The Social Network

 Contagious Creation Sophee Sanderson @socialsophee I'm sure you can remember the beginning days of COVID. Stress, confusion, fear, anxiety, boredom and COVID germs filled the air. Being strictly and suddenly confined to our homes was a weird adjustment for everyone. At first, diving into TikTok and binge watching multiple shows and movies on Netflix was ideal. It felt nice to do absolutely nothing and to finally have a break from school and work. However, being a couch potato all day eventually got old and my butt was starting to get flat.  When my friends and I had watched what felt like every series on Netflix possible, we realized it was time to find a new hobby to fill the void during our long do-nothing days. I remember we started cooking and baking more, we would spray paint everything in sight and one of my friends even ordered a paint by numbers canvas. Our creative juices were starting to flow.   I have always been a very creative person (once again, it's the p...

Plastic Surgery Photoshop Sophee Sanderson @socialsophee When Instagram was first released in 2010 and it gained popularity, my friends and I were quick to download it to see what the hype was about. Of course we thought it was the coolest app ever! It was new and hip and people were still learning how to use it. Our feeds were filled with silly pictures of our friends, pets, food and funny memes; it was a simpler time for social media. When I log onto Instagram now, it doesn't take long before I close the app. My feed is overflowing with ads, suggested posts and video reels. Now my explore page is filled with influencers and people I don't know. Where are my friends?! Of course it is expected that apps will come out with new and improved looks and features, but Instagram's whole vibe has changed over the years. The nature of Instagram used to be playful and authentic, now it feels like you have to post the perfect picture. So, who is to blame? A ...

  Rumor Has it Sophee Sanderson @socialsophee A few years ago, I discovered some information about a family member. I had a couple more finals to complete before I could go home for the holidays and I was way too eager to share what I had found out with my mom and my sister. Now, this is a cousin who we have always had a strong intuition on  (so many Pisces in my family♓)   and sharing this information was not only absolutely entertaining, but it would finally prove to everyone else that he wasn't who they thought he was.  Not to forget that it would confirm that I was right all along. Before my sister and I shared this information with anyone else, we did a lot of digging to make sure we were absolutely right about these accusations and gathered evidence directly from the source. We collected our receipts and exposed him to the family. It felt amazing for everyone to finally believe us and see him for who he really is, but it took a lot of proof to convince everyone...

The Era of Antisocial Social Media Sophee Sanderson @socialsophee I was a sophomore in college with the Coronavirus first hit the United States. I was anxious, fearful, confused and overwhelmed. It was quickly starting to feel very real and scary when cases were popping up in Louisiana. Suddenly, all of my friends and I were being separated from each other and forced to move home. The excitement of all the spring activities and fun we had planned were abruptly taken away from us. Going from living with your best friends to being forced to move back in with your parents can be a tough adjustment. It felt like all the freedom and fun was being taken away from us, and most importantly we couldn't even hang out with each other anymore. Sure, we kept contact through texting and FaceTiming, but we were still lacking connection and relationships did not feel as close and comfortable as they were.  The Covid-19 pandemic obviously had a direct effect on society as a whole. With new health m...

He Said, She Said Sophee Sanderson @socialsophee Have you ever been gossiping with someone and they tell you something that sounds questionable or absolutely ridiculous? Depending on the person, you are probably either quick or hesitant to believe them. When you obtain information from someone, what factors help you to determine if you trust them? If I hear gossip from my mom or sister, I usually believe them because they seem to know a lot more than me! However, if I hear gossip from a certain friend, I might question their source or ask more questions to confirm the truth. Now, think about how quickly gossip spreads and the impact that rumors have in shaping people's opinion. I remember in elementary school when girls would purposely spread false rumors about other girls, so that boys would think they were weird. This type of spread of misinformation was intentional and it shaped the boy's opinions on the girls.  This is the same thing that happens with the spread of misinfor...

 It's Not What You Know,  It's Who You Know.   Sophee Sanderson @socialsophee Have you ever been scrolling on social media and stumbled across a post and thought to yourself, "Who are these people?" Well, you're not alone. That's usually what is going through my head every time I open Facebook or Instagram and it has led me to purge a lot of people from my online network.  In chapter ten of "Understanding Digital Literacies," Rodney Jones and Christoph Hafner go into detail about the ins and outs of social networking and the meaning behind 'friends' on sites like Facebook.  They discuss how there are many different ideas behind the meaning of a friend online. Some argue that online connections are strengthening friendships while others disagree and say friendships are becoming devalued and less meaningful. A friend online can represent a connection with someone who you are actually friends with or it could be someone who is a total stra...