History of Instant Messaging

     Instant Messaging (IM) is a form of text-based communication in which two persons participate in a single conversation over their computers or mobile devices within an Internet-based chatroom. IM was invented in 1971 by computer scientist Murray Turoff to be used as a chat function on a government computer network. Its original purpose was to exchange information that would help the U.S. government during emergencies. This was a very primitive form of instant messaging, but the first large-scale instant messaging was released by AOL in 1988. By the early 2000s, there were a few different versions of instant messaging on the internet with different platforms for different computer systems.

   

    Instant Messaging is used in every country and has dramatically increased interconnectedness around the world. People use apps like Facebook, Snapchat, and WhatsApp to communicate daily. Instant messaging is popular for many reasons like its speed and lack of invasiveness compared to phone calls or in-person conversations. The instant messaging chat software market was worth $47.92 Billion in 2019 and will continue to increase. This has created many jobs and opportunities for people around the world.

    It has changed communication forever, but it comes with some negatives. There is a big problem with cyberbullying and instant messaging has contributed to that. It is easy for people to make fake accounts and bully or make fun of people. This has caused people to question of there should be more censorship on social media and has led to investigations on platforms like Facebook. Youtube took action and created a separate app for children but there is still talk about creating laws censoring what people can say on these social media platforms.

What is Stable Change?

 

After learning about the Eight Values of Free Expression there are many values that are valuable in today’s society. The value that stands out to me the most, Stable Change. 

Stable change or safety valve is from Benedict Spinoza a Dutch Jewish philosopher. This value is summarized as, “It’s been suggested that a society in which angry and alienated citizens are allowed to speak their mind, or "vent," will be more stable, as people will be less likely to resort to violence.  It has also been pointed out that allowing the alienated and discontented to speak freely enables government to better monitor potentially dangerous groups who would otherwise act more clandestinely. Ultimately, it is in the government’s own self-interest to allow such venting”. 

This resonated with me because it values the need for people to talk about their problems and frustrations. I have found that I feel better about a situation the anger me when I talk to someone about it. This has also prevented me from acting rashly and possibly doing something I will regret. I have seen others close to me do the same thing and being allowed to speak their mind helps them work through their issue. 

Another important point Spinoza makes is the ability for the government to better monitor potential threats when they are allowed to speak their mind. I have been in situations where someone freely speaks their mind, but they may be speaking about an issue I strongly disagree with or showing themselves to be of poor charter. This had helped me determine who I want to be close with and who I will bring up my issues. 

Recently there was extreme controversy regarding the 2020 Presidential Election. People were constantly “venting” about the candidates to their friends, family, and online. Tensions were escalating as election day got closer and people speaking freely about their issues with the election helped the government and candidates prepare. 

One of the biggest and most controversial places people spoke about the election was on social media. People were posting news stories, their opinions, and “facts” about their candidates. With the nation constantly talking about the election it was almost impossible for people not to think about their opinion and voting. NPR reported that “the number of early voters under 30 who are voting for the first time in their life is more than double the number of first-time voters at this point in the 2016 election”, and the University of Maryland said, “early voting has broken historic records at 99.7 million early votes submitted (already more than two-thirds of the total votes cast in 2016)”. 

With the increased election attention there was more information for people to predict the results. The increased information also led to preparations in case of riots or violence from people angry with the results. Luckily nothing happened, but the Stable Change value allowed everyone to be prepared for the worst, get their frustrations off their back, connect with others, and it increased the number of voters. 

History of the Supreme Court

 There were many surprising things I learned about the Supreme Court and the way it evolved in the first years of our country. 

One topic that interests me most is the historic Supreme Court cases. These are cases that we look back on and stand by our decision, which is called stare decisis. I think this is important because it will ensure the Supreme Court is upholding the country’s original values and decisions in tough cases. An example of this is, “Mapp v. Ohio (1961), which held that evidence obtained illegally cannot be used in criminal cases”. Evidence obtained illegally is still not allowed to be used in any court in the United States.

    Before learning about the history of the Supreme Court I had not thought about where many of our laws came from. I think it is very important to look back on our history and remember why we have our laws, the importance of them. 

    Another important part of our government is the system of checks and balances. The United States gave the most power to the state government to make sure the Federal government wouldn’t have too much power, and the individuals would always have a say in their government. This was a big change because England, along with many other countries had monarchies, which meant all the power was in the government and the individuals had no say. This was a crucial part of the American government, and it’s what sets the US apart. 

When learning about the Supreme Court I also learned about the effects of war. I have always been taught that war is good for the economy. Learning that every war causes recession and possibly depression was surprising but makes sense. War causes debt and when it’s over countries fall into recession trying to manage the debt. 

I also learned about the development of our laws. The Bill of Rights and Constitution were written changed over time to ensure they hold our countries ideals and made them clear. Understanding the importance and history of the Bill of Rights has added value to the freedoms I enjoy every day.

My Top 5 News Sources

    The place I get news from the most often is Tik Tok. If there is nationwide news going on I will see it on Tik Tok first, like the Gabby Petito case or the BLM movement. I like using Tik Tok for news because there are always updates and many people reporting so there never seems to be a lack of information. I always make sure to fact-check things from Tik Tok and take everything said with a grain of salt because many people reporting these things have little previous training.

    The second place I get daily news from is Apple News. I enjoy this platform because it will give me a notification whenever there is breaking news. It is also very easy for me to use and navigate because it is built into my phone. 

    I often use CNN when staying up to date on current political news or national news that interests me. I find a lot of political news that I agree with from CNN, but I always keep in mind that it is left-biased, and it is important for me to do research on both sides of an issue. 

    I listen to NPR on the radio when I drive, especially with my parents. I enjoy being able to listen to the news in the car because it keeps me up to date on what’s happening, but I don’t have to take the time to research it myself. This is also a “center” news outlet so generally, things are less biased. 

    Lastly, I use Instagram for news. Many people I follow post news articles, movements,
or current issues on their stories. It is easy for me to read more, and I can follow the account the information is coming from to stay up to date.