Final Post

Technology plays a huge role in my life. Whether it’s staying in touch with family and friends, getting schoolwork done, or just relaxing, I use it all the time. It’s super helpful, but it also has its downsides. 

I spend a large amount of my time on Social Media. I use Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok, but I use each of them differently. Snapchat is more private, and I don’t post much there. Instagram is more formal, where I share pictures or moments that I wouldn’t mind my family, friends, or even a future employer seeing. TikTok is completely the opposite. It’s where I post silly videos like dances or goofy moments with my friends. It’s fun and very casual, but because of that, it’s definitely the biggest part of my digital footprint.

Even though I post on TikTok more than anywhere else, I’ve always been careful about what I share. I’ve never posted anything inappropriate or something I’d regret later. Basically, everything I post is something I would be okay with my grandmother seeing. If there’s one thing I’ve thought about changing, it’s making my TikTok private. The stuff I post is just super silly, so keeping it public doesn’t feel necessary, but overall, I think my digital footprint is pretty clean.

Technology isn’t just about social media for me. One of my favorite things is how it helps me stay connected with family. Most of my cousins still live in Italy, and before I had a phone or social media, we could only send letters to stay in touch. Now I can call them anytime or send a message, and it makes them feel so much closer. I also love being able to stream my favorite shows or movies whenever I want. It’s hard to imagine what life was like before we had that kind of instant access.

But there are definitely negatives too. Technology is a huge reason I procrastinate. I’ll open TikTok to scroll for a few minutes, and suddenly it’s been an hour and I haven’t gotten anything done. It also messes with my sleep. I’ve gotten so used to falling asleep with a video or TV playing in the background that I can’t sleep without it now. It’s comforting, but I know it’s not a healthy habit, especially because blue light can really impact your quality of sleep. Research even suggests that the light the television emits can actually can interfere with your ability to reach REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is very important in staying healthy. 

When I look at how technology impacts all of us, I see both the good and the bad. The videos we watched in class showed this perfectly. One made technology seem like the answer to everything, while the other highlighted the negatives, like loneliness and FOMO. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. Technology has the power to connect us and improve our lives, but it can also overwhelm us if we’re not careful.

For me, it’s all about balance. Technology is here to stay, so I want to use it in a way that helps me without letting it take over. If I can do that, I think it can be a positive part of my life, and I think it’s something we can all work toward.

Antiwar

I have never noticed how hard it is to find anti-war opinions in the news. Through my research for this blog post, I have realized that major news outlets like CNN or Fox News constantly report on military actions or political debates around war, but they rarely give attention to people who are against the idea of war altogether. 

Websites like Antiwar.com and Truthdig provide strong antiwar perspectives, but they aren’t exactly what most people would call mainstream. You wouldn’t stumble across them unless you were looking. It feels like these opinions get buried, even though they’re just as important as the more common pro-war narratives.

I have come to find that historically, dissent has always been silenced. During World War I, people were thrown in jail for speaking out against the war. Today, it’s not as extreme, but antiwar voices still aren’t as mainstream as they should be. Social media and news algorithms prioritize what’s popular, and antiwar opinions often don’t make the cut.

The lack of coverage is frustrating, especially when you think about the role of our First Amendment. Freedom of speech is supposed to protect dissent, but it doesn’t feel like those protections extend equally to everyone. For example, protests against war don’t get the same attention as protests on other issues. Antiwar.com is dedicated to peace and nonviolence, yet I’ve never seen anything like its articles on a major news platform.

So, why don’t we hear more anti-war opinions in mainstream media? It could be because stories about war are easier to sell. War is often presented as something necessary or heroic, which aligns with the familiar stories we’re used to hearing. Antiwar perspectives question that narrative, they push people to think more critically about government decisions, which isn’t always easy.

That’s why these voices are so important. Without them, we only see one side of the story. Antiwar perspectives help us question government action. This shows why it’s so important to look deeper. Just because mainstream media doesn’t highlight antiwar arguments doesn’t mean they aren’t valid.

Dissent is an important part of democracy. It is not always the most popular opinion, but it is what helps keep those in power accountable. To stay informed, we need to listen to all perspectives, even the ones that challenge our current beliefs.