Topic 1: Twitter/Social Media

•  List 3 people/organizations you follow and WHY. 

I started up by getting an account on twitter and then followed 4 which include:

Gazette Times
Ted Talks
Etsy
Mother Earth News

To be candid, I followed these first of all because I was instructed to for the assignment. Secondly, I picked them because in the past I listened to Ted Talks on YouTube, have a sellers account already on ETSY, purchase the Gazette Times on occasion, and have read the Mother Earth News magazine.

I do not spend much time on social media of any type unless I am researching areas of interest.

• What is the best "tweet" or status update you've seen lately? In other words, what were you tempted to "retweet" or "like" WHY did that stand out to you?

I retweeted , "This cabin in the mountains was hand-built using local stone and wood from the owners property". I retweeted this because I have always had an interest in promoting natural living and sustainability. I have always had a self-reliant attitude towards living and so I found this interesting. I liked the picture and decided to read the tweet.

• Some experts talk about social media empowering people and strengthening democracy. Others aren't so sure, given a tendency to create our own "echo chambers." With your connections on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, Pinterest, Yahoo Fantasy Sports, Google + or just through texting....Do you feel social media has enhanced your ability to take action or participate in democracy, government or other activities? Discuss and give an EXAMPLE. Or spell out why you don't feel you need these social media, or even intentionally avoid them!

I do not feel social media of any kind has enhanced my ability to take action or participate in democracy, government or other activities.  I do not feel that I need social media at all and do intentionally avoid it. I would have nothing to do with any forms of social media if it were not required for classwork. Although, I like to learn about it and understand it, I do not like it. I personally feel that social media collectively has separated people more than it has brought them together. Face to face communication has diminished considerably since its inception (in my humble opinion). I also feel that social media is damaging to true and real relationships because other people get impressions of others posts, writings, updates, status, etc. These impressions can be very damaging of a persons reputation in both private and public life. There are simply no shortages of people that get offended if something does not agree them or their particular ideology or religion.  The correlation of many suicides have been attributed to people who find it easy to bully someone else through some form of media that separates them from the act of bullying. Although cause would be hard to prove- bullying and stalking certainly are contributors to such things and more such as kidnapping, threats, murders, home invasions, and I am sure there are far more categories than I can imagine. On top of all of that, social media seems to be more superficial than in person contact or even writing a personal letter. I think people tend to put their best face forward more so on social networks than in person. Although there are decent people on the planet, I would speculate that 90% or more of the people who are on social media- want something- recognition, money, acceptance, and so on. Although these things are not new and people have always been driven by self interest- social media compounds these because people expecting such attention from posts or updates, usually do not get it or feel insignificant because they did not get the response they hoped for. These things lead to despair and isolation. I think, and I could be wrong - and reserve that right to be wrong- that the lack of in person communication and communicating through a medium already separates people or makes people feel a sense of disconnection to some degree thus the participants are pre-framed to almost expect a lack of expectation. The other side of the coin (and there is always the counterpart) is that I think it can do some good. In so far as politics- as it has always been throughout history- those who pay the most taxes (like the land owners) or the real owners of the country are the people who make laws and have the final say in social order. Follow the money and anyone can see this. People have the illusion of choice, but it is only an illusion and so this is another reason I don't use social media. The opposition to the owners agenda have always been labeled conspiracy theorist and worse. We can see this in history without question when we consider that we (our politics and leaders) have been at war since this whole thing began. Lastly, I don't participate because I do not believe that anyone really cares what some insignificant person thinks such as I. This society has it in their minds that anyone who does not have a degree and a white lab coat don't know a thing and relativism is evil and on the rise. The mantra today is conform or be ostracized. And so in closing, I have unplugged and taken the red pill.