In an age where social media is used for connecting with one another, we now find the issue of innocent yet immature statements and impulsively posting is causing people to lose their jobs. In 2005 roughly 5% of Americans used social media of some kind, and in 2018 it jumped to 69% based on the Pew Research Center. We may disapprove of what another person says but in America we have the incredible freedom to say those words, but perhaps we could choose our words more carefully when getting our point across.
Friday, 22 February 2019
Choice of words
Sometimes I wonder if a person is freer to say what they want now with all the progressive movement or do they feel more scared to voice their opinion. What if someone does not like their beliefs or the ideas they have, will they worry about getting fired? We have James Damore who was fired from Google and a schoolteacher who was fired from a Virginia school because of word choices. The First Amendment is about the freedom of speech and being fired over words causes one to think if the First Amendment is adhered to as it should be. Right or wrong, conservative or liberal, religious or not, the First Amendment is to protect the freedom of speech. Perhaps as a society, we should all practice proper word choice so that our freedom to speak is done with tact and eloquence. There is a way to get the point across without using disrespectful and hurtful words. Maybe now that we have instant media, we should take a moment before posting a comment that may later get us fired like in the case of a daycare worker who posted on Facebook that she hated working at the daycare and also really hated being around a lot of kids.
In an age where social media is used for connecting with one another, we now find the issue of innocent yet immature statements and impulsively posting is causing people to lose their jobs. In 2005 roughly 5% of Americans used social media of some kind, and in 2018 it jumped to 69% based on the Pew Research Center. We may disapprove of what another person says but in America we have the incredible freedom to say those words, but perhaps we could choose our words more carefully when getting our point across.
In an age where social media is used for connecting with one another, we now find the issue of innocent yet immature statements and impulsively posting is causing people to lose their jobs. In 2005 roughly 5% of Americans used social media of some kind, and in 2018 it jumped to 69% based on the Pew Research Center. We may disapprove of what another person says but in America we have the incredible freedom to say those words, but perhaps we could choose our words more carefully when getting our point across.
Thursday, 21 February 2019
Media and the Abuse of Free Speech
In recent news we seem to see the media vilify the innocent, smear a person’s name and falsely accuse and all for ratings and being the first to get it out there in the cyber world? What happened to doing a little bit of research before rushing to judgment. The media ruined the life of the supposed Olympic bomber by falsely accusing Richard Jewell. Then there was the media falsely reporting that President Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about the Trump Tower project.
In the case of Nick Sandmann where media, celebrities, and social media rushed to judge, threaten and condemned him as a disrespectful racist. It was entirely uncalled for and demeaning and demoralizing to the teen. We have a right to free speech but to what extent does the First Amendment allow citizens to dehumanize another person with words. Media’s aggressive use of free speech leads us to wonder where are we in the state of free speech. The press is to bring us news and tells us things we may or may not want to hear and may not agree with, but it should do so with the choice of words that no matter what the content it can be heard by all.
In the case of Nick Sandmann where media, celebrities, and social media rushed to judge, threaten and condemned him as a disrespectful racist. It was entirely uncalled for and demeaning and demoralizing to the teen. We have a right to free speech but to what extent does the First Amendment allow citizens to dehumanize another person with words. Media’s aggressive use of free speech leads us to wonder where are we in the state of free speech. The press is to bring us news and tells us things we may or may not want to hear and may not agree with, but it should do so with the choice of words that no matter what the content it can be heard by all.
Wednesday, 20 February 2019
The Printing Press
In the third week of class, Dr. Smith gave a fascinating lecture about the spread of innovations and the democratization of the media. The first invention that we discussed was the invention of the printing press in 1430. This innovation was unprecedented, and it allowed information to spread more rapidly than ever before. At the time of its invention, a vast majority of the population could not read or write. The device of the printing press threatened people in power who could read and write because they were scared of losing their control over those who could not. An article on the Flow of History website talks about the impact of the printing press and about how with the new invention, the Church no longer had control over articles that were being written. Now documents that the Church did not approve and threatened its power could be printed in mass. As a result, those who were scared of losing power started to put laws into place that helped them preserve their power.
The printing press democratized communication, but a downside was that because of it the first licensing laws appeared. This was the beginning of prior restraint and subsequent punishment. They would put a prior restraint on publications stopping them before the writing was published, or give a subsequent penalty by punishing the author after something had been published. The elites who were scared to lose power and were trying to save their power by using prior restraints and subsequent punishment, but through this were putting constraints the person. Today this is not allowed because to stop someone from speaking and writing is the same as preventing them from being a person. Freedom to publish one's thoughts is a vital right a person possesses, which is why freedom of speech and the press are protected in the United States under the First Amendment.
The printing press democratized communication, but a downside was that because of it the first licensing laws appeared. This was the beginning of prior restraint and subsequent punishment. They would put a prior restraint on publications stopping them before the writing was published, or give a subsequent penalty by punishing the author after something had been published. The elites who were scared to lose power and were trying to save their power by using prior restraints and subsequent punishment, but through this were putting constraints the person. Today this is not allowed because to stop someone from speaking and writing is the same as preventing them from being a person. Freedom to publish one's thoughts is a vital right a person possesses, which is why freedom of speech and the press are protected in the United States under the First Amendment.
Friday, 15 February 2019
My Favorite App/Website
As we surge further into the age of technology, new advancements to improve peoples everyday life come up every day. A favorite app of mine that I enjoy using is “DoorDash.” According to its web page, “DoorDash is a technology company that connects people with the best in their cities. We do this by empowering local businesses and in turn, generate new ways for people to earn, work and live. We started by facilitating door-to-door delivery, but we see this as just the beginning of connecting people with possibility — easier evenings, happier days, bigger savings accounts, wider nets, and stronger communities.” To me, however, it is so much more than that. DoorDash allows you to have access to your favorite meals, while still being able to continue working productively. This app has allowed me to have relaxed in the comfort of my own home, with my favorite foods without having to brave the world after a long day of school and work. It has released the stress of trying to figure out when I will have the time to get my next meal between classes, or between my other on-campus obligations. I can not count the number of times I have relied on this service to make sure I got a full meal during the day.
While I know there is more than one food delivery service available, DoorDash is my favorite because of the values they hold as a company. They employee drivers to help increase the income of minimum wage earning Americans. They also help support local businesses and according to an interview with one of their drivers “People Dash for a variety of reasons: to spend time with their kids, earn extra money, to pay for school, even to exercise and see the world.” All of these are values I support as a consumer, thus making them my favorite app on the market currently.
While I know there is more than one food delivery service available, DoorDash is my favorite because of the values they hold as a company. They employee drivers to help increase the income of minimum wage earning Americans. They also help support local businesses and according to an interview with one of their drivers “People Dash for a variety of reasons: to spend time with their kids, earn extra money, to pay for school, even to exercise and see the world.” All of these are values I support as a consumer, thus making them my favorite app on the market currently.
Thursday, 24 January 2019
My News Intake
Fox News
I have the Fox News app on my phone, which makes seeing the information more accessible than on the website. When major news events happen an alert comes up from the app. An interesting aspect of Fox News is that even though they are a conservative network they have liberal contributors on a regular basis. However, when reading it, you still have to account for bias that could be affecting the articles.
CNN
Similarly to Fox News, I also have the CNN app, again making receiving the news easier through alerts. The website is user-friendly with videos covering news events. I find that it is an excellent way to stay in touch with what is happening in the country.
Buzzfeed
Buzzfeed offers a lighter way to receive the news, while other news sources seem very dim. I would not say it is a trustworthy source of news. One should not go there for accurate news articles, but reading the other stories could be a great conversation piece. Buzzfeed does cover a large variety of topics; there is no limit to the intriguing articles you can find.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a great way to get news about what is happening in other countries around the world. The BBC is known as one of the more trusted sites for international news. It also has a fascination section on scientific innovations or changes that are occurring on our planet.
Forbes
I enjoy using Forbes primarily to stay up to date with business news and innovations. It can be assumed to be a valid and reliable news source because of its users and viewer base. Due to so many funds and investors using the news Forbes reports, whatever is reported moves the market. Even if something they report is not entirely accurate, so many people treat it as true that it moves markets in almost the same way as if it were true.
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