EOTO #1 YouTubes Impact

    Imagine not having a platform to post whatever you want. A safe space to post videos containing your thoughts, opinions, stories and there is no restraint on how long your videos can be. Most of will never know a life where this doesn’t exist. Especially since the majority of you in this class were born after the founding of YouTube in 2005. Before then, it was nearly impossible for the average person to be able to produce films without production studios, expensive equipment, etc. Now it’s just a simple click of a button as long as you have access to an internet connection. 

    Youtube was created by three friends, Chad Hurley, Steven Chen, and Jawed Karim, who all previously worked at PayPal. They all had a common problem, along with everyone around the world, which was the lack of ability to share/access videos online. Their goal was to make something simple out of a previously complicated idea. At the time there was absolutely no good way to upload and view videos from others, without being connected to a production company. Their first video, which is titled Me at the Zoo, was posted by Jawed on April 23rd, 2005 at the San Diego Zoo. 

    The founding of YouTube, would create a platform that would change digital interface and user consumption forever. I recently attended a Coachability seminar ran by Steve Spangler whose entire company is based off science videos he posts on YouTube. He was able to use the launch of YouTube to his advantage, and shared an experience from trying to upload to a different website before YouTube. Steve posted a video of him and a local news reporter doing the first ever Coke and Mentos challenge, to a random video sharing website. The founder of the website forced him take it down, solely because it had gained so much traction. Something that would never happen on YouTube. 

    It also became an invaluable platform providing constant information on any topic or academic subject. It’s quickly become the tool that is destroying an unfair education system by providing a network to those who can’t afford to go to school, don’t have time (work/children), etc. Youtube has also been a big component in the world of politics, creating a public sphere where people can engage in discussions, debate opinions, and report whatever they deem wrong. Pew Research Center writes about how, according to their study, 71% of Americans say they use it to post their political views or opinions. The abilities to comment and share on YouTube’s platform transformed it into the public sphere it is today, encouraging these debates on society’s problems. 

    Even though it has a lot of positives, YouTube has faced a lot of challenges. Individually, how much misinformation and their lack in ability to monitor the content posted. The amount of people logged on, and how much is being posted makes it hard to moderate the users effectively. They have also been called out for promoting videos that contain fake news. CBS News  wrote an article saying that YouTube is promising to stop recommending videos like conspiracies on the governments involvement with the attacks on 9/11. 

    It started as a simple (but very complex) site that gave people the ability to share videos of their choosing. It steadily grew into a tool that has changed the world of communication, and so many things in society. Including cultures, politics, and education systems. It has an ability to connect us with people from across the world while giving us the opportunity to say whatever we want. On the other hand, the more it grows the more strict content moderation must become, they have to continue to be an inclusive platform/community.

Eight Values Of Free Expression

    The first amendment and the freedom of expression are key parts of the American Democracy, it shapes who and what we are as a society. Within the Eight Values of Free Expression there are two that resonate the most with me are probably the Marketplace of Ideas and Protecting Dissent. I feel like both of these connect well with me personally and show up daily in our lives, especially with how much technology exists in the world today. 

    The Marketplace of Ideas talks about how the truth will prevail if people are allowed to openly discuss and negotiate with different ideas. Described by John Milton, this theory is important with social media and the mass population being able to post whatever’s on their mind. Apps like X, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Reddit all make it possible. Millions of people within the US have access to a place to share their beliefs and opinions freely. 

    This theory can have a lot of challenges, but there are many examples of it working in the real world. During the pandemic there was widespread information, and according to Pew Research Center a survey discovered that 62% of Americans believe the advantages of taking the vaccine outweigh the risks. This shows that scientific evidence can help sway public opinion and policies.

    The other important one is the theory of Protecting Dissent, which argues that its vital to defend the minority and unpopular opinions no matter how disagreeable it could be. It’s seems important to have this theory for a healthy democracy, it really allows new perspectives to be heard which can lead to valuable social changes. 

The Civil Rights movement could be an example of Protecting Dissent. As explained by an article on Wikipedia the Voting Rights Act of 1965 protected the voting rights for minorities, which is a huge improvement for society in the sense of equality and justice. Today, the protests against police brutality are examples of this theory right in front of our eyes. 

Movements like Black Lives Matter, or the Women’s Suffrage Movement embody the importance of conveying those dissenting views, especially when they are faced with strong hostility. What we need to do is protect the rights of the minority to make sure our society can grow, evolve, and improve.

    I use social media all the time, and honestly so does almost every person I know. I really see how both of these theories can be applied to our everyday lives. Social media has amplified voices of those who are normally ignored by the mass population, on the other hand it sheds light on the need for analytical thinking and media & law literacy courses. Finding a balance between helpful and open discussions and knowing what is misinformation is very important when navigating the internet, or even real life. 

    These Eight Speech Theories remind me of why the freedom of expression is so necessary. It’s crucial to follow them and defend open discussions, help out the minorities voice, and try to help society adapt and get better.

History and Workings of the U.S. Supreme Court

Supreme Court Reflection 

Based on: Supreme Court Part 1 and Supreme Court Part 2 

Something I learned:

I really had no idea justices can take so much time when discussing and writing their options before they come to a final decision. It’s not just voting, they consider a bunch of different perspectives and arguments, correcting their opinions, and sometimes even change their minds. I also didn’t know law clerks help justices out, researching cases and making a draft of opinions seems to be the hard part in my opinion. I also didn’t know that out of about 7,000 cases within the year, only 100 will be taken, I seriously used to think they had to review every case given to them. 

Why the Supreme Court Matters:

The biggest takeaway, in my opinion, is that the Supreme Courts power mainly comes from public trust. Which is different from when something like Congress or the President, justices aren’t elected. I like how it’s about people trusting these people to be fair and stay in line with the Constitution. These decisions are what create legal rules that morph our countries laws and social normalities. 

Most Surprising Thing I’ve Learned:

I was surprised with how much the justices would use their voice to portray their arguments. It’s not just sitting and listening the whole time, they are asking questions to help one another think continuously throughout the case. The attorneys that are arguing within the case must be ready for anything.

My Perspective Change:

Before I had seen the video, I truly imagines the Supreme Court as an isolated institution that made non-negotiable legal rulings. Now I know that they are just a group of powerful people that are deeply involved in discussing and sculpting our country’s laws. I really appreciate how serious Justices take their jobs and understand the impact of the choices they’re making.

 

My Top 5 Sources of News

Top 5 News Sources

I believe that staying informed is very important, in today’s world everything is very fast paced. It’s very easy to spread misinformation, especially with how much the internet has taken over the world. It makes me feel better if im getting my news from a reliable source that not only offer thorough evaluations, but also give the latest confirmed details. I would be happy to share my top five news sources and why I would recommend them. 

1. The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/

Ever since I was given a subscription from my high school for The New York Times it’s been a go to source for a lot of my projects. I really like their investigative journalism and how deep they go when reporting. I’d like to believe the info is well researched, and their coverage on breaking news and long term events are reported on well. I like to just look at what going on around the world, international affairs have always interested me. The quality put into their articles make the subscription worth paying for. 

2. National Geographic 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/

A bit of a switch up, but scrolling through the National Geographic articles is a great way to learn something about our world every day. There are also plenty of updates on serious topics like climate change, whats going on with wildlife, and scientific discoveries. The best part are the photos and the documentary’s they do, it makes hard to understand topics that I’d never pay attention to interesting. The environmental problems can connect to international events, its just a good source if you just want to know more in general.

3. ESPN

https://www.espn.com/ 

I like to keep up with sports, I don’t think it’s that important. It's easy to digest compared to some other, more rigid news sources that only focus on more serious topics. Their app is good for checking scores of games quickly, players injuries, whats happening before the game, etc. I’ve always really liked hockey, especially the Bruins and I’ve always thought their coverage of the NHL playoffs is really good. Im pretty sure you can buy a subscription to watch sports, but other than that everything within ESPN is very accesible. 

4. TED 

https://www.ted.com/

I’ve always liked TED Talks, it’s always been such a creative concept to me. I find the talks to be very insightful and filled with good information to live by. In terms of podcasts I personally think they’re the best, episodes like Inside The Mind Of A Master Procrastinator by Tim Urban and All It Takes Is 10 Mindful Minutes by Andy Puddicombe have changed the way I view life and the way I do things. The videos also involve plenty of scientific research that back up a lot of the tings they say, so I believe it’s credible.

5. Good Morning America 

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/

This is one that I haven’t really sat down and watched in many years but whenever I get the chance, it’s on. I remember waking up for school, hearing Michael Strahan and all the other cast members downstairs on the TV. I’d be able to sit and eat Frosted Flakes while the colorful blue and yellow theme would play and they’d be out in the street of New York doing something random, occasionally they’d actually talk about serious topics but it was far and few in between. This choice is more based off nostalgia, but I really still enjoy watching Good Morning America from time to time.