Anti War and The American Conservative: Get to Know Them

    My initial reaction when I consider the reason that voices similar to those on The American Conservative and Antiwar.com are constantly hidden from the public is that the information that these sources share is pretty scary. Informative outlets like these expose our government of deceiving its people and operating without most common citizens having any awareness of what is going on behind the scenes. 

    For example, one article ca
lls out the American government for continuing to send billions of dollars to Ukraine despite the fact that our military has identified that achieving a victory isn’t in sight, and so money is basically being sent for no reasonable cause. Another page posted on the Anti.war site demonstrates that the United States hasn’t been compensating for Iraqi people who were subjected to torture throughout the conflict between the U.S. and Iraq. 

    For the political powers of this country, limiting the access of this information to the general public seems more practical. If people are able to recognize the hypocrisies of political lea
ders and systems, it might encourage more people to advocate for some type of democratic change or reform. 

    By misleading the public, the government is also able to uphold its schemes to profit off of people who are either indifferent about politics and foreign affairs, or just too lazy to learn more about it. Although most of the news found on these types of sources leaves American citizens in disbelief and disagreement, these affairs end up being allowed because people continue to support the leaders of their political parties instead of finding more information and protesting the things they disagree with. 

    Since these more seemingly “radical” types of media are more challenging to find, people tend to stop looking or just decide to listen to mainstream news outlets instead. I hope that eventually, these types of sites become more mainstream because everyone deserves to know the truth about how their government operates. 

Rogers Diffusion of Innovations With Emojis

Everett Rogers is famously regarded for his Diffusion of Innovations Theory, which he published in 1962. The purpose of the theory was to decipher the way that people adopt new products, services, or ideas; It shows how people grow to use these new things. He categorizes people who take up these new innovations into five categories, and it applies to almost every situation. Here is how it applied to emojis:

The pioneers of emojis were the first people to use them. Emojis were easy for pioneers to take risks with jumping onto because there was already a demand for new expressive techniques online. Emoticons were being previously used, but as technology was rapidly advancing, new ways to be expressive when using online platforms emerged as well. 

Early adopters are the next group of people to help promote a new trend. This is a larger group of people, which definitely was the case when people started using emojis. The fun colors, multiple icons, and silly uses for emojis were key points for why people would be so enthusiastic about using them. They were new, bright, and poppy little pictures that were a very new concept online. They made messages less boring. 

This also applies to why the early majority would pick up on the emoji trend. They were simple and different from what people had seen before. Typing messages in only emojis became funny. People were able to develop new lingo that others who didn’t use emojis wouldn’t understand as well. 

People who weren’t using emojis were definitely missing out. No one wants to miss out on things that the majority of culture gets to experience, especially when something like emojis gains traction outside of online chat spaces. Emojis became an element of pop culture and were put on merchandise, they were seen on anything from clothes to water bottles to pillows. This is likely how the late majority of the theory was almost forced to get on the wave of emojis. 

Similarly, laggards (the last group of the Diffusion of Innovations) had almost no choice but to understand emojis, at least a little bit. Generations showed different patterns of online usage, like Gen Z who seemed to immediately promote the emojis, compared to the Baby Boomers who may have been more reluctant to the new technology and trends. However, for everyone to be able to communicate effectively, it seems as if the laggards needed to get on board with emoji usage to fully understand younger generations.
WIRED writes that about ninety-two percent of all people online use emojis. That is an incredibly high statistic, and it proves that the influence of emojis is no joke. 

Thank You to the Phonograph

    I found learning about the phonograph very intriguing during the EOTO presentations, especially because of its impact on the music industry. The phonograph was created by Thomas Edison
and noted for its improved sound delivery and playback technology. Previous to its invention, there was no technology that was able to record sound and immediately play it for a listener to hear again. I had never before considered the way that the phonograph could be applied to the popularity of the music world. Since the phonograph was able to record sound so effectively (for the time period), it encouraged musicians to find ways to record their own music. 

The capabilities of the actual build of the phonograph extended into much more advanced uses in the future.  The production of the phonograph was applied to how these other technologies were made, especially by the usage of a cylinder and a needle within its structure. The phonograph largely contributed to the development of other music technologies, like the cassette tape and records. The presentation that covered music history and records also touched on this point. 

I think people take for granted how inventions that increased the availability of music to people have impacted our society as a whole. So many elements of human culture are enhanced by music, like people bonding over, relating to, and making political points with music. Music is ultimately its own form of communication, and technologies like the phonograph helped to strengthen that communicative outlet. Especially considering how often people stream music currently, it all has been derived from the phonograph’s playback ability and carried on to adjust with other technological advances. I was glad to learn about the phonograph because it helped me to appreciate the way that people can access and listen to music today. I believe that I find the phonograph one of the more valuable communication technology breakthroughs because of the EOTO presentation. 

EOTO 1: Emoticons and Emojis :)

    The introduction of emoticons and emojis absolutely changed the whole scheme of online communication. They’ve revolutionized emotional expression on the internet, and have become staples of pop culture. 

Emoticons were the first glimpse of imagery to represent words in an online environment. In chat rooms and other internet communication spaces, some people had a hard time distinguishing the mood of a message. Sarcasm and other more elaborate emotions were difficult to comprehend on a screen that was only filled with words. Misinterpretation of posts warranted unfitting responses, and sometimes even provoked arguments. 

Scott E. Fahlman is credited as the first to use an emoticon in 1982 to help solve this common confusion in a chat room at Carnegie Mellon University.  He used two emoticons, :-)  and :-( to indicate whether a p
ost was meant to be humorous (with the smile) or serious (with the frown). The popularity of emoticons spread rapidly, taking the web by storm. It wasn’t very long before they evolved into the more present-day emoji. 

Emojis are tiny pictures that have become a part of our texting and online chat keyboards. People can insert the tiny picture of a smile, laughing, crying, and more into any chat. The development of emojis originated in Japan, about ten years after the introduction of emoticons. SoftBank, a Japanese company, was the first to release a set of emojis on a mobile phone, consisting of ninety characters in 1997. The collection was mediocre due to its poor graphic quality. As a result, Docomo released a set in 1999, which had much better imagery.  

The popularity of emojis grew very quickly in Japan, and knowledge about them spread quickly. The next goal was to spread them further around the world. Unicode was the company that took on this task, standardizing the emojis from Japan onto other technological devices supported by companies like Apple and Google. They brought on a set of 625 emojis to these large brands. This is when emojis really began to take off, and ultimately became a part of social culture around the world. 

Due to their popularity, emojis had to constantly adjust to public demand and new trends. Unicode meets these needs by sending out frequent updates and additions to the emojis that are available. The updates have introduced new animals, plants, symbols, national flags, and diversified the representation of people as emojis. Currently, Animoji, Bitmoji, and GIFS are also ways that people expre
ss their emotions online, which have all evolved from emojis. 

Although it may seem like everyone has loved the impact of the emoji, there are definitely some people who criticize their use in communicative spaces. Some say that the use of emojis and emoticons discourages the use of descriptive language in writing, and inhibits peoples’ ability to describe their feelings rather than show it. People also say that they reduce credibility in professional situations. 

However, advocates for emojis appreciate their ability to show expression online and the creative lingo that comes from it. They’ve become an enjoyable type of communication that everyone can relate to and use. No wonder they’re such a staple of today’s culture. 

Stable Change Speech Theory in Tennessee

    The eight values of free expression are a concept less known by common Americans, but just as relevant and important to our daily lives as other principles of law. Once information about them is learned, it is easy to recognize how some of the concepts are applicable in situations today. 

    The Stable Change theory is one that stuck out to me. It emphasizes the importance of allowing people to vent or speak out when they’re angry, or when people have felt unheard by larger political bodies. It mentions that allowing these actions is productive to society by protecting it from people who may become so frustrated, that they may act more dangerously to convey a message because they haven’t been heard. The government is then more capable of monitoring all viewpoints, and how passionate people are about them. 

    As I learned about this theory, a prime example came to my mind that occurred this past spring. This instance took place in the Tennessee State House of Representatives during a session they were holding. The proceedings of the House were reflective of gun control issues, as there had recently been a mass shooting in the area a week prior. The room was filled with citizens protesting for stronger gun control legislation. 

    Three of the legislators in the house, including representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, took to the center of the floor while the house was in recess, with signs that supported the protestors and demonstrated that they agreed with the stance for stronger gun control. They participated in chanting and pumped their fist to solute the citizens as well. 

    There was an extremely controversial outcome to this demonstration by the three representatives. Two of the three ended up being expelled (temporarily, as the public voted them back into office in proceedings about a week afterward). The public was furious about the decision from the House, and it ultimately put them under a lot of scrutiny and generated national attention. Representatives Jones and Pearson had been ejected from the house because the Speaker of the house and some of the other legislators who agreed with him, said that they had broken a rule of decorum but interrupting the session.

    Representatives Jones and Pearson made very compelling arguments for their innocence but pointed out that their mics were being shut off, and they were being called out of order whenever they mentioned gun control solutions on the floor. Pearson’s speech and Jones’ speech are on YouTube and gained tons of public traction. 

    This political example from earlier this year is extremely relatable to the Stable Change theory. As Representatives Jones and Pearson demonstrated, the inability of the Tennesee House of Representatives to acknowledge not only their ideas, but the general concern of the public, was what warranted the protest in front of the house. In order to be heard, the representatives felt it was necessary to pull off this protest, although it was definitely an act of frustration. It is the job of the First Amendment to protect, allow, and respect these types of actions. Ultimately, this argument ended up being made when the decisions concerning Jones and Pearson’s readmission to the house were surfacing. They are currently still serving in the house, but they still mention their concerns about being unheard and ignored when the house is in session. Many eyes are on the Tennessee House of Representatives as a result of it. 

To watch the Tennessee House proceedings live at the Tennessee General Assembly Website.

My Thoughts on the Supreme Court

    I didn’t realize that the Supreme Court has as strong of a focus on the American people as it turns out to have. 

    I feel like the Supreme Court has gotten a bad reputation, especially because of the way that it has been perceived in the media in recent years. It has felt like they’ve just been dealt with the primary issues pushed by political leaders in the majority party of the justices, and that the court proceedings haven’t reflected what the average American actually believes in. 

    However, I found the video about the Supreme Court very enlightening. It mentions that each day, petitions from all around the country are sent to the Supreme Court for consideration, and those are the topics that end up being argued and voted upon. Every petition does, in fact, get considered, just not all are acted upon. Random issues, or ones suggested by other branches of the government are not what the court focuses on. I honestly didn’t realize that this was the case before. 

    The most important takeaway that helped reform my view on the Supreme Court was the emphasis that no citizen of the United States can be denied due process of the law and protection under it. The video mentioned that despite things like economic status, incarceration, ethnic background, and other determining factors, all people can appeal to the Supreme Court and can be heard. The Fourteenth Amendment was an extremely large part of creating this standard that has been upheld ever since it was established. Ultimately, I feel that people sometimes forget that the Supreme Court is made up of regular people who are trying to protect every other citizen of the United States. Understanding the processes, they have to follow, and hearing the justices in the video reinforced the idea that they’re meant to serve everyone, and helped reinstate some of the hope and respect I felt like I had honestly lost for them. 

Watch the Videos for Yourself (My Sources)!

Part One

Part Two

Top Five Sources of News

Although I don’t keep up with the news as much as I probably should, I check a few places often to catch up on the latest information and hot topics. 

One of the sources I check is MSNBC. I primarily use it to find political news, as it is slightly more neutral on its views, rather than being extremely left or right-leaning. MSNBC also does a good job providing world news, and occasionally a celebrity news story. They bring sources to support their stories, and it makes it easy to do further research on a subject. MSNBC is found online and on television, which is where tend to check when finding their news stories. I understand that MSNBC can still have its biases, but I feel like it is a good starting point when I’m curious about larger-scale issues. 

After learning about an important issue, I like to see the different perspectives on it and how people are analyzing whatever has happened. So, I tend to check sources that I know are biased, particularly Fox News and CNN.

Fox News is the source that associates itself with the right wing, or the Republican political party. It also displays a variety of information, with the largest issues being broadcast on television. Besides political news, Fox also provides information about entertainment, sports, and media. Fox News is also very active on social media and online, which makes it accessible to many people. Because the news is filled with bias and prejudices, I understand that it isn’t the most accurate source of information. It is just fascinating to me to analyze the point of view that those people are sharing, and the evidence to support it.

CNN is a similar type of news source, just appealing primarily to people in the left wing or the Democratic political party. It also provides information on national and international issues, sports, entertainment, and more. From what I’ve seen from CNN compared to Fox, it tends to use fewer buzzwords overall in its stories. However, it still definitely displays its support with more left-leaning views. 

The Washington Post is another source that I check on frequently. It is a source that also attempts to keep a more neutral stance. It does require a subscription online for some content, so I can’t always access all of the information I’d like to find, but it still provides plentiful information. If I search for news online I often type in “The Washington Post” afterward, because people can find free articles pretty frequently. 

Lastly, because I’m on social media so often, I do find some of my news on TikTok. The content creator that I follow is named Marcus DiPaola. His content consists of short clips that have updated world and celebrity news. He includes the relevancy of the information, and more information can be found in the comment section of his videos. I appreciate this source because he simply states facts, and doesn’t slip in his own opinions or personal beliefs into the news. The person watching the videos can decide if they’d like to do further research or not.