Media Law & Literacy 2020

An echo chamber describes "an environment where a person only encounters information or opinions that reflect or reinforce their own." Echo chambers are responsible for creating misinformation, which can overshadow someones ability to accept new ideas or information. These environments can be dangerous and extremely difficult to break away from, especially with having the internet so easily accessible. With a few clicks, people have access to endless information solidifying their values and beliefs. People that seek out echo chambers are blinding themselves to other opinions and are subconsciously using this as a method for themselves to feel more secure about their stance on a certain topic. With the rise in popularity and usage of social media platforms, echo chambers have EVEN MORE of an online presence. In an draft paper written by Walter Quattrociocchi, Antonio Scala, and Cass Sunstein, these social scientists collected substantial evidence proving that Facebook tend...

Wow, just wow! I have often thought about what I publish as public information and what I keep private, but I never thought that people would have access to what I am doing behind closed doors. After listening to multiple Ted Talks about privacy on and offline, I have started to feel a little less safe in my own skin and quite concerned about where my information is being stored and for what REAL purpose? What concerned me the most is how people could potentially be listening in on my phone conversations with friends, family, etc. What a concerning thought, to think that my personal phone calls are being violated by an outsider. An outsider who now probably knows my habits, catches glimpses of my relationships and hears about my day to day routine. These Ted Talks reminded me of a privacy concern that I often think about when I am online, whether it be on my laptop, phone, or other devices. Why do I find that after talking aloud about a certain subject, it then appears on my intern...

As a rising senior in college, I am often quite concerned and focused on how my online presence appears to my friends, family, and especially future employers. As an avid user of social media platforms, I make sure that the content I post is age appropriate and nothing that could possibly get me in trouble or risk future opportunities. Conveniently enough, the sorority that I am a member of at High Point University has rules that we must follow when posting on social media. Having this rule in place has definitely made me more aware of the type of pictures I post. When searching for myself online, the first result that comes up is the link to my Facebook Page. My Facebook page is private, so those who follow the link can only see a brief portion of my profile. Therefore, those searching for me online would only be able to see my Facebook profile picture. Other things that I found when I was searching for myself on the internet was my name on some lacrosse rosters from freshman year o...