Final Blog Post

    There is always a point where too much screen time becomes unhealthy. In my personal experience, my relationship with technology is relatively healthy. Typically, I can manage my time between gaming and schoolwork. On the other hand, there are also occurrences where I lose track of time and forget about my other responsibilities. In the long run, I frequently manage to complete the assignments that are required of me, somewhat coming in close on time. Since I am a Game and Interactive Media Design major, I do spend a significant amount of time in front of a computer screen. In all honesty, I do believe it takes up a significant portion of my day to day life.

    On another note, I believe technology and the internet to be valuable tools if used correctly. Unfortunately, the internet also provides countless amounts of false or uncredited information that can be misleading. Oftentimes, this information is disguised as credible information, but after delving deeper it turns out to be false. It is not necessarily technology that provides the misleading information, but rather the people using the technology for personal gain. For example, during political elections many opposing sides will spread false information via social media and the internet to sway potential supporters away from the opposing candidate. The internet can also provide truthful information in a way that can be accessed quickly which is useful if the information required is needed in a timely manner.

    I know several people who have both a positive and negative relationship to technology. In my opinion, the negative relationship usually consists of overindulgence in social media and the internet which can be time consuming and takes away from more important things such as schoolwork and time spent with family. On the contrary, the positive impacts I have noticed with close friends and family consist of a balance between social media, school, and time spent with family. A positive relationship does not technically mean limited screen time but finding the equilibrium between the two.

    In relation to future employment due to my online footprint, I believe I would be in the clear. I rarely use or post on social media, so my online footprint is very minimal. I know employers use social media to see what kind of person the applicant is and who they are outside the work environment. Since I never use social media, it would be hard to find any negative posts in relation to my online footprint. After Googling myself, everything I found was to be expected. I found a few articles online that show my wins as the captain of the bowling team at my high school. I also found my LinkedIn page that shows my customized for my previous occupation. To be fair, I am happy with what I found because it paints me as a hardworking and dedicated individual with varying experiences under his belt. I think potential employers who look at my online footprint will be pleasantly surprised at what they would find. 

Modern Day First Amendment

    On January 6th 2021, the United States Capitol was stormed by individuals attempting to overturn the decision made in the 2020 election. The protesters who showed up to the election were infuriated by the fact that Biden won the election. Many of the protesters who participated believed that President Joe Biden won due to voter fraud and that the election was ‘rigged’. This caused protests to quickly turn violent as protestors started to force their way into the capitol building. Many officers and security guards were harmed in these protests as well as protestors. After successfully breaking into the capitol building, many managed to enter Nancy Pelosi’s office and vandalize her desk in acts of rage. This caused many congressmen and women to shelter in place. The U.S government cannot intervene when protests are taking place unless they break laws such as curfew, trespassing, or any violent crime. In most circumstances the government will not disrupt a peaceful protest, but because many protesters showed up armed and did not obey CDC COVID-19 guidelines, so intervention was needed to ensure no government officials were harmed.

Washington Post Article

    Starting off civil, the January 6th protest was protected by the First Amendment in Freedom of Assembly and Petition. This quickly faded when protestors began storming into the Capitol illegally with violent intentions towards federal administration. Property inside and outside were vandalized or thrashed, meanwhile the crowd motions to press forward. This series of events results in an unprotected action by the First Amendment and sanctions for subsequent punishment for a great deal of the intruders. Many aggressive protestors were convicted, jailed and fined for their recklessness and public endangerment to a federal facility. 

Eight Values of Expression

    As far as I can see in American society and culture, the majority of those living in the U.S take their patriotism very seriously. As a society, freedom of speech is probably one of our most valued expressions of freedoms. Though every U.S citizen has freedom of speech, there are some settings in which saying or acting in a certain way will have consequences. As Americans, we can do or say what we want so long as it does not directly cause harm to other individuals, but in professional environments, such as school or work, freedom of speech is hindered in certain circumstances. For example, there might be a dress code that is enforced in both work or private school environments requiring the patrons to wear proper apparel. These dress codes do not go against the Constitution since they are run by private administration. In environments that are deemed to be more professional, it is considered a social norm to dress professional as well. Freedom of expression is more than just being able to say what you want.

    There are many different forms of Individual Self-Fulfillment, yet many choose to express themselves based on their personal wardrobe. This type of self-expression leads many to feel more comfortable showcasing who they are as an individual rather than a group. Additionally, there have been several case studies conducted by Georgetown Behavioral Institute to observe how self-expression affects behavioral patterns. In these studies, it was clear that positive changes in both mood and personality occurred when an individual was allowed to express themselves, whether through clothes, art, or music. Self-Expression is important because it allows individuals to manifest their thoughts and feelings on the outside instead of holding them in. It is also a great way to communicate our emotions and thoughts that lay in our minds non-verbally toward others. Many feel pride when they dress a certain way this form of self expression is a birthright when in other places it is a luxury.

    Another prime example of self-expression is in artistic designs. Artists can illustrate a message or mental image through vivid designs. From there, observers can make their own interpretations of the composition that best express their personal emotions. Take into consideration Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. The painting illuminates a dusk sky scene crossing the horizon of a small village. Some people may symbolize this scene as an ease into peace resting upon the civilians. In other words, art is the depiction of the one who creates or the one who evaluates.

The Supreme Court

    In the article by History.com, there were several points which I found interesting. One piece of information I obtained while reading was that the Supreme Court was founded in 1789 by Article III. The Supreme Court was put into place after the Judiciary Act of 1789. Initially, I was unaware that George Washington was the individual who signed off on the Act. After the Act was passed, there were several cases that followed after.

    The most crucial takeaway I gathered from this article consisted of a court case in 1974 known as “U.S vs. Nixon”. The case went to prove that a President should not be able to hide or cover up evidence. This is important because it is a perfect example of what the Supreme Court was designed to do, ensure justice. For example, if a law passed by congress is thought to be unconstitutional, then it will first be put through the Supreme Court to be further examined. At the time, the Supreme Court was initially established there were only six judges appointed. In modern day, the Supreme Court has nine judges to break a tied vote and have more voices which was intriguing. Before reading this article, my initial thought process regarding the Supreme Court consisted of bits and pieces that were fed to me over public news. I believed the Supreme Court was always used for high-level court cases. After reading the article, the Supreme Court has more critical functions. In the article, it mentioned a case called “West vs Barnes” which entailed a farmer disputing a family in which he owed debt to. This case was a low-profile case that still made its way into the Supreme Court’s trial room.