Online Privacy

Technology is at the forefront of our everyday lives, with our minds consumed daily. As a society, we cannot function without the assistance of various technologies guiding us through. This heavy reliance on being connected through a screen allows for continuous personal information to surface into the wrong hands. 

A simple Google search, a phone call or text, and activeness on social media, like posting or liking videos, delivers information to different network agencies that track our every move. 

Privacy is the condition of being free from observation or being disputed by others. Each app, button pressed, or interest expressed in a product or website is tracked and conducted in different segments that are used to construct detailed profiles and influence choices. With this unprecedented commodification, we have lost the ability of privacy with this constant surveillance.  

Facebook is an example of a social media app that has been tied to numerous scandals in relation to personal user data being exposed. The data that had been taken from Facebook had increased the risk of hackers, leading to scams, identity theft, and manipulation of targeted disinformation. 

The government plays a substantial role in why large quantities of data are collected from American users. The surveillance can be used for protection from foreign agencies and to protect our national security. However, this action from the government often bypasses individual consent, which leads to private interactions online being scrutinized. The line between "public safety" and "private life" becomes nonexistent or blurred.

Many times, when the government seeks to protect the American people, they often neglect security. While the government seizes every opportunity to keep tabs on the American people, citizens have a right to be protected with personal information that does not need to be shared. 

Protection from personal data being released is crucial to ensure our online privacy stays intact. Once that gets disrupted, our personal lives are next, where our devices are connected the most.

What can we do to best protect ourselves from invasion of privacy online? Digital hygiene.

Here are a few things to consider:

• Audit your apps.
• Use one-time passwords: Stop reusing the same password. In the event you do get hacked and you have the same password for everything, the hacker now has a "master key" to your life.
• Keep software updated.
• Avoid sharing personal content. 
• Treat every online app as public.

It is our personal duty to responsibly share content online, because while we think our friends and family have access, that content is actually shared with more agencies than we can imagine. The wrong person getting your private information could lead to cyber or real-life harm. 

We cannot have a free society if our privacy is constantly compromised. 

Eight Values of Free Expression

The First Amendment is guaranteed protection of freedom for citizens in the United States regarding religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. The First Amendment establishes free expression, which can be illustrated in eight ways:

• Marketplace of Ideas 
• Participation in Self-Government
• Stable Change
• Individual Self-Fulfillment
• Check on Governmental Power
• Promote Tolerance
• Promote Innovation
• Protect Dissent 

Individual self-fulfilment resonates with me most because it allows us to create and express our identity that becomes an aspect of our human dignity, fostering a sense of autonomy. According to the Speed Commerce website, self-fulfillment is more than achievement for external validation, but it's an inner sense of contentment and fulfillment derived from living authentically in one's true self. Individual self-fulfillment gives the freedom to express themselves in whatever form they believe best represents who they are. It comes with the power to feel free within yourself, expressing one's deepest truths without feeling the weight of society's expectations. Individual self-fulfillment gives a person the a purpose in order to live a life filled with content and achieving goals that are meaningful and impactful in your life.  

Personally, individual self-fulfillment is special because it has taught me to be my own person, to develop interests that I enjoy, without feeling the need to change myself to fit an image created by someone else. I enjoy a variety of music because I think listening to one genre all of the time is boring. I find fulfillment in reading my Bible every day and continuing to build a stronger relationship with God. I enjoy doing crafts and fun creative projects. I like cats, watching sports, reading books, and watching romantic comedies and coming of age movies. A few of these things I find joy and make me who I am. With the liberty that freedom of speech gives, it shows myself and others to do what fills our cup; to do what we find to be fulfilling and authentic without being penalized for it. 

Mental health is a major issue in today's modern world. With the current presence of social media, especially with the popularity of TikTok, many have the ability to maintain their freedom of expression and image however they please. Many resort to social media as a chance for connection in commonalities, discussing the latest trends, politics, celebrities, and more. Social media apps like TikTok allow users to express any opinion they have about someone online. This leads to a major issue of authenticity that many seem unable to grasp. 

The "perfect" lifestyle of an influencer, showcasing unrealistic and flawless lives of a random person online, concerns lots of people and opens up opportunities to mentally compare their lives which creates hate or judgement as a defense. This defeats the purpose of true authenticity and having the power to be who you are. Often, this leads into the idea of self transcendence, causing someone to develop behaviors that degrade their quality of life. According to the Kentucky Counseling Center, every struggle is a chance to grow, improve, and discover more about who you truly are." Every platform allows the chance to for true freedom of expression and how we contribute more as a society.  

Ultimately, the pursuit individual self-fulfillment gives is a great reminder for personal accountability within our right of freedom expression. Freedom of speech through the First Amendment enables us to find our purpose and create an identity for ourselves in a dull world. The freedom of speech protects us through diverse viewpoints, identities, beliefs, preventing a forced conformity which is vital to flourish in everyday life. 

My Top 5 News Sources

1. TikTok

TikTok is one of the most, if not the most, active social media platforms today. People from all over the world post content for viewers to enjoy. While TikTok has videos that tune into everyone's taste, creating continuous algorithms to continue scrolling, it also plays into the relevance of today's world. Many news sites have resorted to spreading their information on the app, letting viewers know what is happening in one place instead of having to go to any other source. TikTok allows short videos to have loads of information that correlates to a topic going on within the news. While TikTok does have a wider audience to acknowledge, it does face some criticism for not fully providing all information due to the limited time they are allowed. This leads to viewers believing one portion, but not the whole story, ultimately creating misinformation and misjudgment towards a situation. It’s always important to fact-check where you get your information from. 

2. ABC News

ABC News is a widely used news source that brings attention to all things nationally. They dive into everything about politics, celebrities, trends, crime, economics, and breaking news stories. ABC is a great resource to be introduced to topics that take place all over America, and sometimes, what is happening overseas. From Good Morning America to ABC World News Tonight, this source brings every kind of target audience and informs them on topics that they perceive as interesting. In addition to the popular news broadcasts during specific times of the day, they also have other outlets, like a radio news station, that anyone can access at any time. ABC is great to see how the country as a whole can be impacted and the next steps that American citizens can take. ABC News is what my family likes to watch to get a bigger sense news coverage globally. 

3. Spectrum News

Spectrum News is where my family and I go for all things North Carolina news related. I live about 40 minutes outside of Charlotte, and my mother works for the advertising section for Spectrum, so when my family wants to watch news, we resort to Spectrum. Spectrum covers the state of North Carolina, as well as deeper coverage within the Piedmont region. Information about North Carolina is super helpful when there are multiple locations where Spectrum takes place, ensuring accurate coverage of news that locals or residents of the state should know. Connecting to that, Spectrum does report on some national news but usually sticks with reporting statewide. Spectrum highlights achievements with residents in NC and how they’re making an impact, bringing in an identity to locals for a sense of community. 

4. Entertainment Tonight

Entertainment Tonight focuses on pop culture, reporting on the latest celebrity interviews, fashion, entertainment, social media trends, and what’s taking place in Hollywood. Entertainment Tonight provides coverage that strays away from your traditional outlets and ties it into what viewers might be interested in rather than the normal reports on weather, politics, economics, and so much more. Entertainment Tonight provides a reflection on today’s society, finding a relatable aspect through the eyes of the viewers and what they want to see. This source shows exclusives, behind-the-scenes, and what's to come. ET offers the chance to really invest in alternatives when it comes to news.

5. Google

Google is the center for all the information one can access from an online perspective.

When wanting to dive deeper into a topic or get an answer to a question, Google is a functioning source that provides multiple sites to guide you into learning more about that topic. This tool is great for accessing all sources that you find reliable, providing diverse and reliable information. Google tailors your algorithm to what you would be most interested in seeing, providing more content on that particular subject to continue engagement. Google makes it easier for information to be accessed and stay informed.