FINAL POST

IS TECHNOLOGY HEALTHY?

The growth of technology has been very steady and beneficial over the years. It has allowed us to communicate in more ways than one, and in a more time efficient way also. I pose the question "is technology healthy?" because it can be controversial. For some, it is possible that it is used in an appropriate manner. By this I mean, not spending too much time on social media or watching streaming platforms. But it is also possible that there are people that are consumed by these things as well. This post is going to aim to discuss the possibility of both sides of this argument by exploring different platforms, experiences, and individuals.

Social Media

I want to begin with social media, and how it has been both a blessing and a curse. The introduction of facebook and instagram gave society the opportunity to connect with anyone/everyone from all over back in 2004. It has the ability to post updates and also direct message your friends/followers. The benefit of this has been the opportunity to stay in touch. I can give a personal example for reference, my older relatives that I am "friends" with on Facebook are able to see what I am up to and any big changes I am able to publish. As society becomes more media-oriented, these type of platforms have been huge in many different aspects. For example, back during the pandemic when we were all told to stay at home, the media became such a big way to be informed on updates and changes. To prove this, I did some research and found that TikTok users grew by 30.1% within less than a year since the pandemic began. Now we can question what these platforms actually aim to do, but for the most part it is obvious that there were major communication benefits that were gained. 

Social media has also been very detrimental to society in areas such as mental health, and overall well-being. While there have been great things to come from all of the platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, they've also been proven to be dangerous to the teenage demographic. It has been stated that social media is meant to be "addictive." The Western Missouri Medical Center dives into the issues with mental health and social media and the addictiveness. It's apparent that users get a "shot of dopamine" when they get a snap back or a like on Instagram, causing them to keep doing it. As a twenty-one year old, I can confidently admit that this was not something I knew... but can totally see being true. We get this sense of attention and approval through putting out images and getting good feedback from it. Not only is that a total nightmare realization but also makes us wonder if this is so apparent, why is it so normalized in society. 

Another issue with this is the impact on younger teenagers. These platforms promote the "ideal" look, but  that look is actually a photo embedded with a filter or edit to make it fit that image. The problem with this is that many young girls are killing themselves over living up to these standards that aren't real or realistic. Another issue to note is that there is an aspect of most platforms that allows individuals to comment on the content. Now this can be a positive aspect when people are sending positive messages, but there are many people not receiving that type of feedback. There is also the concept of cyberbullying which can be very hurtful to one's mental health, in fact there is a large link between cyberbullying and suicide. 

The issues of social media can often outweigh the benefits which is why we as a society need to be doing a better job at using the platforms for what they were made for. 

Friends & Family

The introduction of new technology has allowed for a lot of improvements in communication between friends and family. As discussed above, social media platforms have allowed us to keep our friends/followers updated. I can speak from personal experience, my mom loves to have the ability to see what I post and what I'm up to. But something that a lot of people breeze over is the technology that allows us to talk on the phone, and I specifically mean FaceTime. 

This technology has made it easier on many family members to not only catch up but to get to see their face as well. Distance from friends, family, or even significant other can be difficult but this addition has been very helpful. Some people feel that having the ability to communicate this way when being at a distance has made their relationships much more fulfilling. The crazy part about this is that this communication app can be the sole foundation for long-distance relationships. I can attest to my love for this form of call because it allows face-to-face conversations happen no matter where you are.

I think my friends and family have positive impacts from technology for the most part. We've all fell victim to the "doom scroll" but as far as I can tell we're primarily working to use these new technologies for the better. What is really interesting is as time goes on, the technology will improve further. I cannot imagine the type of improvements are in the works as we speak. As I get older I think about how crazy these changes may be for the older generations, and how soon we will feel a similar way. To conclude, I think technology is healthy, when used properly. We should look at it from a perspective of wanting to only do good.

ANTIWAR

ANTI-WAR Platforms

The mainstream media these days is often very tailored to the individual. Since people are using platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and X to stay up to date with current news topics, our phones do a really good (but sketchy) job at showing us what we want to see. For example a conservative scrolling on TikTok is more likely to see FoxNews clips or Charlie Kirk podcast snip-its. With that being said, we aren't doing our best as a society to go online and do the research and read the articles that may give us a more well-rounded view. I bring this up because with this assignment, we were told to dive into these anti-war websites and they weren't something I had ever heard about previously. 

Antiwar.com began there mission back under the Clinton administration to fight against intervention. They include a range of voices to target multiple audiences such as the "leftists," "greens," and "independents" that all share the common goal of opposition in regards to U.S. foreign policy. The American Conservative typically aims to be a voice for individual freedoms. Both of these platforms have pretty strong and assertive voices that have the desire to critique and advocate for the people. 

I think we don't hear about these platforms because the government wants society to fully be in support of their decisions. These types of sites run the risk of Americans becoming educated on what's going on and possibly increasing the desire to take a stand. The government unfortunately has a lot of control over the media and are able to easily change the narrative. Since government tends to be in support of war, these websites run a greater risk of the people understanding and therefore disagreeing with their course of action. 

The benefit of these sites is that we are able to learn from an "unpopular" view and perhaps eliminate the lack of transparency. An example of this is an article in The American Conservative that discusses the new DOGE goals by Vivek and Elon. This is not something we will see in the mainstream news simply because it is showcasing a solid plan that basically tells us what has been going on for the past four years has put us in a major sinkhole. It is stories such as these that allow people that may lean left, to see a different perspective and realize that good can come from a change in office. 

All-in-all, I really like the idea behind these websites/platforms because they are very educational and tailor to both sides. War is something that not everyone likes to talk about or admit that it's happening, but maybe having all of the facts can help society understand the gravity of the situation. 

AGE OF AI

AGE OF AI

Artificial intelligence is constantly growing and adapting to modern changes. The scary reality is, it has been with us or amongst us for long enough to know everything about us. AI is used in almost everything nowadays whether it is search engines, social media platforms, or even just regular websites. It is said that AI is primarily used for data analytics, predictions and forecasting, recommendations, and intelligent data retrieval. These things happen naturally and quickly, all without us noticing.

I want to discuss some major concepts that were discussed in the documentary. To begin, the possibility of AI taking over jobs is a concern that was feared by many, and still is. Since this technology is rapidly advancing, it is possible it becomes smart enough to do jobs for people. This could leave people very vulnerable and jobless, which in this society... simply won't cut it. It is possible that we need to "reskill" employees in order to keep up with these advancement in technology. It could be crucial for workers to provide skills the AI will never be able to catch up with, and as stated in the documentary human intuition will always be ahead. So while there is concern for jobs, I believe there is some hope in the sense where AI will likely never reach the same level of intuition and adaptability. It's important to look at how we can work with the AI but not have the AI work for us, at least if we don't want to risk it taking over completely.

Surveillance capitalism was also a large topic that was discussed in this documentary. This was discussed as the process of collecting and using personal data to make predictions and even modify one's behavior. The truly terrifying issue here, why are we allowing for technology to not only use our data but try to "modify" our behavior. We see this a lot with advertising, simply because AI can see what we are googling and interacting with on social media. It uses that information to funnel out ads it thinks we will like. When this was being discussed, I immediately thought about how every time I am talking about something... or even thinking about something, it seems that I will see a video or an advertisement about it. I really get freaked out about it when it's just in my thoughts and then five minutes later on my screen. Apparently there is a name for the trail we leave when we click on ads or searches being made, "digital exhaust." This just goes to show we need to be finding a better way to have more privacy when it comes to what we are using our phones or computers to do. AI shouldn't be able to access out personal data for its personal growth. The video discussed progress in the regulation of privacy, but as AI goes in strength, the efforts need to grow as well. 

Artificial Intelligence has a lot of pros because at the end of the day, it can be very beneficial in retrieving information quickly and efficiently. I do think it has a lot of work to do in terms of progress. We shouldn't fear technology and what it can do to society, instead we should be excited about what it can do for us. However, I don't think that will be fully achieved until we feel safer regarding our privacy and digital footprint. 

EOTO #2 - REACTION

CITIZEN JOURNALISM

I enjoyed this presentation because of the nature of social media's current day presence. As a society, we are lucky to be so technologically advanced because of the good that can be done from it. The First Amendment allows us to be able to create content and share information, no matter our opinion or view. Citizen Journalism has been very beneficial in making everyone more aware on what's going on

One of the examples that was given during this presentation was the devastation of Hurricane Helene's damage to Western North Carolina. Since this storm was very dangerous and brought on more damage than what could've possibly been imagined, residents are very grateful for the ability to post to social media platforms. With major flooding and lack of electricity, there were thousands of people struggling and wiped out of their homes and didn't know when help/aide was going to reach them. Thankfully, some people were able to use their phones and platforms to post pictures and videos to not only make the public aware of what was going on but also to let their friends and family know they were okay. During this time, the media and news sources lacked the ability to speak on what was actually happening in that part of the state. Without the ability of the residents to produce content, the storm could've left thousands of more people dead. People were using Facebook to create a page for Asheville to allow for check-ins and updates. This allowed residents to be kept more "in the know" and have hope that help was on the way. 

The JFK assassination was also brought up as an example and how society benefited from the ability for citizens to post videos. Abraham Zapruder was able to get a clip of the assassination which was then given to the Secret Service to help with their investigation. From this example we can see that justice was able to be given because of Zapruder's video and that is remarkable. 

These are two great examples that she had given during her presentation. They both go to show the benefits from this type of journalism. A simple act allows justice to be served and help to be given. There are some issues with Citizen Journalism though, mainly because citizens have free rains. It may not always be done with the intent to do good. With the freedom to post and say anything, false information or narratives can be given. This is why while we can benefit from this form of journalism, it is important to ensure you remain informed and checking with your sources before taking any action. 

EOTO #2

FALSE FLAG

False Flag is described as an action that is done with the intent of placing blame on another party. This type of action is typically found in politics and warfare used to trick other nations. It first began back in the 16th century and was used by pirates. The pirates would use their ships to "deceive" other ships into coming closer so they could attack and have the upper-hand in battle. It brought an interesting tactic to warfare that would end up becoming very popular. It seems like an unfair technique considering using one's trust to attack others. It did overtime become "appropriate" and had some organization to it. Countries would decide to organize attacks on themselves in order to place blame and appear as the victim to the outside world. 

It's important to know that while not necessarily ethical, False Flag is not illegal. The Humanitarian Law doesn't count this technique as a warcrime. One important term to discuss is pretexting, which is the use of a fabricated story to manipulate others into sharing information. Pretexting is often used in cybersecurity, however, it is commonly used in False Flag operations. An example of this could be one country sending someone in to impersonate a member of the company in order to get records, plans, and/or information. This type of scamming is considered illegal in the United States, and there are laws that are aimed to prevent this from happening. 

To discuss some pros of this technique it's important to keep in mind that this is a warfare type of technique, not an ethical one. To start, False Flag operations tend to gain sympathy from people. If another country is staging an attack and blaming another country for it, there will be global attention. This type of attention may be successful in the sense where support may be given from all over. With social media being so prominent in our modern society, it is very easy to see what is going on around the world. With that being said, all it takes is one video or message for other nations to get involved. Allow me to provide an example, in 2022 Russia plotted a fake attack by Ukraine. They did this by creating a video to send out for everyone to see, which would definitely draw in some sympathy from somewhere. Another pro could be pushing responsibility. If they are able to get away with their False Flag operations, the responsibility and "blame" will be pushed onto another nation. This allows them to look way better in the public eye, which may allow for even more sympathy. 

There are some major cons with False Flag as well, as it is a very deceptive technique. To start off, it is unethical to lie and place blame on others... obviously, but it simply can destroy the nation's reputation. If not pulled off successfully or kept under tight wraps, it will become known to the public immediately. Once again, social media is very prominent, it takes one post for widespread opinions to form. Just like that, the nation is discredited because of the use of this technique. There is also a lot of fear and anxiety that can be provoked from this type of warfare. Since it is a large manipulation, people believe what is said and are often terrified by it. 

I want to give a couple of examples to wrap up this discussion of False Flag to better understand what this technique is all about. Back in April this year, 2024, Russia claimed Ukraine responsible when disruption occurred at the nuclear power plant in... Kyiv, Ukraine. They are claiming it was done to place blame on Moscow in order to make the West feel bad and continue to give aide. The question behind this is why would Ukraine purposefully damage their own infrastructure just to receive more aide? 

Another is example is back in 2014 when Russia sent in special forces into Ukraine pretending to be local self-defense. This allowed them to destroy and obtain government buildings and take control of Crimea. This is considered False Flag because they are pretending to be Ukraine special forces and taking advantage of Crimea's occupants. 

False Flag has the opportunity to be very dangerous and manipulative to society. It can be the beginning of war and place a lot of stress, fear, and anxiety on citizens. The addition of the media's presence in war now has made it very easy to get tangled up in what is real versus what isn't. A lot of conspiracy theories can arise or even just different opinions. Since this is true, all it takes is one post to spread like wild fire and just add on to the mess that is False Flag. 

PRIVACY, ONLINE & OFF

LACK OF PRIVACY

First I want to touch on the problem behind mass surveillance. Catherine Crump brought up a frightening issue that I don’t think many people are aware of. From her talk, I found out that the location information of many people here in America is stored in a huge database… just in case it may be useful someday. That’s hard to wrap our brains around because this means there isn’t a true justified reason why we are being tracked constantly. If the government is able to obtain this data, it means they know where we are going and what we are doing, allowing them to build profiles and assumptions as to who we are as individuals. Now this could be anybody, she mentions that these profiles are built for potential cases… even if you’re doing nothing wrong. This is a huge violation of privacy, especially for individuals just trying to go about their day. We deserve to feel safe and not watched when we’re out running errands. The problem with having this large database is that it leaves room for hacking to occur and our information to be accessed. Now, since these things could be tracking where we live and/or work, that becomes public information to unsafe people. It puts a threat on our friends and family, and the government shouldn’t be willing to place this onto us.

Next, I want to discuss electronic tattoos, which unfortunately can be a slippery slope. We see this being a huge issue in the younger generations because we aren’t always educated on these issues surrounding privacy. Younger people tend not to think about our digital footprint when posting, tweeting, or sharing information/pictures online or through messages. Since media and technology has gotten so advanced, there are large issues that surround it. What some people don’t realize is that once you put something out there, it is available for anyone and everyone to see… and that includes those who can be dangerous. Enriquez’s main point was that what gets put out there is permanent, hence the tattoo reference. To protect ourselves from this issue, we should be thinking twice about what we put on the internet. Especially what we are posting to social media because all it takes is one screenshot to be saved and transferred elsewhere. 

Lastly, I want to talk on Soghoian’s TED talk because he made a lot of interesting points about telephone surveillance that I didn’t know about. He discussed how telephones were wired for surveillance first, and that is terrifying. Everyone communicates through their telephones on a daily basis whether it be texting, snapchatting, through facebook, or calling. The scary side of this is that there are some providers that have access to calls, which means anybody could be listening. A lot of private conversations are had which is why it is so concerning that the government, hackers, or foreign services could be listening to the call. If you mention addresses, names, or any small piece of information that can be linked to a profile online, that’s all it takes to be found and a lot can come from that. The government should not be allowed to listen to your calls (period). What I found interesting is that Apple has done a good job making it difficult to wiretap into calls and messages. This makes it safer for individuals to call, text, or facetime. 

At the end of the day, we need to be more cautious and self-aware of what we post and what is said, which is a sad truth. In today’s society we are under constant surveillance making it unsafe everywhere we go. We also see the unfortunate issue where people become vengeful. Another reason why we need to be more careful about what we share online is because all it takes is a pissed off person to use something against you. This is a huge issue we see now because posting images is such a big thing. The "revenge porn" TED talk was a hard story to hear, but unfortunately not an uncommon one. People online can be fueled to do crazy things when things don't go their way. We once again need to ensure that we are not putting anything out there that can be used against us in order to maximize our safety. The government should be aiming to make a change rather to thrive under gaining all of this data from us in the first place. 

EOTO #1 - REACTION

FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM

I thought the presentation on the history and impact of both Facebook and Instagram was very informative and interesting. It wasn't to my knowledge that Facebook started to act as a chat for Harvard students to communicate with each other. In that time, there weren't several different platforms that could’ve been used for communication. I believe that it was a unique and creative way to communicate and share images. 

Nowadays, we see a decrease in use of Facebook because we have other platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and even TikTok. To be more specific, it is our generation that doesn't typically jump to Facebook right away. I think that we still see it used as a form of communication because of the ability to connect with old friends or even older relatives. Having a platform to connect with older relatives we don’t typically talk to on a daily basis is good. From my own personal experience, I moved four years ago across the country and don’t remain in the same constant contact with some of those people. Facebook has allowed me to see updates from former coaches, family friends, and aunts and uncles. 

Instagram was also discussed in this presentation, and I think this platform has taken over our generation. I say this because there are many creators and influencers that have made jobs from it, there are ways to communicate through DM’s, and lastly there is an opportunity to share photos with your friends or “followers.” Unfortunately, there have been a lot of issues that have come from Instagram as well. There became a societal pressure to keep up with your profile by posting the right photos with the right captions. With this in mind, the introduction of using filters to “enhance” the pictures, has corrupted a lot of young minds and personalities. It has created a huge pressure on one picture, and ultimately hurt a lot of people’s mental images of one-another. It’s not all bad though, there are still benefits that this platform has provided. Some platforms on this app are able to send out important updates and we are able to gain information from them. Having the opportunity to be kept up to date has helped out a lot of people in various situations. All in all, I thought this presentation was very informative and productive in teaching us the history and impact these platforms have had on us as a society. 

  

EOTO #1 - COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

 THE BALLPOINT PEN

The ballpoint pen was created in 1888 by a man with the name John Loud. Back in the late 1800s there were a couple forms of writing utensils that had ben used such as the dip pen or the fountain pen. However, Loud found an issue with the fountain pen because it didn't write as efficiently on all surfaces. The fountain pen had a lot of issues alongside the inability to write on surfaces such as leather. Things such as the ink and the design, it just became apparent that it was lacking efficiency. Journalists or students needed something that was easy to use and a lot more accessible. With the fountain pen, there was this refill feature that was messy and time consuming. 

John Loud made a ground breaking product that ultimately changed the name of the game. Loud was a Harvard Law alum that worked in leather. When working with leather he often had to mark things up, and he found his writing utensils just weren't doing the trick. The pencil wasn't dark enough, and the fountain pen was simply a mess. When October of 1888 rolled around he was able to get a patent for his new invention, an improvement of the fountain pen. He claimed that this pen would be able to write on surfaces such as coarse-wood, leather, and wood. While this was a huge step forward in terms of messiness and efficiency, it didn't last long until more improvements were to be made. 

When researching the ballpoint pen, you may also hear the name Laszlo Biro, that would be because he ultimately one-upped Loud's invention. Laszlo was an avid fountain pen user, but he tried to make a few tweaks to improve it. He liked the idea of the newspaper ink being "smudge free," and he thought if he'd use the same ink with his fountain pen, the issues would resolve. However, he would ultimately realize that the ink was way too aggressive for this pen. It wasn't until he saw his children playing with marbles, that he could try to invent a pen that had "ball-shaped metal nib" to write with. In 1938, he would get his patent and introduce a modern ballpoint pen. 

This modern ballpoint pen made a huge impact on society. Many people gained a large benefit from the refined product as it was helpful in schooling and work. Students found ease in being able to write faster and more efficiently. Not worrying about smudging allowed them to focus on better note-taking, which ultimately helped with learning. We've all been taught from a young age that taking notes is essential in succeeding. With this writing tool Biro made it much easier for students, or even any writing-focused workers, to get ideas to paper. 

Not only did the ballpoint pen provide an increase in literacy and efficiency, but it was also much more accessible and easily transportable. It was much more convenient to carry around and use because the ink didn't create a mess and it didn't need to be refilled often. Additionally, they weren't expensive writing tools and they were sold in almost all stores making it much easier to use. The ballpoint pen became used for all writing-needs, everywhere. In fact, they are still widely used on a day-to-day basis in many different designs and colors. Communication from this point on was changed because of the ease and accessibility qualities it possessed. 

EIGHT VALUES OF FREE EXPRESSION

FREE EXPRESSION

Participation in Self Government

It has been said that if there is no freedom of speech, then we have no democracy. This is mainly true because democracy is defined by government that is run by people voting for or against decisions, policies, and/or laws. Politicians need the ability to freely promote themselves in order to get their policies and plans across. How are we, as Americans, supposed to make an educated decision without hearing what the politician has to say? This is why freedom of speech is so essential, especially around big elections. 

Marketplace of Ideas

An individual with a fully educated and non-biased perspective is willing to listen to any and all ideas. John Milton suggested that "truth will win out." Some will neglect an opposing opinion because they are so passionate about their beliefs or simply because they refuse for it to be true. 

A prime example may be this upcoming election, there have been some pretty aggressive opinions or statements being thrown around on platforms such as X or TikTok. The politicians, news platforms, or citizens, have the right to put any information out there... but it may cause for some arguments or disagreements. This opens the floor up for conversation and ultimately, like Milton said, discovering the truth with facts. It is our responsibilities as citizens of America to debate or create discussion so that we can decide what is good and bad.

Stable Chance

Passion fuels emotions, and some people can be pretty passionate about their opinions or beliefs. To continue with the same hot topic, the upcoming election, there are major topics that will determine an individual to sway one way or the other. These topics could include abortion, the border crisis, and the cost of living. The addition of free speech allows citizens or politicians to speak on these issues. As mentioned earlier, allowing for any and all ideas is beneficial. However some people are extremely upset by the opposing view. Take abortion for example, allowing for peaceful protests or these online "rants" may prevent violent and aggressive acts. If we try to silence someone, they are more likely to get more angry and it will ultimately just fuel their fire. 

I think this is something that we see quite often. A couple of weeks ago, a story was released regarding the Supreme Court's possible consideration of including "bubble zones" to abortion clinics, moving the protests further away from the buildings. The argument here is that there is still a violation of the first amendment because they're taking away the ability to fully convey their message. This has just made these activists groups even more angry because they feel the support of this law would just be supporting viewpoint discrimination. There are many other stories just like this one, but it is important to note that allowing for peaceful ranting is beneficial for everyone involved. 

Individual Self-Fulfillment

Good ol' fashion autonomy is something that allows us to feel, think, and believe what we want. This value of expression often deals with creative speech, or wanting to send a message. It is important because it allows people to feel competent in having their own opinions, or creating their own identity. 

I believe this could especially be essential for young adults in their 20s because they are finally able to break free from the opinions/values that were instilled in them when they were younger. 

Check on Government Power

It is important to hold the government accountable. This value of free expression is something that I think gets mistaken a lot in the modern world. I think a lot of people believe they are criticizing when in reality they are slandering. Criticism involves the sharing of educated and valued opinions, usually driven by facts. On the other hand, slandering involves false statements that can damage one's reputation. 

Since there is such a heavy media presence, false information spreads like wildfire. This is how the shift from criticism turns to slander. I believe nowadays on social media it is more common to see the attacking of individuals or policies versus the criticism of them. While it is beneficial we are able to speak freely about our opinions, it is important we are doing that in the right way. 

Promote Tolerance

As mentioned earlier, allowing for all ideas to be surfaced, is a good thing. While this is true, all speech may not necessarily mean good speech. Freedom of speech allows for anything that can extend all the way to hate speech. Hate speech is defined as speech that attacks an individual or group based on characteristics such as race or disability. The promotion of tolerance is all about allowing hate speech to lead to a more tolerant society. It is said that the value we get from hate speech is that we as a society can learn from it. This is how acceptable behavioral norms are formed. 

Promote Innovation

If you haven't guessed by now, we as a society can benefit greatly from allowing any ideas to be freely shared. Without the ability to share freely, we may not be able to technologically advance as well as we do in the United States. An individual is more likely to be creative or involved if they feel comfortable doing so. 

I believe this value to be important because I value our Country continuing to be innovative and keep progressing. 

Protect Dissent

The most essential part of protecting dissent is protecting minority views. Minority views include the unpopular views, and those are just as important as the popular ones. Without hearing the minority opinions, we may never see change or innovation. One of the greatest benefits we see from hearing the random "unheard of" opinions, is that it sparks the desire to change. 

HISTORY & WORKINGS OF SUPREME COURT

SUPREME COURT 

The Supreme Court is something that when it first comes to mind you think of power and decision making. They are responsible for accepting cases that tend to have a lot of meaning and significance to then make a decision that will ultimately decide future precedent. 

Since this Court was developed, there have been over one hundred Supreme Court Justices that serve on average sixteen years. However, many of them will serve much longer than that. When watching the video I got a sense of how slim the chances are of becoming one of these Chief Justices, in fact one of them compares it to getting struck by lightening. They are able to tell Congress, the President, and the States what can or cannot be done, which is a lot of power. Something mentioned in the video, it took almost "two hundred years for Americans to accept their authority." I can believe this to be true considering how much power and control they have over what can happen. 

Something that I didn't know about the Supreme Court was that they typically receive more than one hundred cases every week and roughly seven thousand a year. This is an insane amount of reading and decision making for these Chief Justices. Some things they consider when deciding which cases get accepted and which don't is, "was the law applied properly in the lower court?" and "is the law constitutional?." 

I was happy to hear that no matter who the individual is that files the application for their case to be handled, each one gets the same consideration. With my prior knowledge, I would have assumed that without the highest level of names on the case it most likely didn't get the same consideration. But this is what is so impressive and important with the Supreme Court is that they have a lot of power in their hands, and they prioritize fair consideration. 

One last thing that I wanted to touch on as this was new and surprising information to me, the Supreme Court selects one justice on the majority side to write their opinion on the legal reasons for the decision. This was shocking to me because I always assumed they got together to discuss what will be written as this document could be very important in the future. They mention that this written piece could decide future precedent so it is a long process that is taken care of with a lot of importance. That to me, seems like a lot of pressure on one of the Justices, but I can see the benefit of having one voice instead of many. 

Top 5 Ways to Stay "In The Know"

TOP 5 SOURCES of NEWS & INFORMATION

X 

Recently "X" or what used to be known as Twitter, has been on the outs on terms of usage in my screen time. I have found myself occasionally coming to this platform when I want to look into something that is blowing up in the media. For example, when seeing something on a different platform, I can come to X to see what everyone else has to say about it. 

I wouldn't recommend using this source as a main source of information because there are a lot of different opinions out there. People can be drastic, passionate, or heavily emotional on a topic and so we can't assume that what we read on there is always truthful. 

LinkedIn 

LinkedIn is a great way to see what is going on for the business side of things. What I mean by this is, you can follow certain companies and they do a pretty good job of making announcements or letting you know when hiring events are. 

Additionally, it is a great way to network. By making connections you are able to keep up with your friends or people you meet in the workforce. Individuals tend to post when they are starting a new position or if they are looking for someone to fill a position. I would recommend using this as a good outlet for networking and keeping up with new job postings.

Instagram 

Instagram has become quite a large news outlet for many individuals. There are hundreds of news outlets that post current events or updates on different happenings. I like this platform because the different outlets do a great job of posting current information. While yes, there are platforms for big news companies, but also there are regional and more local platforms that may be more specific for me. For example, I follow High Point University and they post updates on current events happening around the school and it's a great way for me to remain updated and "in the know" of things. 

I would recommend this as a top source of information because as mentioned, there are profiles or platforms that may be specific to you and they generally do a great job of promoting new events and sending out information. 

Friends & Family

Another great way to get new information or news updates is word of mouth. This may be a lot of people's primary way of getting information just because it is easy, convenient, and happens naturally. I find myself doing this on a day-to-day basis whether its a fresh piece of gossip or happening from my group of friends, or listening to my parents talk about current news topics such as politics. 

I believe this to be a good way to stay "in the know" because there is opportunity to hear from so many different people. What I mean is, different friends or family members may have a different opinions or have the ability to bring new/additional information to the conversation. This can allow for a more well-rounded viewpoint on certain topics. 

TikTok

Lastly, TikTok is our generations biggest hit, and can be an opportunity to gather new information from many different perspectives. Similarly to other platforms such as X or Instagram, TikTok has billions of different platforms that aim to creatively spread important messages or information. From my own experience, especially right now, I see a lot of political conversations on my "For You" page. It is important to understand that you can't always rely on this platform to be your main news source, just because there is a lot of opinion and fabrication that goes on. 

Some examples of things I see on a day-to-day basis would include footage from rallies, interviews from FoxNews or CNN with presidential or vice presidential candidates, interviews from protests, or just people expressing/voicing their own opinion. TikTok can be a double-edged sword because there is benefit from all of these news outlets sharing these interviews or hearing differing opinions, but there are also a lot of issues that can arise from this. We may often see things get heated and that may fuel a more emotional opinion rather than a constructive/informative one.