Blog Post #6: Antiwar & The American Conservative

Before this assignment, I had honestly never heard of Antiwar.com or The American Conservative, which I think says a lot by on its own. Most of the news I see comes from social media like TikTok, Google, CNN, or other major sources, so I usually only see the viewpoints that are already getting the most attention. I also personally hate war and have a hard time understanding why violence and military involvement are so often treated like normal parts of politics. Because of that, I actually found it interesting to read websites that were much more willing to question war itself instead of just discussing the details surrounding it. 

Anti-war Protesters

What stood out to me most was how directly these writers challenged U.S. military involvement and foreign policy. A lot of the news I normally see focuses on what happened, what government officials are saying, or what the United States is planning to do next. I feel like I hear much less discussion about whether we should be involved at all, what the long-term consequences could be, or how regular people are affected by these decisions. Those questions seemed much more central on these websites, and I think that made the coverage feel very different from what I am used to seeing.

I think one reason strong antiwar voices can be harder to find is because mainstream news relies so heavily on official sources, major political figures, and whatever story is getting the most attention at the moment. That can make certain viewpoints feel more normal or more important simply because they are repeated more often. I also think social media makes this worse because algorithms keep showing us more of what we already interact with. If someone is not already searching for antiwar opinions, there is a good chance they will never randomly come across a site like Antiwar.com.

U.S. Military 

For me, this assignment was a reminder that hearing the full range of opinions sometimes takes actual effort. I already know that I strongly dislike war, but reading these sites made me think more about how rarely I hear people openly questioning military action instead of just debating how it should be carried out. I also think it is important to hear viewpoints that challenge what we are used to, even if we do not agree with every single thing being said.

I do not think every antiwar argument is automatically correct, just like I do not think every mainstream news perspective is automatically correct either. But when the consequences of war can include death, destruction, displacement, and long-term effects on entire countries, I think those decisions should be questioned seriously. To me, antiwar voices deserve to be part of the conversation because the topic is too important for people to only hear one type of perspective.

Blog Post #5: Privacy

Privacy is something I never really think about until I realize how much information is actually being collected about us every day. One of the things that stood out to me most from Catherine Crump’s TED Talk was automatic license plate readers. I had no idea that police could collect information about where someone was, when they were there, and even sometimes who they were with. The example of Mike and his daughters was especially weird to me because he had done nothing wrong, but the government still had hundreds of photos showing parts of his everyday life. 

Catherine Crump

The second video also made me think a lot about the idea of an “electronic tattoo.” Things like Facebook, Twitter, cell phones, and GPS can reveal so much about who we are. Once something is online, it can be really hard to take back or hide. I think this affects me, my friends, and my family because we all use technology constantly and probably do not always think about how much information we are giving away.

I think the government should have more limits on how long information about innocent people can be stored. Catherine Crump talked about requiring police departments to get rid of data about people who have done nothing wrong, and I think that makes sense. Technology can still be used when necessary without constantly tracking everyone.

The biggest thing we can do ourselves is be more careful about what we post and what information we give apps and companies. These videos made me realize that privacy is not just about hiding personal information. It is also about knowing who has information about you and what they are doing with it.

Blog post #4: The First SMS Text

It's interesting to think about how often we text people and don't even think about it. Whether you're making plans with friends, texting your parents or just saying "I'm here", texting is one of the easiest days to communicate these days. However, there was obviously a time when sending a message over the phone was normal. The first SMS text message was not sent until 1992, and the message was two words: "Merry Christmas." This message began a whole new way of communicating. 

Friedhelm Hillebrand and Bernard Ghillebaert

SMS, which stands for Short Message Service, began several years before the first text was even sent. During the 1980's, engineers began developing a way for short messages to travel through mobile networks. Friedhelm Hillebrand and Bernard Ghillebaert had major roles in developing the concept of SMS in this period. 

One challenge they faced was figuring out how long these messages could be. SMS was designed originally to transfer small amounts of information without taking up a lot of network capacity. The service used to only allow users to send and receive messages of up to 160 characters. That sounds so limiting on todays world where we are used to sending long paragraphs, photos, videos, GIFs and emojis. 

The technology reached a major milestone on December 3, 1992. Neil Papworth, at the age of 22, was the first person to send a text message ever. He was working as a development and test engineer at Sema Group Telecoms, in a team developing a Short Message Service Centre. The text was sent from a computer to the phone of Vodafone director Richard Jarvis. They were attending a Christmas party when his phone received the message "Merry Christmas." 

Sema Group Logo

The growth of SMS was huge. Texting completely changed communication because people no longer needed to talk on the phone every time they wanted to tell someone something. At the time since you were only allowed to send 160 characters, shortened phrases and abbreviations became popular. Things like "LOL," "IDK," and "BTW" allowed people to share their thoughts and ideas while using few characters. 

Texting also helped set the stage for the messaging apps we use today. WhatsApp, iMessage, Snapchat, and other platforms are more advances than SMS, but they all build off of the idea of being able to instantly send messages through a mobile device. However, texting has not had only positive effects. Written messages can be misunderstood easily because we can't hear someone's tone or see their expressions. Texting is also distracting, especially when we feel like we have to constantly check our phones or respond instantly. Unwanted texts, spam calls and scams are also problems that SMS has faces as its become more widespread. 

For me, it is almost impossible to imagine my daily life without texting someone. Whether its my mom, one of my roommates or a grandparent, texting keeps us all connected easily. It allows me to make plans quickly, check in on people throughout the day, or even just to say a simple "hi" to someone. I think that is what makes the history of SMS so fascinating because something that started with a simple "Merry Christmas" message started something I use every single day without even thinking about it. It is interesting to think about how something so small ended up changing the way the world communicates. 

Blog Post #3: Eight Values of Free Expression

When I looked through the Eight Values of Free Expression, the two that stuck out to me the most were Marketplace of Ideas and Individual Self-Fulfillment. I think that both of these theories are relevant today especially because of how much social media has changed the way we communicate. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are not just for posting pictures anymore. They are places where people discover information, share opinions, express themselves and connect with people from across the world. 

John Milton

The Marketplace of Ideas is probably the theory I notice most in my life everyday. John Milton argues that truth and falsehood should be allowed to compete freely because, eventually, truth will become stronger. I personally believe that social media is almost a modern version of that marketplace. 

Most of the time, I hear about major news or controversial topics from TikTok or Instagram first rather than a traditional news source. I might be scrolling and suddenly see something explaining a political issue or a major event. Then I will see another video that completely disagrees with the first video. The comments also become a huge part because people add information, post their own opinions and argue with each other. 

At the same time, I don't think that the Marketplace of Ideas works perfectly online. John Milton's theory assumes that the truth will eventually win when ideas are not allowed to compete. However, on social media, the truthful post is not always the one that gets the most attention. Sometimes, the most controversial opinion, dramatic video or catchy headline gets the millions of views while an accurate and truthful explanation gets ignored. 

Something that makes this even more complicated is the algorithms. Two people could open TikTok at the same time and see completely different versions of the same story. Because of that, I think that the responsibility falls on us to question what we are seeing instead of believing the first post we come across. 

The other theory that feels personal to me is Individual Self-Fulfillment. This theory argues that free expression gives people the ability to express themselves, find other people who share the same interests, and develop their own identities. Social media shows this constantly. What you post, repost, like and comment on on something communicates something about you as a person. I have also noticed how social media allows people to figure out what they actually like. 

On social media, we are exposed to lifestyles, hobbies, careers and opinions that we might have never seen otherwise. For me personally, I have found many new ideas about fashion, marketing and careers through social media that I would never have discovered on my own. Expression is not only about speaking. It's about discovering parts of your own identity through what other people share. 

However, sometimes social media can pressure people to create an identity based on what will get the most likes and views instead of being themselves. This makes Individual Self-Fulfillment more complicated because freedom to express yourself doesn't mean that every form of expression is true and authentic. 

I think that both of these theories explain why freedom of expression feels so important today. The Marketplace of Ideas gives us the chance to hear competing opinions and decide what we believe, while Self-Fulfillment gives us the ability to express who we are while connecting with other people. Social media has its problems, but it is also an amazing space where people participate in these values every single day.