Mine (Seth) is Seth.Graves.

Works Cited:

Social media has been a mode of communication that is widely adopted in the modern world. Technology rules our world. Communication via the internet has never been easier. Social networking is a mode of communication that allows us to keep in touch with hundreds to even millions of people. You get “friends”, followers, networking, and professional connections. You are “linked in”, being “tweeted” at, you are a blogger, YouTuber, you are “friends” on Facebook or on WhatsApp. The reality of keeping up with so many people would not be possible without social media. Our world became smaller and connections tighter. Good and bad found their place in social media the same way as it finds it in realms of the streets, schools, workplaces. Of course, being on social media provides us with opportunities that are greater than we could ever imagine. We can enlighten the world and share our experiences, teach how we create, or learn a thing or two, share our pictures or share recipes. The opportunities are endless. With new technologies, there are new opportunities for stalking, “trolling”, “ghosting” and spying on other people. However, new technologies are neither bad or good. They are inventions that help us get our lives better, or could them worse. The choice is ours, whatever we chose, technology will help us to fulfill it.

Social media is a very controversial topic. Many people have debates over both qualifying negative and positives of social media. However, if really considering the issue, the situation directly compares to weapons. Weapons are heavily destructive things, yet the weapons aren’t the killers. A weapon is simply a tool and can be used in various ways. People, on the other hand, are who pull the trigger or swing the knife. A knife can be used to prepare tasty dishes or kill people but it is the choice of the person wielding the knife who makes the call. Similarly, social media is just a tool. It can be used in various ways: creating relationships and staying in touch with people who otherwise we would be unable to contact. On the other hand, some nefarious individuals strive to use social media as a weapon, hence using cyberbullying as a means of victimizing people with a powerful tool that makes it much easier to harass people because you can do it from across the world by interacting with a screen.

This is an outstanding statistic, that approximately almost half of users have been a victim to cyber bullying, and is why social media platforms are trying their best to create a realistic, cost-efficient way of combating cyber bullying.

10 to 40 percent of kids

Besides the report function that almost all social media platforms have included, there is a software called ImageVision which basically scans for keywords in people’s posts that may be related to hostile or threatening words. In this case, it marks the post for it to be later checked out by a human operator to make the final decision about the post

snapchat

to Digital Spy

hughesnet

Most social media platforms have included a feature in which people are able to report inappropriate posts and have them evaluated by appropriate people to decide whether to remove the post, leave it, or consider more aggressive action if the post is hostile

Due to the technologically advanced era, we live in, social media platforms have been preparing their apps to protect the privacy and safety of its users.

Instagram has reported that it has approximately 800 million users, and Facebook surpassed 1 billion daily users.

As mentioned before social media is something admired by youngsters because it allows peers to connect through an elaborate database loaded with information.

Bullying was apparently part of every child’s stage of growing up and didn’t seem to worry parents from a little name calling or some fights

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it

“Bullying and Suicide.” Bullying Statistics

People who are victims of cyber bullying are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University.

but is not solely a result of bullying

according to the Department of Health & Human Services suicide does not have a direct relationship with cyber bullying

Suicide with younger people is a major issue in our modern society, and people seem to think that it is mostly caused by some sort of bullying.

This is proof

These people

“code of silence”

The book Cyber Bullying : Protecting Kids and Adults from Online Bullies by authors, Samuel C., III McQuade, , James P. Colt, , and Nancy B. B. Meyer agrees

However,

Tyler Clementi was an 18-year-old Rutgers University student who jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge on September 22, 2010. His last words, that he posted on his Facebook profile before he died, were: “Jumping off the gw bridge sorry.”

exclusion from an entire peer group in school

Millennials have a constant need to be on top of what happens on social media, keeping them and their peers connected.

Despite millennials having a somewhat addiction to the use of social media network,

This is evident by the following quote from the article, “Bullies and their targets may struggle to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships. Lack of self-confidence and self-esteem affects educational achievements and income potential. One research project showed that targets of bullying earned less at age 50 than their non-bullied peers”

by the light program

bullying can cause severe problems.

The more short term the issues are is usually as a direct effect of short-lived bullying experience.

Therefore, bullying undoubtedly is responsible for anxiety and depression.

It clearly states ‘“Those who were victims of cyberbullying were more depressed, they were more irritable and angry, and they were more likely to not feel like themselves than those who were not victims of cyberbullying,”

The article also states “Two studies examined the prevalence of so-called “bully-victims,” meaning teens who both bully others and are bullied. Research on offline bullying proves these kids to be most at-risk for mental health problems.“(Pappas, Stephanie. “Cyberbullying on Social Media Linked to Teen Depression.” Fox News, FOX News Network)

Social media usage is extremely common for younger people which is why the risk of cyberbullying through the means of social media is so great. Kids’ minds are not fully developed at that age and when experiencing cyberbullying they can be at risk of developing various mental health problems that are likely to progress into adulthood. In the article, Cyberbullying on Social Media Linked to Teen Depression written by Stephanie Pappas it’s stated: “Victimization of young people online has received an increasing level of scrutiny, particularly after a series of high-profile suicides of teenagers who were reportedly bullied on various social networks.”(Pappas, Stephanie. “Cyberbullying on Social Media Linked to Teen Depression.” LiveScience, Purch)

children bullied growing up can experience mental health issues at adulthood, which is most definitely not what nature intended

journal JAMA Psychiatry

“Anxiety, Depression & Suicide: the Lasting Effects of Bullying.” Healthline, Roberta Alexander, Brian Krans, Healthline Media

subjects were more likely to develop a psychiatric disorder that needed treatment as an adult, compared to kids who were not bullied

we’ve all

(Whiteman, Honor. “Social Media: How Does It Affect Our Mental Health and Well-Being?” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International

Parental support has been found to decrease depression symptoms, which is usually an issue for those who decide to keep their bullying experiences to themselves rather than let it out to a parent or even a trusted adult or friend.

According to the ALSPAC cohort in the article Adult mental health consequences of peer bullying and maltreatment in childhood: two cohorts in two countries, by Suzet Tanya Lereya, William E Copeland, E Jane Costello, Dieter Wolke,

Besides,

Whether these people are malignant people or just playing some sick joke is irrelevant. What this is describing is bullying. Nowadays bullying has taken on various forms but the one form that seems to be of constant use is cyber bullying. In today’s technologically advanced era cyber bullying can be done by a toddler with an ipad due to its simplicity, however, people are and have been seriously affected mentally and physically due to this online harassment.

We were all created equal and it should be in everyone’s morals to uphold that equality on a day to day basis.

it is people’s mental and physical health in the balance

Being threatened through a screen can be extremely horrifying, especially if it’s done by an anonymous user. People can be manipulated, exposed, and harassed in all kinds of ways and have it done in the simplest of ways without even showing their face. This is why cyber bullying poses such a threat to society. The limits for cyber bullies are endless and can play with victim’s lives with ease, which plays a part in why social media is so dangerous.

from

but it also makes cyber bullying so much more effective

cognitive speech. The change from real-life social encounters to digitalizing socialization undoubtedly presents issues for one’s mental health and social skills besides the other negative aspects such as cyber bullying

going against human’s most useful trait: speech

changing socialization

since most millennials and new generations are using different social media platforms from the start of their lives

It is understandable the appeal

Social media is a generally new way of socializing with the use of devices to communicate, post, and receive feedback for those posts all in a matter of seconds.

Everyone

friend’s mother.

cyber bullying backs this statement up

Communication, The Annenberg School For. “Penn Researchers Use Online Peer Networks to Increase Physical Activity.” YouTube, YouTube, 7 Oct. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=117&v=wgo_3vi9dqM.   Motamed-Gorji, Nazgol, et al. “Association of Screen Time and Physical Activity with Health-Related Quality of Life in Iranian Children and Adolescents.” Health And Quality Of Life Outcomes, vol. 17, no. 1, Jan. 2019, p. 2. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1186/s12955-018-1071-z.

in poor vision and text neck.

We might be influenced to do good things or we might be influenced to do bad things.

While social media influence can benefit a person, it can just as easily impair the individual. Each person is different and every person gets influenced by their own desires

A constructive by-product of the circulation of all this information has been the rise in the amount of health-related data available to researchers as patient experiences, responses to medication, as well as more qualitative information regarding their lifestyles than is often available through traditional medical consultations.

The group has played a role in connecting MSc and PhD students with international mentors and forging links with the midwifery community which enhances collaborative working and optimal patient management. Women’s Health Facebook group now serves as an educational platform for the experienced and inexperienced therapist to share information on women’s health.

The group is now well established with members from the CSP, APTA, APA, CPA and other WCPT member organisations

The members comprised women’s health clinicians, tutors, researchers, academics, post graduate and undergraduate students but also representing midwifery, oncology, urogynaecological and the obstetric medical community.

The factors that set social media apart from other forms of communication include its immediacy, interactivity, and that the fact that a significant amount of the content is developed by the user, rather than the provider.

Ideas spread faster which leads to less secrecy and more cures.

If we see an ad about the consequences of drunk driving by Att, we will be less likely to endanger in an activity like that therefore saving lives.

Advertisements

“Social med

(Chen).”

There has been a recent rise in media posts about the effects of smoking cigarettes

are used by media sources

Implementing something as simple as an anonymous social platform had GREATER effects on participants. The human brain was built to need social interaction to survive so catering to those needs is much more effective.

it

prevailed

is a big factor

You are more likely to be in shape if you follow all of these.

There are tons of sources

a) For both influence measures, expertise ranking is positively correlated with influence ranking. Nearly all the entries of expertise categories have a value larger than 0.5. Note that our correlation analysis is based on large samples, i.e. n≥1000, hence a value larger than 0.5 indicates very strong correlation between expertise and social media influence. b) The correlation value of expertise influence ranking is significantly and consistently larger than that in non-expertise influence ranking for four domains.

this

significant (Zhao).”

By understanding how social networks can be used to improve learning, performance, and organisational outcomes, we can use the power of human interaction to improve the human condition

social platforming

You

had much quicker recovery times

There was a control group and variable group in this experiment where one was given exercise with social media intervention and one was given rehabilitation according to the specifications of the hospital.

becomes possible.”

was dull

utilized and measured social media to help the physical health

For the adults who utilize the internet for health and wellness information, most said that they preferred non-professionals through social media when dealing with a personal or coping issue

Proper education and guidance is the key to becoming successful and makes for efficiency. A task that is being fulfilled with guidance will most likely be completed in a shorter duration than a task being done with no outside experience.  

i, 2013).”

“63–74% h

Frimming et al.

for all people as in all other content areas.

Social networks are undoubtedly a revolutionary aspect in our generation. Whether it is used to connect with friends, or gain some knowledge, social media is here to stay. Since it has become so popular, many people have taken the time to analyze its effects. With about 1 in 7 people on this planet using networking platforms, it is slowly becoming the number 1 media outlet.

Social media has the power to influence people. We see things that we like and we are often persuaded to try it right away. Social platforms connect us to millions of people everyday and we can learn different things from everyone. Every individual has their own stories to tell, remedies to teach and culture to share. One of the fascinating topics to learn using social media platforms is health and wellness.

Bibliography MLA Cited:

The scientific revolution in the 16thcentury was followed by the enlightenment period in the 17th. I believe a second enlightenment might be upon us. The spread and flow of this information is freer than ever before; however, the grip over the public is now tighter and data about our patterns and habits are being stored. We are in a critical age, and my generation will see America transform, for better or for worse. The second coming of the enlightenment will depend on the questions we ask and how much attention we are paying. If we let governments lie to our face, or use deceptive truths for their own agenda, an Orwellian future might be our fate. I have faith in people paying more attention and thinking deeper about our government’s actions. Hopefully, we can revolutionize this system once more, effectively taking back the government from the TCC, making it once again, “a government for the people, by the people, that shall not perish from the earth.”

I believe

actually occurring within the states

Congress actually voted to fund a counter attack against an army of 20,000 guerrillas in the Amazon jungle… although Plan Colombia was originally intended…to be a multinational aid package, it has now morphed into a US military operation… Spraying chemicals on third world farmers is not an effective way to discourage people in the United States from using cocaine.

(Cosoy, Natalio. “Has Plan Colombia Really Worked?” BBC News, BBC, 4 Feb. 2016, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35491504.)

“A Flexible War.” NACLA Report on the Americas 48.2 (2016): 167-72. Web.

– IMPLEMENTING PLAN COLOMBIA: THE U.S. ROLE, www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-106hhrg69868/html/CHRG-106hhrg69868.htm.

Each year since its conception, the DEA has seen its funding grow for its operations

“Nixon Plans to Unify Drug Enforcement Agencies.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 Mar. 1973, www.nytimes.com/1973/03/29/archives/nixon-plans-to-unify-drug-enforcement-agencies.html.

ext, I wish to focus on the use of policies in the Drug War that further the power and control held by the TCC. The Drug War is ultimately a failure.

We are mere rats in a cage being studied while data is collected to analyze our patterns and habits. Policies with the face value of stopping terrorism which greatly furthered the government’s grip over the public were passed during an opportune time for such legislation. This is an example of the government using policy that is meant for the “greater good” of the American Public as a form of control put into action by those who have the means to influence government. Again, I am not insinuating the government in place at that time had any knowledge or part in the attacks; I am simply pointing out that the government used this tragedy to further its cause and capitalize off it.

This indication about the change of our relationship with the government is important because it shows that I am not the only that sees that our government is not a government for the people, by the people, and gives my claim more ethos.

Barnett, Randy. “Why the NSA Data Seizures Are Unconstitutional.” Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy 38.1 (2015): 3-20. Web.

Why the NSA Data Seizures are Unconstitutional”, Randy Barnett states

Morgan, Dennis, and Ozcan Saritas. Who Rules the World? Bingley: Emerald Limited, 2015. Web.

This is not to insinuate that the PNAC, or the Bush administration (since Cheney participated in both) had some part in the terrorist attacks of 9/11. However, I do not believe it is entirely coincidental either.

It is stated within this section that

Now that we have taken a look at how individuals get the power to alter our laws which ultimately

It is quite apparent that war stimulates the economy.

tanks

The people’s belief in the government is the most important thing for the current government to survive and function.

The people will obviously not allow the TCC to blatantly pass laws that benefit them, so they often put a spin on these policies so they will have greater public appeal

By serving the latter, these public servants have more to gain for themselves rather than serving the former. We are offered the different sides of the same coin in our bipartisan government which work to keep our current system alive and squander any real differences in the ideologies about the way we live.

are offered much of the same

obviously

well

Her point is that these individuals in office tend to serve their personal interests and the interests of those who funded them into office at the sake of the general public’s interests.

She points out how candidate’ campaigns can be entirely funded by special interest PACs that help them get into office. Once they are in office, these individuals now have the power to alter our government by drafting laws.

John Hemminger Prof Graves 4/25/19   The backbone of American culture and government is summed up in a few sentences  written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 in our beloved Declaration of Independence stating  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are … with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed …” America has a government for the people, by the people which shall never perish from the face of the earth as Lincoln would put it. This is the very foundation of “America”. We like to think of ourselves as the “role model” democracy, and since our democracy is the “best”, we innately, presumably, have the most freedom on the globe. Who are we to hog this “perfect” democratic system to ourselves? We are the protectors and developers of the “free world.” However, our government has not been established for “the people”. More accurately, our government has been organized and constructed in a way for “some” of the people more than others, specifically serving those with power within our society. From its very conception, our founding fathers had little faith in the common man and established a system of governance to limit their power over decisions for our society, by the way of representative government. Our country’s direction, motives, and purpose are not established by the people, but rather by a set of individuals with the power to influence our government’s representatives, consequently influencing governmental policies. This system has been going strong for almost 250 years with relatively few amendments to the original constitution. However, with the phenomena of globalization of capitalism and the spreading of “democracy”, the influence these individuals have allowed them to shift their focus outwards from gaining and establishing dominance not only over the people they help govern, but the world as whole. These group of people can be referred to as the elites,the 1 percenters, and the transnational capitalist class(TCC). According to an article posted on cnbc.com, this class of people now account for 50% of global wealth (Frank, Robert. “Richest 1% Now Owns Half the World’s Wealth.” CNBC, CNBC, 14 Nov. 2017) Well, if the 1% are greedily gathering all the wealth through manipulation of the system in place, why are the 99% not taking action to distribute this wealth (which equates to power in our capitalist system), so that the government can be truly for the people, by the people. This is deeper seeded issue dealing with how the system is established in the first place and the methods used to keep the 99% subdued. Through tactics of division of the 99%, the created illusions of choice of the representatives in “our” government, militarized police states and the industrial prison complex, and American economic dominance through war and American supported counterrevolutions in foreign countries, the TCC have been able to solidify their power, maintain their wealth, and strengthen their grip over the public. It will not be the government of the people, for the people until the people realize who really has a say in our government. To begin, we must look at how policies are put in place and established; then, consequently analyze the effects of these laws and who they benefit. To make or influence laws that shape our culture, our society, and the norms, you must hold office or have a substantial amount of money to lobby for your interests. Technically, anybody can run and hold office, given that you are not a convicted felon; however, running for office is extremely costly which ultimately restricts access to candidacy for all the people. According to Super PACS and the Presidential Election by Anthony J. Nownes, “In the 2012 elections, Senate candidates will have spent a total of $745 million. The average winning Senate candidate will have spent almost $10 million. To get this much money, a Senate candidate must raise almost $4,500 every day for six years.” Nownes also states that the 2012 presidential race cost each candidate $2 billion, $1 billion that the candidate raised and another billion from outside groups. (Nownes, Anthony. “Super PACs and the Presidential Election.” Juniata Voices 13 (2013): 77-80. Web.) Most of this money is spent on advertising, and most of this money comes from regular people. There are laws that limit individuals or corporate contributions to candidates or political action committees that contribute to the candidate. AT&T cannot contribute money directly to Mitt Romney, but they can however, create their own political action committee and contribute to it. These contributions are still limited. This does not stop the interest groups (the TCC) that MUST have their interests represented in the election. There are no laws preventing the amount of money that AT&T can spend on advertising for the candidate they endorse. These are independent expenditures that are not limited by the Federal Elections Commission. So, to get around these laws, corporations and interest groups form Super PACs (political action committees) that only spend money on independent expenditures. The laws limiting donations to regular political action committees that give money to candidates do not apply to these Super PACSs. Corporations or individuals can give an indefinite amount to these Super PACs that allow them to independently spend on advertisements and other expenses for the candidate they support or to defeat an opposing candidate. There was a speech before the house by house representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that

AT&T cannot contribute money directly to Mitt Romney, but they can however, create their own political action committee and contribute to it.

There are laws that

Nownes, Anthony. “Super PACs and the Presidential Election.” Juniata Voices 13 (2013): 77-80. Web.

anybody

is deeper seeded issue

by the people

technology will continue along with it.

cam

it’s

processes, it’s

the

than humans, they

most of society is just accepting the idea of what is happening

social understanding

A study was performed to measure and understand human and machine interaction.

New roles (AI and Machine Learning Specialist, Sales and Marketing Professionals, E-commerce Specialists, Social Media Specialist, Robotics Specialist, People and Culture Specialist, etc.)

began

There is no true way to solve this issue due to the constant changing there is

get rid of the current patent laws

Ravid

If a machine is set to do accounting services, it changes numbers in order to show a much more favorable outcome, but it corrupts the actual data.

A Government of Laws and not of Machines

fraud, the question

certain things within their companies

, etc.

In addition, to the “robots are going to kill us/hurt us/ destroy us” idea, technophobia doesn’t necessarily have to do with that. It can be fear in relation to the possible effects of the current and continuous advancement of technology. In other words, people

technophobia, AI

questioned, meanwhile

In this instance, the situation includes intentional torts, wrongful acts towards an individual, resulting in a breach of that individual’s rights. Torts law was originally established to provide remedies in a situation in which there is an invasion of protected interests, although its purpose isn’t to punish the wrongdoer. Negligence is used to punish the wrongdoer; it determines the conduct that led to the harm. In order for a person to be accused of negligence an individual needs to have done the following: breach of duty of care, causal connection between the conduct and said harm, and the overall damages caused.

“The only reason a black person would be on my front porch would be if he were here to burgle my owner.”

For instance,

There have been different forms of media such as I, Robot that have represented and possibly created technophobia in some viewers.

human interaction, torts law

A common example is “One algorithm w

it’s

most creators

most of the time

It’s taken as a joke, but it’s not like they have more knowledge, faster, and more efficient than humans…they are.

Sophia and Hans who are being developed to be as human-like as possible

A person who has spoken out about the fears of AI is Elon musk. He has

as phobias are defined as irrational fears

“Really, [name]? Really?”

electronics, this

Presently, there are no perfect looking robots that can carry out physical tasks, but we do have clunky cable filled robots that are capable of thinking and learning by themselves. It isn’t available for public usage, but simple forms of AI include google homes and other hubs. They may not be able to do things without human intervention such as suddenly think it would be thoughtful to make you coffee, but it will make you coffee if you tell it to. It may not have a physical manner of getting up and making you coffee, but it can communicate with other devices that can make the coffee. 

Many of the cases

Metallic human-looking objects walking around humans, just like any other day. Adored by some, hated by others. Suddenly a crime is committed, nobody believes it can be a robot, because a robot had never hurt anyone. Very few people believe in the bad things a robot can do. Soon to everyone’s surprise, it was indeed the robot, the oh so innocent robot turned evil and hurt a human. Soon the robot decides to destroy mankind and it becomes an issue.

They even have a healthy living section, which is made for giving general advice on lifestyles and diets. WebMD enables people to instantly search their symptoms, have general idea of what they might have, and take steps to solve their issue.

Healthcare in the United States is extremely expensive, so usually we try to solve problems on our won when we can, WebMD proves to be a powerful tool for more accuracy and effective cures one can come across on their own.

According to WebMD, “WebMD provides valuable health information, tools for managing your health, and support to those who seek information. You can trust that our content is timely and credible.”

According to United States Department of Health and Human Services, “TCM practitioners use herbal medicines and various mind and body practices, such as acupuncture and tai chi, to treat or prevent health problems. In the United States, people use TCM primarily as a complementary health approach.” Many of the alternative and complementary medicines pose no scientific evidence but are now used much more often with claims of serious benefits. It is extremely beneficial for people to use these medicines to help supplement their usual routine and get around their diseases and symptoms.

According to Berkeley Wellness, “If you watched the Summer Olympics in Rio this past August, you undoubtedly saw quite a few high-profile athletes—most famously Michael Phelps—sporting large purple circles on their backs, shoulders, and other body parts, the result of “cupping.” We have since received inquiries from readers asking if this treatment really has healing power and improves sports performance. Obviously some Olympians (and many other people) think it does—but the evidence behind it is dubious.”

helped lead the public to increase efforts to legalize this powerful and stigmatized medicine.

There have been videos circulating Facebook depicting an elderly man with Parkinson’s finally at ease and relaxed after consuming CBD oil.

“Greta Botker has been through more adversity in her short life than most adults. At the age of 7, she’s sampled a host of medications for her epilepsy: Onfi, Depakote, Felbatol, Keppra and Prednisone. She’s been on strict diets. She’s had brain surgery. Nothing reduced the 15 or so seizures she had every day since she was 5 months old that kept her from walking steadily, feeding herself or talking. Her parents, Maria and Mark, had run out of options. Maria and Greta joined a migration of parents who, after trying countless methods to ease their children’s crippling seizures, are packing up their families and moving to Colorado. How times have changed The state has become a refuge for those families for two reasons: Colorado has the most liberal laws for use of marijuana, and it has opened a market for a strain called Charlotte’s Web that is believed to be effective for people with severe epilepsy,”

Social media has definitely helped escalate the movement to legalize the use of marijuana both recreational and medical.

With the ease of transfer of information that the internet and social networks offer us, alternative and traditional medicines have made a serious comeback and are now not exclusively used in their place or region of discovery.

Who better to help a person than someone going through the same thing.

”As for the second part of the saying about chronic illness — that it turns strangers into friends — that one took me a little longer to figure out, but it’s no less true. For many months after becoming sick, I was resistant to my illness, each day thinking that I might just wake up from the extended nightmare and magically be back to my healthy, normal self. I refused to think of myself as “chronically ill,” and avoided Lyme communities like the plague. But eventually, as the magnitude of my illness made itself clear, I joined the Facebook groups and also found many Lyme sufferers on Instagram. Although I haven’t met most of these people in real life, I’ve connected with a few here in the New York area, which has been a wonderful experience; they’ve become my clan,”

Pre-Lyme, I was blessed by a solid group of ride-or-dies: compassionate friends like my pal since college, who generously tolerated years of freak outs related to my on-again, off-again musician hookup, and another friend whose apartment around the corner from mine was a second home where we’d regularly watch hours of PBS cooking shows and paint and collage around his huge dining room table. I thought that these pillars of support would be there for me in my time of need. Instead, the opposite has been true: As my illness has progressed, formerly dear friends have gone absolutely MIA. Calls and texts first slowed, then stopped; even when I outright asked for favors, friends were often too absorbed in their busy, thriving lives to make time to bring me groceries or accompany me to a doctor’s appointment,

These support groups for multiple ailments have been shown to have changed lives. People can be living perfectly normal ambitious lives, they can have been generally healthy their whole lives, when all of a sudden disaster strikes. There could be a new disease which is chronic or disfigurement which completely changes everything. It changes how they are looked at by their so-called friends, families, significant others, acquaintances, co-workers, and society as a whole.

support group support

Just knowing that there are other people like that in the world makes them feel less lonely and more accepting of what is happening to them.

People struggling with HIV/AIDS, cancer, cystic fibrosis, blindness, deafness, chronic pain, broken bones, depression, mental issues, as well as many other issues.

, is focus groups

eople have been misled about vaccines and going unvaccinated is a public health issue and Reddit is doing its job re-educating people.

the health of society

health, Lindenberger