This article gauges public opinion on the tweet posted by Jaboukie Young-White about Martin Luther King Day and asks the question of "funny or offensive?" to the website's viewers. An aspect of the article I found particularly interesting was a tweet in response to Jaboukie's saying, "Jaboukie got his account deleted in minutes for a legit joke, but an account I reported with the n-word in its header and tweets is still up 46 hours later." This says a lot about what type of content social media companies like Twitter or Instagram put their effort into censoring or banning.

I think this is an interesting distinction. I believe that women, particularly famous women or women in the public eye, probably experience trolling on social media more often than their male counterparts. There are clear similarities in behavior between trolls and abusers or stalkers, as this segment states, which makes me believe women are more directly affected by trolls.

One of the quotes that stood out to me was something said by Jacqueline Keeler of Pollen Nation about white and non-native individuals centering themselves around Native issues. She points out that it makes it even harder for Native American individuals to speak out when "frauds" are speaking for them. McLaughlin's choice to make her fake online persona a Native woman as a white woman is a startling and upsetting factor of this story.

I feel there are a few celebrities or internet personalities I feel a parasocial relation to. I love podcasts, especially the type in which people simply speak about their lives and opinions or tell jokes and comment on current affairs. I think that creating this type of content involves displaying your personality, or a part of your personality at least, on the internet. Consuming this content, it is easy to feel as though you know the individual you are watching and forget that the persona they are presenting is not their true offline personality.

This article explores the history of the subcommunity that has emerged from the social media platform, Twitter. "Black Twitter" has created a space where Black individuals can share their thoughts and experiences with a community of people from similar backgrounds.

Two ethics frameworks that would apply to the different ways social medias allow connections to others are Aztec Virtue Ethics and Relational Ethics. Each of these frameworks emphasize the importance of community and relationships to excel as an individual. The isolating nature of many social media sites directly opposes these philosophies. They would likely be against the individualized use of social media and advocate for not using social media or to use it in ways that help build or find community.

A detail from this source I found interesting was the implication that "ignorance has costs and benefits." The author argues that being unaware of some things allows us to live a life of joy; however, it also puts us in danger of being unable to understand new ideas and be successful as a society.

One example of pernicious ignorance that often comes from a place of good intention is sharing videos of violence in the name of spreading awareness, which can be psychologically damaging to those watching. During the height of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, this happened a lot. Many people, often white Americans, would reshare documentation of police brutality in an attempt to garner recognition for the cause, not considering the emotional and mental effects this would have on their African American friends or followers watching this footage. This specific example is a complex and often debated one, but it does show a lack of awareness of how this might affect some viewers.

This article describes the work of an app store ranking manipulation employee. The article describes this practice as something Apple has had issues with in the past. App developers looking for a high rating on their app hire individuals to delete and redownload apps on many different phones, strengthening their ranking.

I believe social media platforms allow the operation of bots for monetary reasons. The presence of bots on a social media site makes it appear as though there are more users on the platform. This makes it easier for brands to promote themselves to advertising companies, making them more money. Additionally, oftentimes users are not aware that they are talking to bots, making them quick to interact with the bots. This additional engagement is also good for the company's appearance.

Through further reading on Taoism, I have discovered that Taoists believe in spiritual immortality. Meaning they believe the spirit of the body joins the universe after death. This fact provides further explanation of the Taoist philosophy. Their faith in the universe seems to be rooted in their belief that they are a part of said universe.

More so than ever, the way people present online is drastically different from the realities of their daily lives, reinforcing the idea that "social media is not real life." However, the general public's relationship to social media has become more intertwined with what we consider "real life." Social media is now a part of almost every person's daily life. From consuming to posting, social media dictates the daily activities of many. What used to be a recreation enjoyed in passing is now, for a large part of our population, an indulgence that has real repercussions and effects. I believe the statement "social media isn't real life" is true to this day; however, it is dangerously regarded as real by many.