Desensitization via Media Exposure: A Societal Problem

Image source: Rawhide Youth Services Within our modern cultural and digital landscapes, it is no secret that there is an overwhelming glut of entertainment media. For example, in terms of television and film, one needs only to look at the 50+ different streaming services available in North America for a frame of reference, or even …

The Algorithm: Marketing through Bias and Politicization

Image sources: Siteminder.com and Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania In my previous blog posts, I discussed the algorithm's tendency to feed off of people's political division to create a binary system of content recommendation rather than a shared news culture. For example, it was made evident that there was a relationship, or at the very …

How to Define Fake News, Identify it, and Analyze its Proliferation

Fake News is a controversial term familiar to most Americans, but what exactly does it refer to? Image source: Stanford University News The term "fake news" is a widespread and politically charged buzzword, with its meaning often unclear. Most would probably be most familiar with the words "fake news" from the 2016 U.S. election, where …

The Politicization of the Algorithm: Creating a Divide in News Media

When it comes to news media, the algorithm influences more than you realize. Image source: Financial Times Across the realm of the internet, there is perhaps no more nebulous and intimidating a term as the fabled "Algorithm". Search engines and most Web 2.0 sites implement some form of algorithm for content recommendations, with social media …

Absurdity vs. Rhetoric: The Morality of Free Speech through the Medium of Memes

Image source: Quartz.com The intricacies of the American idea of free speech, in any form, are often contentious and hotly debated. To any owner of a smartphone, it should come as no surprise to hear that these debates often take place on the internet. In our modern culture, the internet encompasses the widest spectrum of …