Jessi's PsychSocialMedia Reflection

 I hate getting to the end of a course and not feeling like I've gained anything from the course. I'm so grateful that is not the case with this class. I have enjoyed every week, but I NEEDED this week. Focusing on the positive aspects of the internet and social media was a great reminder that social media isn't bad all the time. Being able to connect to friends and family and even strangers for so many different reasons is a benefit that generations before us didn't get to experience. Crowdsourcing, crowdfunding, and social organizing are some of the most beneficial positive benefits of using the internet to connect with people. The Batkid video hit me in the feels the minute it started. Seeing a community come together to pull off something so huge for a child was very impactful. Community organizing can be difficult. With the internet and social media accounts, that has become much easier AND much more effective. Bulletin boards and flyers may reach hundreds in a few...

 This has been the toughest week for me in this course so far. Not difficulty level per se, but content difficulty. Reading the materials and watching the videos throughout this week hit home on a very personal level. Social media didn't create bullies, but it definitely amplified them. Oversharing has harmed people close to me, bullying has harmed people close to me, my kids went through spells of imitating things they found online causing unnecessary hardship for them and for me, and social seclusion is a real thing.  The "I forgot my phone" video really got to me. So many of my social events look like that. I feel like the girl that forgot her phone. I've been guilty of being too consumed by my phone, but I make conscious efforts to leave it alone when I am at a social function, but a lot of my friends do exactly what was depicted throughout the video and they watch life through their screen. Hopefully, with time, we can all find a happier balance between social me...

 This week? Shew. There was a lot to take in.      I don't think I've ever read, heard, or said the phrase, "Fake News" so much in my life until this week! I'm begining to feel a lot like Donald Trump at this point! Fake news is a real thing (ha!) and it can cause unnecessary drama and bias and a "head in the sand" mentality to arise. Some people just don't want to take the time to do any research to combat fake news though, so even though it's always been around, it's definitely more prevalent in the days of the internet.  Filter bubbles? Say what? I know about filters and algorithms but I have never thought outside the box to realize that search results are also filtered to my tastes as well and that I'm missing half the internet in a search result because I use the same devices and accounts to view things that I do like. I have decided to use my extra computer at home to do some testing on this for a while. I'm going to wipe it cle...

 This week stirred a lot of emotions. There is so much bad on the internet that it's hard to focus on or just see the good at times. With Fake News and political wars always looming, ads that seem scarily too accurate, and the host of people who think because they can Google, they are smarter than professionals of their field; how are we supposed to see the good?  Mohammed Bouazizi lit himself on fire to get attention and respect given to his cause after having his voice snuffed out and ignored by those who were supposed to help him. He literally gave up everything to save what little he had left. Since those who SHOULD have listened didn't, the right people in the right places gave him a voice, gave him his dignity, gave him power. Such simple things in life shouldn't require such a massive sacrifice. His story genuinely hurts my heart and inspires me as well.  Without social media, his story wouldn't have been told. Without social media, his story wouldn't have be...