My Relationship to Technology Through Social Media (Final Project)

My Relationship:

I have used social media for a good chunk of my life. It is something that defines my generation. There are three platforms that I use the most, however, and those are Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. 

Instagram:

The first social media I ever got was Instagram. I was in the fourth grade and a friend of mine asked me why I didn't have one. I went home and asked my mom if I could download the app on my galaxy tablet (a hand me down from my brother). She said yes. My older brother helped me make my first ever social media post, a picture of my cat Sophie. I remember feeling so cool for finally having an Instagram of my own. 

The longer I had one, the more I wondered why. Why did I feel so happy because I had social media? Well, I got to learn more about the world. The Instagram discover page showed me all these amazing posts from around the world. Collaborative learning is a big part of the internet. I got to find out what my aunt who I never see does on a daily basis. I got to learn about my family and friends. 

That's a positive of social media. But, I also experienced the downsides firsthand. 

Something I have dealt with nearly my whole life is a struggle with an eating disorder. Starting from such a young age, I experienced how social media affects eating disorders. Photos can be edited so easily. I learned that from editing some myself. It's easy to present an idealized version of yourself to the rest of the world. It's also easy to focus on the idealized version of others. 

On Instagram, you can search hashtags and see all the public posts with them. An example of some hashtags I used to look at in the heyday of my eating disorder:

#weightloss #weightlossjourney #bodygoals #lovemybody #bodysculpting #bodybuilding #dieting #dietbody #summerbody #summerbodyready

These are all real hashtags that people use. And there are even more out there. People will create posts that will encourage unhealthy body standards and images, and promote disordered eating. Not to mention that there are ads made that actively push unhealthy eating habits disguised as 'real diets' that Instagram allows. Photos of realistic bodies or healthy eating habits are less likely to show up on the discovery page.

It's been researched and shown that high social media use is directly linked to increased chances of developing an eating disorder. 

The other downside I've personally experienced is cyberbullying. 

It started out as a joke. I'm sure that's what everyone involved said. But, it kept happening. So many posts, and all of them telling lies about me. Cyberbullying has awful effects on people, something I know firsthand. Some of the effects include:

- increased anxiety and/or depression, low feelings of self-worth, suicidal thoughts and tendencies, increased risk of eating disorders (especially with girls), difficulties sleeping, physical symptoms such as headaches or nausea

It's pretty awful. People cyberbully because it's easy to post something and hide behind the wall of the internet. You can call someone a bad name on Instagram while hiding behind a phone and fake account, but saying the same thing to that person when you actually see them isn't that simple. Before social media, if you were being bullied at school, you went home afterward and it stopped until the next day. But now, it's a constant thing in your life. Cyberbullying goes past middle school and high school. It's something that can last a lifetime now. 

But there are positives to social media. Instagram has its perks. Like pages promoting recovery. I created one of these pages, in hopes of helping people who are going through the same things I used to. Now I can help people through something that once hurt me. 

Snapchat:

I normally don't really use my Snapchat for traditional purposes. Occasionally, I'll send a photo or post something on my story. Usually, I go and watch people's stories, or look at makeup videos which takes a good chunk of my day. But I have never really understood it. The reason I got one in the first place was because girls in my middle school said it was uncool not to have one. So I downloaded the app as soon as I got home. And then waited anxiously for all the kids at my school to add me back. 

Snapchat has its cons like all social media. The filters on the app distort faces which is negative to a person's body image. People use Snapchat on average more than other social media, checking in on average 20 times a day. It shares your location with other users, putting people in potential danger. 

But, of course, there are pros. Sometimes you get a memory from two years ago that makes your day. The app allows for creativity. You can also easily reach out to people, and meet new people from suggested adds. Overall, I've always enjoyed Snapchat, or at least the little amount that I use it.

TikTok:

TikTok is a new social media. I do not use it to post anything, but I would say I spend the most time on TikTok out of any social media. It's so easy to scroll for hours on end. TikTok has a lot of good things about it. 

TikTok fuels creativity. It allows people to create skits and videos that they write and perform themselves. It encourages acting, dancing, humor, and other things. It can also lead to a collaboration like with 'houses'. Creators come together and make shared accounts where they can collaborate and have fun. 

TikTok, however, has many negatives. Of course like with every social media, cyberbullying, body image, depression, jealously, addiction, and more. But something TikTok does that's very dangerous is how it works with copyright, specifically music. 

An estimated 50% of music on TikTok isn't copyrighted. The music industry freaked out when TikTok first launched because of this. To appease them, TikTok made several deals with record companies to stream their music. However, many artists did not fully agree with this. Now, artists are losing money in streaming because of TikTok. Studies show that artists are taking home 12% of their royalties. 

But, many artists are also getting discovered because of TikTok, like Olivia Rodrigo. She released a song that hit #1 globally. Now artists are getting the chance to prove themselves to record labels before getting signed. If someone reaches a certain amount of streams due to TikTok, they are practically guaranteed at least a meeting. which is a new amazing to find artists. 

My Relationship pt. 2:

I have always had strong opinions on social media. I think that there are a lot of negatives. But I also see the good. I see how it brings people together. I see how it tears people apart. But I know that social media is something that is engrained in my life, as well as the lives of others. I understand it's a given in today's day and age, and I accept that. 

But I still have a complicated relationship with it. I'm trying to do good with social media. I think that with social media, people have to take active steps to improve it. People must commit to helping make it a safe virtual place, instead of how it is and can be. I believe enough people have taken these steps to ensure internet safety and inclusivity that one day, social media can be a safe place for all. 

Why Write Anti-War When You Can Write Anti-Glacier? After All, the Government Will Silence You Less (Anti-War)

 In 1969, Kurt Vonnegut published his famous dark comedy anti-war book, Slaughterhouse-Five. One of the greatest lines in this book touches on the futility of writing an anti-war book, "there would always be wars, [and] they were as easy to stop as glaciers ... and even if wars didn't keep coming like glaciers, there would still be plain old death." 

Glacier 

Being anti-war is a strange thing. I think very few citizens are actually pro-war. I dislike war, and I wish it did not have to exist. But some wars, such as fighting against Nazis, I think are justified. However, being anti-war is something that should not be silenced. Yet, that is exactly what the U.S. government continues to do. 

A fine example of this is WWI. The former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was reelected in 1916 under the promise of keeping the United States out of World War I. Obviously, this did not happen. Wilson entered the U.S. into WWI to “make the world safe for democracy.” However, all that anti-war sentiment did not disappear overnight. So Wilson took the step necessary to make the American public agree with him. 

This started with The Committee on Public Information (CPI). Wilson created the committee to change the American public's opinions on the war. They used posters, political cartoons, radio broadcasts, pretty much whatever they could use to persuade the public that the smartest thing would be to fight this war. And for the most part, it worked. 

A pro-war poster made by the CPI

 

However, not everyone fell for it. So what happened to them? Prison mostly. To quote Martin Luther King Jr. "If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand some of these illegal injunctions. Maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn't committed themselves to that over there."

I've started looking into the websites antiwar.com and The American Conservative. I am shocked to have never heard of these websites before. I liked The American Conservative's platform and layout better, but both websites are very professional and well-made. So why are they not easier to find? What is the government trying so hard to hide from us? Why have they imprisoned anti-war citizens? 

All these questions are ones I will continue to ask and never stop searching for. Because unlike the U.S. government, I am not pro-war. 

The Romanovs: Russia's Last Royal Family and the Mystery of Anastasia (additional post)

I believe that knowing history, true factual history, is one of the most important things a person can learn. I also believe that everyone should have a niche so speak when it comes to history. A topic or time, even a person that they learn about and feel passionate about. I have several, and one I have always loved discussing is the downfall of the Romanov Dynasty in Russia and how it led to the communist nation of the USSR. 

Peter the Great

The Romanov family was the Imperial Dynasty of Russia, ruling for over three centuries with eighteen Romanovs taking the throne during that time. The family first came to power in 1613, with Mikhail Romanov taking the Russian throne. He later took the name Michael I. The family had many notable leaders including Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. 

Empress Catherine the Great

The family met their downfall under the leadership of Tsar Nicholas II. Tsar Nicholas II's rule was a time filled with social unrest. He was considered by the public to be a very weak leader and was distrusted by many. He and his wife Tsarina Alexandra, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, together have five children, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and their one son, Alexei.

The last generation of the Romanov family

The most famous member of this last ruling Romanov family is the last Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov. While Anastasia herself never rose to power and was not even first in line for the throne, she has become one of the most well-known members of the Romanov family. When the family was executed in July of 1918, rumors began to circulate that she managed to escape. 

Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov

Because of the family's dwindling power, they began to sew prized family jewels into their clothing as a way of hiding them. The rumors stated that these jewels protected the Grand Duchess from the gunfire that killed her family and that she was able to flee. Over the years, many women have claimed to be Anastasia Romanov, the most famous being Anna Anderson. Anderson was one of many who claimed to be Anastasia, however, she was the most famous. It was later found out she was actually Franziska Schanzkowska, a Polish factory worker with a long history of mental illness. 

Anna Anderson, an Anastasia Romanov imposter

Sadly, Anastasia was killed along with the rest of her family in 1918 in the city of Ekaterinburg early on the morning of July 17. The family was awoken and told to dress. They were taken to the basement of the house they were staying at along with a few servants that remained loyal to the family, and Anastasia's pet dog. The family was then lined up as if they were about to have photographs taken. Soldiers opened fire and killed everyone. 

But how did it get to that point? What did Tsar Nicholas II do to make the public hate him enough to execute his whole family, including his seventeen-year-old daughter? 

Tsar Nicholas II was a poor leader. He rose to the throne in 1894, following the death of his father Tsar Alexander Alexandrovich. Nicholas II never wanted to become the Tsar, and even confessed that fact to close friends. He had very little understanding of the affairs of the state. 

Tsar Nicholas II

One of his first failures as the Tsar was the way he handled the Russo-Japanese War. The war began when Japan launched a surprise attack against Russia on February 8, 1904. The Russo-Japanese War has at times been referred to as World War Zero as it set the stage for WWI and even WWII within the Pacific Theater. 

Tsar Nicholas IIs other mishaps include his poor handling of Bloody Sunday. On January 22, 1905, dissatisfied workers lead by Georgy Apollonovich Gapon, a radical priest, stormed the winter palace in St. Petersburg. The imperial forces opened fire against the protesters, killing and wounding hundreds. Outrage broke out throughout the country and people everywhere rioted and went on strike. Rather than addressing what had happened, Tsar Nicholas II promised he would instate Dumas, which are representative assemblies, to work on reforms. Tsar Nicholas II left Russia in 1915 to help lead the failing Russian Army front in World War I. 

Bloody Sunday

In 1916, Rasputin, a cleric that was close with the Romanov family, was murdered. Many hated him, but Tsarina Alexandra kept him close because she believed he could cure the youngest Romanov, Tsarevich Alexei, of his hemophilia. Many considered Rasputin to be a charlatan and were wary of his influence and power. 

 Grigory Efimovich Rasputin 

Vladimir Lenin, leader of the radical socialist Bolsheviks party, seized power in Russia during the Russian Revolution in November of 1917. Lenin established Russia as the world's first communist state. The Romanov family was sentenced to house arrest and sent to Serbia. In 1918, the Romanov family was sent to Ipatiev House, a merchant’s house in Yekaterinburg. Following the Russian Revolution, a civil war between the Bolshevik “Red” army and the anti-Bolshevik “White” Russian broke out. The White Army began to advance, so the Red Army held a secret meeting and sentenced the imperial family to death.

The Ipatiev House

And so, the Romanov family was killed in the basement of the Ipatiev House. In 1991 a mass grave was discovered holding the remains of Tsar Nicholas, Tsarina Alexandra, and the three oldest daughters (Olga, Tatiana, and Maria). The missing bodies of Anastasia and Alexei added to the rumors of Anastasia's escape and survival. However, in 2007, a second grave was found and DNA testing confirmed that two of the bodies belonged to Grand Duchess Anastasia and Tsarevich Alexei, bringing the tragic end to the mystery of Anastasia. 

The American Education System: Where it Went Wrong and Why it Matters (additional post)

Most people can agree that the American Education System has its flaws. But why is that? I've often wondered what I've been missing in my classes. The main subject that seems to be missing quite a lot is History. So I decided to do some research as to why.

To start off, I went back to the root of the issue. The American Education System itself. To start off I needed to go way back. It’s the late 1700’s in Prussia. Fredrick the Great lays out his model of public education. Great idea, right? The U.S. decides, why shouldn’t we adopt this ourselves? We have kids, they need to be educated. But the funny thing was the industrial revolution kind of changed everything in the U.S.

Fredrick the Great

Adults wanted children to be educated in a way that would produce a good workforce. And they all knew factories. So, that’s what school became. We all know the basics of a factory, don’t we? Raw materials are used by workers in a factory to create a final product. The raw material is children, the worker's teachers, the factory a school, the final product functioning, educated members of society. A great thing to look at for more information on this is Alvin Toffle’s 1970 book Future Shock. He explains it a bit more in-depth than I do. 

So, the history of the education system isn’t the point of this post. Well, not entirely at least. The real thing is, the American education system is flawed. Of course, it is, I mean it’s run by humans. And as humans, we have an agenda. It’s not even our fault sometimes. But miseducation is rampant in this country right now.

Let me ask any reader right now to think about something: how far did you get in history classes back in school? WWII, right? In elementary school, you would start with the Revolutionary War just about every year. Then restart. In high school maybe you had a Western Civ class and learned about Rome. If you went to a Catholic high school like me, maybe you learned a bit about Jerusalem, but not really. 

In college, you probably took a few history courses, but you mostly focused on the world pre-WWII. Maybe took a Holocaust Studies class. But honestly, did you ever learn about the 1980s in your history class? And I mean really learn, not just skim over. Sure on September 11th we always have a memorial lesson. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day we learn a bit about civil rights. But can you honestly say that before college you really learned about United States history past the 40s or 50s?

My guess, probably not. So now the question becomes, why have we not been taught these things? Everyone knows about Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence. But ever heard of President Truman and the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948, you know, the act that the government used to create and spread propaganda to foreign territories? Did you also know that in 2012 the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act made it so that the same propaganda would be spread domestically as well? 

Truman signed the Smith-Mundt Act

So, how do we learn about these things? Why is there so much information in the U.S.? I believe it's because the moment schools teach people about things that activity affect them and their political views, people will change how they feel. People are fickle and the more they learn about a subject, the more likely they are to change their views. 

Like knowing about the Pro-Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden back in 1939 with more than 20,000 American’s in attendance. Or the American Committee on Public Opinion, yet another fine example of American Propaganda. But the issue is, people don't know these things, so they are unable to form true unbiased opinions on their views about life and the U.S. government. 

The Smith-Mundt Act AKA The Propaganda Act (EOTO 2)

What is the Smith-Mundt Act? That was the first thought I had upon starting this project. It took a lot of research to fully understand it. The Smith-Mundt Act was signed into law by President Truman in 1948. It was designed to regulate broadcasting for a foreign audience. This pretty much means it allowed the U.S. State Department to communicate to people outside of U.S. borders through broadcasting, face-to-face exchanges, magazines, literature, and other media of communication and engagement. Its funding came from different legislation called appropriations. What it actually did was stop the government from being to spread propaganda domestically. 

President Truman signed the Smith-Mundt Act in 1948

It has often been described as a propaganda act. This is because of what the communication from the U.S. to these foreign audiences said. It was very standard 'this is why the U.S. is the greatest country on earth' type of media. It is something that many citizens of the United States do not know about. Mostly because it was focused outside of the country for so long. 

But then, in 2012 U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry introduced the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act. It was made to amend certain parts of the Smith-Mundt Act. It allowed for modern platforms like the internet and satellite broadcasting. It also allowed the media produced for foreign audiences to be released in the U.S. which effectively got rid of the distinction between foreign and domestic audiences. Many news sources claimed that this act was a way to bring propaganda intended for foreign countries would now be shown to the American people. 

Mac Thornberry, Former United States Representative

Something interesting about this act is the lack of information surrounding the original act from 1948. Understandably, there is less information than the Modernization act because of how old the original act is. But the lack of information is monumental. I could barely find anything outside of Wikipedia about the original act. 

Even on congress.gov a website that has bills and acts from the government, I could only find the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012. I believe this to be another example of what the act truly is, propaganda from the United States Government. 

Some Rocky Art (EOTO 1)

There are two main forms of rock art: petroglyphs and pictographs. Rock art was created before the more modern sense of writing and was how people communicated. Petroglyphs are a type of ancient rock carvings. They are made through incising, pecking, carving, and abrading the surface of a rock. They are different from pictographs, in that a pictograph is a painting done on a wall. Petroglyphs are usually associated with prehistoric people and are found all over the world. However, my research mostly focused on North American petroglyphs. 

 

The oldest Petroglyphs in the U.S. were found in Nevada and date back 10,000 to 15,000 years ago. This is significant because there is very little leftover from the earliest settlers of North America. Petroglyphs are thought to mean a number of things. They could represent religious symbols, warnings, pre-writing, and even symbols for musical instruments. 

A strange phenomenon is that many nations across the world have similar petroglyphs. Researchers have many different theories as to why this is, ranging from migration patterns to the shared use of hallucinogenics among shamans. Overall, no one really knows why so many petroglyphs across the world are the same. It's one of the great mysteries of ancient humans, and always will be. 

Eight Values of Free Expression

Within the United States, the first amendment protects multiple human rights, including the freedom of speech. As a nation,  this freedom has guided the U.S. for decades. Scholars theorize that there are eight theories as to why this right of free speech is so important to Americans. 

Marketplace of Ideas - This is pretty much the idea that when a group of people come together and some lie while others tell the truth, the truth will win out.

Participation in Self-Government - This is the idea that voters want to know everything a candidate says in order to have a real opinion on who they support.

Stable Change - This is the idea that the more people are able to rant about their emotions and grievances, the less violence there will be. 

Individual Self-Fulfillment -  This is the theory that when allowed to freely express yourself, you began to form an identity as an individual. 

Check on Governmental Power - This is the theory that citizens along with the press are able to be a part of the checks and balances ingrained into our government. 

Promate Tolerance - This theory states that through freedom of speech, hate speech can make us more tolerant. We are able to recognize hateful speech and see that it is not acceptable, and therefore find tolerance and norms in our society, 

Promate Innovation - This is the idea that a society with free speech and expression is one where ideas can flow and people can collaborate and find new ideas and theories.  

Protect Dissent - This is the theory that minority opinions are protected. The U.S. isn't meant to be made up of one overarching opinion or ideal, and all ideas and opinions are protected. 

Of these eight, two stood out to me: Stable Change and Individual Self-Fulfillment. 

With Stable Change, I have an issue. I think that to a certain extent ranting out negative emotions is helpful, however after a certain amount of time it becomes an unhealthy coping mechanism that leads to verbal fighting. I find that venting about things or people who upset you becomes addicting and that it can become toxic very quickly. The other issue is that people tend to rant or vent to like-minded individuals which only makes the whole experience more addicting to them. After spending years of ranting to people who feel the same way, finding someone with different opinions leads to awful, toxic, verbal fights. I believe that having the right to vent or rant is important, but that it does not decrease violence or false opinions. 

With Individual Self-Fulfillment, I completely agree with this theory and find it very compelling. I think that the ability to freely communicate is what makes an individual themself. When someone is taught to hide themselves and not to communicate how they feel or what they think, they cannot form a personality or identity. One of the greatest things about the United States, despite all its faults, is that we are able to freely express ourselves. While at times this leads to fighting and disagreements, it is worth it. I believe that free speech is a basic human right that should be available to all. Without the ability to express ourselves, who are we? Luckily, as American's, we are able to not only find ourselves but to explore ourselves and find self-fulfillment.