points about the constitution. The video stated that when the Constitution was written the "we the people" line only consisted of white men when they wrote it. I had never really taken the time to think about this until now. Back in the 1700s, only white men had political power and African Americans were not even considered people. It was also brought up that the Constitution is still used to problem-solve 200 years later. This was mind-blowing for me to think about because so much has changed over the last 200 years. I understand that the Constitution is the foundation of America but I feel like since so much has changed that at some point we might need a new one. 

    The part 2 video mentioned how scary it can be to talk in front of the Supreme Court Justices. That is very understandable because it can be a big deal and can even lead to new laws. The Supreme Court has to draft their opinions and compromise. After they compromise they print the decisions and sometimes the decisions affect America greatly and can cause uproar and/or agreement. I remember that the Roe v Wade case being overturned caused a lot of controversy because abortion is a sensitive topic and it made it so that abortion is not a constitutional right.

I learned a lot about the Supreme Court that I did not know before. 

Blog 2: Digital Dangers

    Technology is the future of the United States of America. It has developed greatly over the past couple of decades. Newer generations will not be able to recall a time without technology. However, is technology really that safe? 

   The government seems to be always listening in. They have access to phone calls and technology like Alexas and Google Homes. This makes me wonder if the book 1984 is becoming real life. For those that don't know, 1984 is a book written about corruption and it takes place in the future (it was written in 1949). In the book, there is no privacy because the government or Big Brother has cameras everywhere and you get tortured or killed if you question the ways of the government. This gives Big Brother complete control over the people. Sadly, the government today in the United States is not far off from Big Brother. 

    For example, the government has surveillance equipment that watches people to gather information. There are no longer closed doors because the government allows no privacy. The surveillance technology can include cameras that take pictures of license plates and it gives the government access to mass data of where everyone has gone. The government can also use cell towers to get the location of people even if they are safely in their homes. It is terrifying knowing that the government can see where we have been at any time. If someone hacked into the system they could easily stalk someone and be a potential threat. Understandably, the government wants to use it to catch criminals but that doesn't mean that the privacy and safety of everyone should be at risk.

    Telephones are wired for surveillance because of the government. This allows the government to listen in on any phone call that you have. So every "private" phone call you have is not actually private. It would be reasonable to think that this goes against our constitutional rights but apparently it's allowed because it is happening. Apple is a good advocate for privacy because the company refused to give the government access to the apps that Apple provides. This means that facetime calls and Imessages are private. The thought of the government having access to those apps is scary because they could know every little thing about us. Texts reveal a lot about a person and it would be terrible to have our private information released to the government or even worse, hackers. 

    The government and businesses also have access to social media. It is important to not post anything regrettable because it does not go away even after it is deleted. Social media apps store information and anything posted can easily be accessed again. Apps like Facebook even make money by selling information about their users. Enriquez refers to posting on social media as a "digital tattoo." He refers to them like this because even if you post something you regret it will be stuck with you forever. It is extremely important to have a good digital footprint or it can affect your future. Employers can look up names and gather information about people without even meeting them in person. 

    Chisolm provides another example that the digital world can be dangerous. She talks about the topic of revenge porn. Revenge porn is where typically an ex-lover posts explicit photos or videos of someone without their consent. Chisolm had a personal experience where an ex-boyfriend created a whole website with her name on it of naked pictures of her that he took while she was sleeping. These photos online can be humiliating and ruin someone's reputation. Just by a click of a button, your life can be ruined if someone wants revenge. This is a form of domestic violence, but instead of physical it's technological. Everything is moving toward technology. Even bullying has grown to be online and the repercussions can be detrimental. Many people make comments online without acknowledging that there is a person on the other side of the screen. 

    It seems to be that no one is safe in the digital world. 

    

Blog 1: My Top 5 News Sources!

    News sources have changed greatly over the years. Many people looked at newspapers and listened to radios for news back then. When televisions came out, people started relying on them for news. In modern days, however, many have turned to social media as a source of news. My top five go-to news sources are Tiktok, BFFs Podcast, Instagram, and Snapchat. 

    Tiktok has been on the rise for a few years. It is so easy for people to spend hours on their phone scrolling through short videos. Over 150 countries have TikTok and it has over 1 billion users. I personally learn a lot of news from TikTok because I am always using it and do not take the time to look at "real" news platforms like CNN or FOX. One thing that TikTok brought awareness to was what was going on in Ukraine when Russia began invading. Citizens in Ukraine posted videos of their homes destroyed and it reached the hearts of many people including myself. This video uses a popular TikTok sound that is usually lighthearted but this video shows the horrors of what is happening in Ukraine. It portrays images of abandoned and destroyed apartments and having little food available. I would not know about anything happening in Ukraine if I had not been on TikTok. It also gives a first-hand perspective on the problem. 

    Another source I use for news is the BFFs podcast on youtube. The podcast consists of Josh Richards, Dave Portnoy, and Bri Chickenfry. Dave is much older than the other two hosts but it adds a comedic factor when he does not understand technology or current influencers. They give news about TikTok drama, celebrities, and pop culture. Although they do not write about "real world" news, they do keep their audience up on what is happening currently in the influencer world. Whether it's a celebrity cheating on someone or an influencer making a dramatic post about someone, I can always trust that the BFFs podcast will provide the latest "tea." 

    Instagram is very popular among many people. In fact, there are over 1.28 billion users on Instagram. There are accounts on Instagram that provide daily news so that people can learn more about what is going on in the world while scrolling through their usual Instagram feed. For example, I follow BBC news on Instagram and can see what is going on in the world on an app that I use daily anyways. This Instagram post by BBC news shows that TikTok is going to start setting screen time limits for those under 18. It is useful to not have to have a separate app for news because I would never feel the need to check it. 

    Family plays a big influence in my life. I talk to my family often and they provide a lot of information about the news to me in our discussions. My Grammy is addicted to watching the news on her television so she enjoys filling me in on what she heard. My dad reads the news on online websites and many family members post news on their social media, which shares more news information with me.

    Snapchat stories are a big source of information in today's society. 363 million people around the world use Snapchat. It is so easy to click through stories while waiting for someone to respond to a snap or just out of pure boredom. For example, when I go to recommended stories, I find news stories on crime, sports, and politics. Just by a click of a button I get access to whatever news stories that I would want to learn more about. 

    Although my news sources aren't "traditional," they make news more entertaining to my generation, Gen Z.