In today’s society, the use of mobile phones has become the center of our day-to-day lives. Social media has become a major part of the lives of teenagers and young adults. Social Media outlets like Tiktok, Instagram, and Snapchat provide a platform where we can share our lives online with our friends and family. However, there are negatives to social media. People can hide behind a screen and spread hate, which can be detrimental to someone’s mental health. While social media provides a way to communicate with others, it can be the reason why someone decides their life is no longer worth living.

Social Media Pros 

Social media has many positives such as, easier and faster communication, easy access to information, easier marketing, and involvement with civic engagement. There is an entire pool of information at our fingertips and we can all learn something new on social media. With platforms like Snapchat it is easier to communicate with friends or family members over long distances. Tiktok is a major social media platform with content constantly being published to entertain viewers. Social Media has advanced over the decades and more outlets are being created to enhance entertainment and the spread of information. 

Social Media Cons

While social media provides many benefits, there is a negative side to social media. Social media has become highly addictive, causing people to not be present in the moment and losing a sense of reality. Mental Health disorders like anxiety and depression have increased amongst social media users. People can be whoever they want to be online, and no one will really know the person behind the username. People often compare themselves to their followers or friends on social media, increasing negative self esteem and the feeling of not belonging. People can also leave hate comments that can cause someone to feel bad about themselves. The benefit of sharing our opinions and information can be important, but this can also lead to someone questioning if their life is worth living.

My Personal Story 

Growing up I wasn’t allowed to have social media on my phone until I was in high

school. I used to have resentment towards my parents because of this. However, I now thank my parents because my relationship with social media has been very negative. I became obsessed with comparing myself to everyone I was seeing on Instagram and Tiktok. I always thought “I’m not skinny like her” or “why am I not as pretty as her”. These feelings led to a decline in my mental health and I battled with depression for a few years because the feeling of never being enough stemmed from my obsession with comparing myself to people online. I now have a better relationship with social media and I limit my time on it in my day-to-day life. 

My Thoughts 

I believe social media has been useful for me to connect with my long distance friends and family. I can stay up to date with my family members and I do enjoy looking at posts from my friends that I do not see on a daily basis. I have always been cautious about what I post or share on social media. Our digital footprint can play an important role when landing a job or internship. It is important to have a clean digital footprint to not only protect yourself but to spread positivity to those around you. I believe the advancement of technology has been beneficial for companies and media outlets to gain a bigger target audience. I enjoy seeing articles online about my favorite sport, hockey, and social media has made it easier for sports fans to stay up to date with their favorite team. While social media has provided an easier way to communicate with others, there is also the possibility of it negatively impacting someone’s mental health. It is important to be aware of what you post and to learn to separate social media from the real world. 

Anti-War

 In 1914, as war broke out in Europe, the United States was split with opposing views on whether the U.S. should get involved or not. Many leaders were in favor of joining the war and  those who opposed it were unfortunately heavily silenced. This time period showcased how easily the First Amendment could be weakened during a crisis. The issue of free speech during wartime is a recurring problem. 

The government passed the Espionage and Sedition Acts during WWI. This led to the arrest of antiwar activists, including pacifists and socialists. Even though the Constitution promised free speech, these activists were imprisoned, showing how speech rights can be limited in times of national crisis. The suppression of antiwar voices wasn’t just about limiting speech—it went against the democratic values the country was supposed to protect. The laws were meant to protect national security, but they also undermined the very freedoms they were trying to protect. This shows how protecting democracy can sometimes harm it.

We face similar problems in today’s society, however, the methods have changed. Antiwar voices are often pushed aside in mainstream media because of the close relationship between defense contractors and media outlets. These companies, who rely on military and government sources for information, often push pro-war messages and push antiwar viewpoints to the side.  The media tends to ignore the human costs of war, making the public less aware of the negative impacts of war. This helps the government push its foreign policies with little to no opposition.

However, alternative media outlets like Antiwar.com and The American Conservative expose the true costs of war and question the government’s justification for harsh military actions. These outlets highlight how defense contractors profit from wars, rather than regular citizens, and challenge the mainstream media’s narratives. They encourage people to think critically and reveal uncomfortable truths about the consequences of war.

Mainstream media often treats war as something distant and abstract, making it easier for the public to ignore the real impact. This detachment allows people to remain indifferent, making it harder to challenge military actions. Those who question the system are often labeled as conspiracy theorists or unpatriotic. This situation is driven by the defense industry’s influence over the media, which helps shape discussions about war to protect their interests. On the other hand, alternative media outlets are important because they provide transparency, hold the government accountable, and foster more informed debates about war and its effects. Supporting these independent outlets is important because they challenge the dominant pro-war narratives and spread the influential costs of military intervention to educate more people on the true impacts of war. 

EOTO 2: Reaction Spiral of Silence Theory

The presentation of the Spiral of Silence theory really stuck out to me because it is something that is unfortunately prevalent in today's society. The Spiral of Science theory is when people choose to not speak up about their views when they do not align with the majority views. People stay silent due to fear of receiving backlash or hate from others. After watching the presentation, I realized how many times I have chosen to stay silent when I could have possibly helped someone learn something new. I ususally stay silent around the topic of politics, however, as I have gotten older I have learned to express my opinion in order to try and educate others or learn something new. 

Discussing topics like politics is important because we can learn from other people while also teaching others. Everyone's opinion is different but when we share those opinions we can all learn something new and be further educated. Nowadays, people cannot discuss politics because there is so much hatred between the followers of both political parties. Many Americans miss out from learning from opposing views because of the Spiral of Silence Theory. 

One topic I choose to not talk about too often in fear of rejection is my religion. I believe in God and as a Christian I am called to spread God's word to teach more people about his love. However, when I try to spread God's word I am often judged or made fun of because I believe in God so much. I truly think this is sad to see in our society. We all are entitled to our own opinions and beliefs, and we should be able to openly share them without constantly being judged or hated on. Many Christians stay silent about their religious beliefs because of the fear that other people will be rude to them. 

This presentation got me to reflect more on my life and how I should no longer stay silent, but be open about my values and beliefs. This classmate helped me to learn that I am not alone with my differing view or belief, but that there is a silent majority out there. Moving forward, it is important for us to start sharing our opinions because we may never want to miss the opportunity to educate someone, learn something new, or share God's word. 

EOTO 1: Bluetooth Reaction

 Bluetooth is one invention from the EOTO presentations that I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about. Bluetooth is a tool that is used in almost everyone’s day to day life. Many people use bluetooth when driving or doing simple activities like cleaning or doing homework. Bluetooth has given people the chance to listen to music, podcasts, or any type of media whenever they want to.  

One interesting fact I learned about Bluetooth is that it is named after a Viking who had an actual blue tooth. Growing up, I always wondered where the name Bluetooth came from and now I finally have the answer. I was also shocked to learn that Bluetooth is a more recent invention, dating back to the first Bluetooth model made in 1998. I had previously thought Bluetooth was invented in the 80’s but didn’t become very technologically advanced until the 2000’s. Learning about the origin of Bluetooth was something that sparked my interest and gave me a deeper insight to the invention of this technology I use on a day to day basis. 

I personally use Bluetooth mainly for the purpose of streaming music. I am always listening to music in the car, in the shower, doing homework, cleaning my dorm, or when I workout. Music helps me to focus on the task I am working on and it acts as a white noise to my brain. Also, instead of a TV, me and my roommates watch movies and shows on a Bluetooth projector. The projector connects to our phones, computers, or Ipad’s via Bluetooth. Buying a Bluetooth projector was a much cheaper option than buying a TV for our living room and has made watching movies and shows more fun and nostalgic. Without Bluetooth, none of this would be possible. Bluetooth has also made it easier for people to communicate when traveling long distances. Apple Carplay is a major use of Bluetooth that can now be found in many cars. Carplay allows people to connect their phone to their car, which makes it safer for the driver to have phone calls while traveling. With the advancement of technology, Bluetooth will only continue to make lives easier. 

I believe Bluetooth has been an amazing invention that impacts society in a positive way. It has made it easier for me and other citizens to enjoy music on the go and has provided safety benefits when driving. I believe Bluetooth will only advance in the future, allowing people to connect many devices to other devices for easier streaming use. I enjoyed the presentation about Bluetooth and it has given me a better understanding of this technology that I use every day.