The article "A People’s History of Black Twitter, Part I" by Jason Parham explains the origins and cultural significance of Black Twitter between 2008 and 2012. It highlights how Black users transformed Twitter into a vibrant space for expression, activism, and community building. The piece explores the emergence of Black Twitter through key moments, such as the viral spread of the hashtag #UKnowUrBlackWhen, created by Ashley Weatherspoon and Adrienne Bailon in 2009. This hashtag resonated widely, marking a pivotal moment in the platform's evolution. The article also discusses how Black Twitter has influenced cultural conversations, ranging from pop culture to social justice, and helped shape wider societal narratives.

I would love to change all the negative behavior that some people engage in on social media. This would help others feel more confident in posting and more comfortable in their own skin. Without trolls causing harm, social media could become a more peaceful, supportive, and uplifting space. I can relate to this in the sense of wishing people weren’t so cruel behind a screen, and I feel everyone deserves to express themselves without fear of judgment or harassment.

The Atlantic's article "Digital Reminders of a Lost Pregnancy" explains how technology can unintentionally deepen the grief of miscarriage. Women who experience pregnancy loss often continue receiving notifications from apps like BabyCenter, Glow, and Ovia, which send updates about fetal development or parenting tips. These reminders, like comparing a fetus to the size of a fruit, can be especially painful after a loss. Targeted ads for baby products add to the emotional toll. While some apps allow users to update their status after a miscarriage, doing so can be difficult and emotionally draining. The article emphasizes the need for digital tools to be more compassionate and adaptable for users dealing with such sensitive experiences.

The Washington Post article "Jimmy Kimmel Wants to Prank Kids. Why Are We Laughing?" critiques Jimmy Kimmel's yearly Halloween prank, where parents pretend to have eaten all their kids' Halloween candy and film their reactions. While meant to be humorous, child psychiatrist Meg van Achterberg warns that these pranks can actually be emotionally damaging, especially for children between the ages of 3 and 7, who may feel deeply hurt and confused. The article raises ethical concerns about turning children's distress into entertainment and encourages more awareness of how such jokes might affect young kids' emotional well-being.

One of the most important factors in making an instance of public shaming harmful is the disproportionate response, if someone makes a minor error and is met with extreme hostility, threats, or permanent reputational damage, the response becomes more about punishment than accountability. Another key factor is lack of context. Online posts or behaviors are often judged without knowing the full story, which can lead to unfair assumptions or misinterpretations. This is especially dangerous when content is taken out of context and spreads rapidly. Finally, permanence plays a role. Public shaming on social media often leaves a digital footprint that follows individuals long after the incident, making it difficult for them to move on, even if they’ve taken responsibility or changed their behavior.

The WIRED article "I've Had a Cyberstalker Since I Was 12" tells the story of a woman who has been harassed online by the same individual, named Danny, since she was a child. Their online connection started through shared interests but soon turned into persistent, unwanted attention. Even after blocking him repeatedly, he continued finding ways to contact her, including impersonating her through spoofed emails. His behavior escalated to the point of messaging her friends and family, leading her to seek help from tech companies like Apple and Google. Unfortunately, they were unable to stop him, as he used third-party tools to mask his identity. The article highlights the challenges victims face in dealing with cyberstalking, especially when the harassment doesn't involve direct physical threats, and underscores the limitations of current laws and technological safeguards in addressing such issues.

One key benefit is that they encourage dialogue by allowing users to add personal perspectives or insights, which can spark broader and more thoughtful conversations. They also help highlight important content, giving visibility to posts that might otherwise be overlooked. In many cases, quote posts give people a way to express agreement, disagreement, or additional perspectives, fostering more dynamic discussions. However, quote posts also come with drawbacks. They can be misused to mock, harass, or misrepresent others, especially when the original post is taken out of context. This can lead to online harassment or pile-ons, where others join in with negative or harmful commentary. Additionally, the original intent behind a post can sometimes be lost or diluted when it’s overshadowed by reactions and commentary.

In April 2021, a hiker named Rene Compean went missing in California's Angeles National Forest after becoming disoriented during a hike. Before his phone battery died, he sent a photo of his legs dangling from a cliff to a friend, along with a message saying he was lost. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shared the photo online, seeking help from the public. Benjamin Kuo, a satellite mapping enthusiast, recognized the terrain in the photo and used his skills to estimate Compean's location. He sent the coordinates to the sheriff's department, which guided search teams to the area. Compean was found safe, cold but unharmed, and was airlifted to safety. He later expressed gratitude to Kuo, acknowledging the critical role the photo played in his rescue.

Yes, social media platforms can definitely encourage good crowdsourcing and discourage bad crowdsourcing. They can highlight and promote responsible, well-moderated campaigns that aim to help others, such as fundraising for verified causes or collaborative community projects, by making them more visible. To discourage negative behavior, such as misinformation or harassment, platforms should have clear rules and use tools like fact-checking alerts or reporting systems. Encouraging transparency and recognizing trustworthy contributions helps create a safer, more constructive environment.

The Vice article "Facebook Is Ignoring Moderators’ Trauma: ‘They Suggest Karaoke and Painting’" highlights the serious mental health struggles faced by Facebook content moderators and the lack of meaningful support provided by the company. Isabella Plunkett, a moderator in Dublin working for the outsourcing firm Covalen, shared how her concerns about returning to the office during the COVID-19 pandemic were dismissed by management. Despite experiencing severe anxiety and being prescribed antidepressants, her requests for flexible work options were denied. Facebook’s mental health resources, including brief wellness sessions and superficial suggestions like karaoke or painting, were criticized as inadequate. The article also points to systemic issues in Facebook's use of third-party contractors, who often work under poor conditions, with low pay and strict NDAs that discourage speaking out.

Social media companies should provide mental health support, fair pay, proper training, and clear moderation guidelines. Moderators deserve manageable workloads and access to tools that ease their burden without replacing them. Transparency and internal feedback systems also help ensure ethical decisions. Governments should enforce labor protections, update safety regulations to address psychological risks, and require transparency from platforms about moderation practices and working conditions. Supporting moderators protects their well-being and improves the overall health of online communities.

Facebook has announced a major policy shift by ending its practice of giving political figures special treatment in content moderation. In the past, politicians were often allowed to post content that would typically violate platform rules. This change comes in response to criticism from Facebook’s Oversight Board, which argued that all users should be held to the same standards. Going forward, political content will be reviewed and moderated just like any other user’s posts. However, Facebook will continue to use a “newsworthiness” exception in some cases, which allows posts to stay up if they serve the public interest, and will now clearly indicate when that exception is used. The company also plans to improve transparency around its “strike” system by notifying users when they violate content policies.

Yes, but I haven’t had to report things very often. I once reported a photo of me that was posted without my knowledge or consent. There have also been several instances where someone created a fake account pretending to be me. On Instagram, they copied my profile picture, bio, and followed many of the same people I did. One time, they even commented hurtful things under my closest friends’ posts, making it look like I felt that way about them. I obviously reported the fake account every time it was created and asked my friends to report it too.

The Psychology Today article "Selfies, Filters, and Snapchat Dysmorphia: How Photo-Editing Harms Body Image" discusses how photo-editing apps and filters on social media can negatively affect how people view themselves. The term "Snapchat dysmorphia" refers to a growing trend where individuals want to undergo cosmetic surgery to resemble their filtered selfies. This trend can lead to unrealistic beauty standards and, in some cases, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Cosmetic surgeons report an increase in patients requesting alterations to their appearance based on edited images, which may not align with realistic expectations. The article emphasizes the need for awareness and education about the effects of digital image manipulation on mental health and body image.

In the past, social media did affect my mental health negatively. I often found myself comparing my life to the girls I saw on my feed, people who seemed to have better opportunities or things I wished I had, which made me feel sad. At times, certain personal relationships also made being on social media feel awkward or affect me emotionally. However, my perspective has changed. Now, I see the girls on my feed as sources of inspiration rather than comparison. I believe I’ll have those opportunities one day, and that shift has turned social media into a motivating space for me. Overall, the positives outweigh the negatives, it’s a platform where I find laughter, fun, and creativity, all of which uplift my mental health.

The New York Times article "Elon Musk: Memelord or Meme Lifter?" explains Elon Musk’s habit of posting popular memes on social media without giving credit to their original creators. While his posts often go viral, this has sparked debate about digital ownership and whether meme creators deserve acknowledgment and potential financial gain. When questioned about this behavior, Musk responded by tweeting more uncredited memes, which ironically were about meme theft, highlighting the gray area between sharing content and taking credit in the digital age.

I’ve seen a few of my friends go viral on TikTok, usually by following current trends or sharing something relatable. There are also cases where people go viral simply because they already have a strong fan base. I actually grew up with a friend who’s an influencer, so I’ve seen him create content and have even been part of videos that went viral.

Social media platforms are responsible for making sure their recommendation algorithms do not promote harmful, misleading, or extremist content. They should prioritize transparency, allowing users to understand and control what is being shown to them. Platforms should also avoid promoting addictive or sensational content purely for engagement. Ultimately, algorithms should support user well-being, safety, and access to accurate, engaging, and diverse information.

The BBC Future article “The Women with Superhuman Vision” explains tetrachromacy, a rare visual condition where individuals have four types of cone cells in their eyes, allowing them to see a wider range of colors than most people. This condition usually occurs in women because the genes for red and green cones are located on the X chromosome. The article focuses on Concetta Antico, an artist and teacher who discovered she could see colors others can’t, which influences her unique and vivid artwork. It also explains the science behind tetrachromacy, its genetic roots, and what it means to have enhanced color perception.

- Everyone has reliable internet access
- People are always honest about their identity
- Users have the same cultural values or norms
- All users have similar privacy expectations

Facebook, now Meta, has encountered several disturbing cases where employees abused their access to user data to stalk or harass people, particularly women. In 2018, the company fired an employee after cybersecurity consultant Jackie Stokes revealed he had used internal systems to stalk women online. That same year, another engineer allegedly tracked a woman’s location during her European vacation and confronted her at a new hotel, sparking concerns about staff access to private user information. In 2023, Meta was sued by a former employee for rehiring a colleague who had stalked him for over a year, even though the individual had been placed on a “Do Not Hire” list. These cases highlight serious concerns about Meta’s internal controls and its ability to prevent the abuse of user data, despite its claims to prioritize user privacy.

One of the biggest concerns I have around privacy on social media is the amount of personal information that can be collected, shared, or exposed, usually without me realizing it. I have platforms that track my location, browsing habits, and interactions to build detailed profiles for targeted advertising. Another major concern is the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access. If account information, private messages, or personal photos are leaked, it can lead to identity theft, harassment, or long-term reputational damage. Additionally, even posts for my smaller audience can be screenshotted, shared, or taken out of context. Once something is online, it’s very hard to fully delete or control what happens with it. There’s also the issue of facial recognition and AI tools being used to make false data. All of these are concerns I have with my privacy on social media.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is a 2022 sci-fi movie directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, also known as the "Daniels." It tells the story of Evelyn, a laundromat owner played by Michelle Yeoh, who gets involved in a chaotic, multiverse-spanning journey. The film combines strange humor with serious topics like family, identity, and existential questions. It premiered at the SXSW festival and became the highest-earning film from A24, making over $143 million. The movie was a big hit with critics and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and acting awards for its standout cast and creative storytelling

Yes, there is definitely information that social media companies should avoid collecting or analyzing through data mining. Highly sensitive personal data, like political beliefs, sexual orientation, financial status, or private messaging behavior, can be deeply invasive if mined without clear consent. Even if companies don’t intend harm, that data could be misused or leaked in a hack. Because data can be misused for things like manipulation, discrimination, or surveillance, some insights should be considered ethically off-limits. Social media companies should focus on protecting user privacy, being transparent, and obtaining clear consent, using data only to enhance the user experience, not to take advantage of personal vulnerabilities.

The FBI-King suicide letter was an anonymous letter sent to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1964, accompanied by a tape recording allegedly documenting his extramarital affairs. The letter, which used abusive language and accused King of being a fraud, suggested that he commit suicide to avoid public exposure. King suspected the FBI’s involvement, and a draft of the letter was later found in the files of FBI official William C. Sullivan, who admitted to being part of the plan but claimed opposition to it. The full letter was discovered in 2014 and published by The New York Times, shedding light on the FBI's attempts to discredit King during the civil rights movement.

I feel that there are multiple ways to deal with trolling, but how you address it depends on the context. Generally, the most effective strategies involve non-engagement, it’s first important not to feed the troll. Trolling thrives on attention, and engaging, especially emotionally, it gives trolls exactly what they want. Ignoring them can be one of the simplest and most effective ways to make them lose interest. Additionally, you can use platform tools to report and block trolls to reduce their impact and limit their ability to harm others.

The article explains why X, formerly Twitter, permanently suspended Donald Trump’s @realDonaldTrump account on January 8, 2021. The decision followed the Capitol riot on January 6 and was based on concerns that his tweets could incite further violence. X cited its Glorification of Violence policy and emphasized that even world leaders must follow platform rules to ensure public safety.

There are plenty of people that I have a parasocial relationship with, it tends to be with people who are friends of my close friends. They usually come across me through someone else’s social media and start interacting with my account. I like a lot of my parasocial relationships; every one of them has been nice, and I’ve actually made some genuine friends from some of them. These parasocial relationships are evident most through my comments, conversations are usually started from sliding up on my story on Instagram, and I receive a lot of compliments in the comments under my TikToks.

The Atlantic’s article “The Rise and Fall of Myspace” looks at how Myspace quickly became the top social network after launching in 2003, reaching its peak after News Corp bought it in 2005 and signed a major $900 million ad deal with Google. At its best, Myspace was a major online space where people could customize their profiles and musicians could share their work with a wide audience. However, over time, the site struggled with poor leadership, a messy and slow interface, and too many ads, which pushed users away, especially as Facebook gained popularity with a cleaner, more structured design. In 2011, massive layoffs cut nearly half the workforce, showing how far it had fallen. Even though the company tried to come back by focusing more on music and entertainment, it never regained its former success.

Content restrictions include avoiding offensive, misleading, or insensitive language. Messages should be appropriate for a broad audience, respectful of cultural and emotional contexts, and align with the nature of each occasion. For sensitive dates like memorials, a solemn tone is expected. The messsges must also avoid promoting political views, violence, or controversial topics.

I’m looking at a friend’s post on Instagram, there’s a caption so a string data type would be used. It being a post means a binary data type was used, I’m not sure what else.

Twitter is suing Elon Musk to force him to complete his $44 billion agreement to buy the company, after he tried to back out of the deal. The lawsuit accuses Musk of acting in bad faith by halting financing efforts, disparaging the company, and treating the acquisition as a joke. Although Musk cited concerns about fake accounts as his reason for withdrawing, Twitter argues this is just a pretext and that the real issue is the decline in Tesla's stock value, which affects his ability to fund the deal. Legal experts suggest Twitter has a strong case and could compel Musk to follow through, though a settlement or renegotiated price is also possible. Regardless of the outcome, the legal battle has already damaged Twitter's reputation and operations.

The article "How to Make a Bot That Isn't Racist" by Sarah Jeong (Vice, 2016) explains how developers can create Al bots that avoid perpetuating harmful biases, using the case of Microsoft's chatbot Tay as a cautionary example. Tay is designed to learn from Twitter users, and quickly began generating offensive and racist content, revealing the risks of deploying learning bots without proper safeguards. Jeong interviews experienced bot creators and outlines key strategies for ethical bot development: implementing word filters using blacklists to block slurs, adhering to community-developed ethical guidelines, and continuously monitoring and updating bots to maintain appropriate behavior. The article emphasizes that responsible bot design requires foresight, ethical intent, and active oversight to prevent the reinforcement of online toxicity.

I think users want to make bots because they can be a really helpful way to save time and make tasks easier. Instead of doing the same things over and over, like answering simple questions or organizing information, a bot can handle that automatically. In my opinion, bots also make online experiences better, whether it’s getting quick customer support or just having a fun, interactive tool to use. For businesses especially, I believe bots are a smart way to stay connected with people without needing someone to always be available.

Social media holds significant influence over both the world and our personal lives, in both positive and negative ways. For individuals, it serves as a platform to curate and present their lives in a particular light, often how they want to be perceived rather than how things truly are. As a result, others form their own interpretations based on what's posted, whether or not it reflects reality. This can lead to both beneficial and harmful outcomes. On a broader scale, social media is a powerful tool for spreading knowledge and information. When the content is accurate, it can be an incredibly effective way to share ideas and raise awareness. However, the same ease of sharing also allows misinformation to spread just as quickly, reaching large audiences and potentially causing harm. Overall, I feel social media can be a great influence on both us and the world, as long as it's used responsibly and with honesty.

Natural rights philosophy has shaped many modern political systems beyond the U.S. For example, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789) was directly inspired by Enlightenment thinkers like Locke and Rousseau. It declared that "men are born and remain free and equal in rights" and emphasized liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression as fundamental rights. This document laid the groundwork for human rights principles in democratic nations around the world.

In October 2022, Elon Musk admitted he was "obviously overpaying" in his $44 billion purchase of Twitter but remained optimistic about its future. He described Twitter as a platform that had been stagnant for some time but believed it had the potential to grow significantly in value. Musk made these comments during a Tesla earnings call, emphasizing his long-term vision for improving and revitalizing the platform despite the high cost.

The cultural origin of a social media platform would shape everything from privacy settings to how people interact online. In collectivist cultures, like East Asia for example, platforms might focus on group cohesion and harmony, whereas those from individualistic societies, like European ones, would likely emphasize self-expression and open communication. What we often consider “normal” on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or X actually reflects Western, particularly American, values, such as personal branding, visibility, and viral content, rather than global standards.