Does the Internet do more good or bad?

Over the past 19 years, the internet has grown into a monster that can never be taken down. The internet is useful for a plethora of things but it can also be detrimental in some cases.

The internet can be used to communicate with the rest of the world and see different cultures or connect with a friend from middle school.

The internet however comes with downsides as in recent history the internet has turned into places that are used for harm.

Recent studies show that cyber bullying has risen exponentially in recent years and is only getting worse.

With sites like Instagram and Twitter cyber buying has become more widespread and harder to prevent.

Studies show that "The number of children and young people tormented by online trolls has increased by 88% in five years, according to a report by a leading children’s charity. In nearly a third (31%) of counseling sessions for online bullying, children and young people talked about gaming or social networking sites as platforms for abuse or humiliation."

It's upsetting to see that the internet is a place where people have to hide from others instead of branching out to meet people around the world.

If cyber bullying would cease then the internet would be safer and more enjoyable as a whole.

Censorship in Wartimes

Throughout the course of history, free speech tends to become censored during times of war, especially ideas speaking out against war. Why is this the case?

There is no simple answer to this dilemma. If anything, war is fantastic for the economy and stabilizing politics so that both parties HAVE to work with each other to keep the country from going under. 

But then, there's another side to war. The harsh reality is, war is deadly. Probably the most deadly thing man can do is go to war, yet we as humans are almost drawn to it as soon as an inconvenience comes up. 

America thought the right idea to fight terrorism was to go to the Middle East and kill innocent men, women, and children, while only killing a few terrorist groups. 

Not only are there moral issues with the war in the Middle East, there is also a financial burden that has caused the US TRILLIONS in debt, just to kill people.

• "The U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Pakistan have cost American taxpayers $5.9 trillion since they began in 2001. The figure reflects the cost across the U.S. federal government since the price of war is not borne by the Defense Department alone.The report also finds that more than 480,000 people have died from the wars and more than 244,000 civilians have been killed as a result of fighting. Additionally, another 10 million people have been displaced due to violence."
• Despite all these facts, people are still scared to speak out against the war, as it could ruin their political careers, indicating an unspoken censorship and allowing the US to continue its unwarranted involvement in the Middle East. 

Is taking down Confederate statues a violation of Free Speech?

Back in 2018 there were times of civil unrest as the United States was involved in a racially divided country. Earlier that year, innocent African Americans were being killed by white police officers what seemed to be every day.

As a result of this, talk of the Civil War came up, and with it the reminders of confederate generals in the south. Many southern states, including North Carolina, were scrutinized heavily for keeping confederate statues in place. Even the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was under fire for one of its statues as well.

"Unrest continues this week on the campus of North Carolina's flagship university after university leaders proposed a new, $5 million building to display the Confederate monument known as Silent Sam. The monument stood at the entrance to UNC campus until protesters tore it down in August (2018)."

This move was so controversial as the "Silent Sam" statue had stood at UNC for almost a century, with little to no problems while it was there.

After the situation had cooled off, the statue was put back in its place, and life continued like normal. But one question still remains, did this act of tearing down the statue violate free speech?

In one word, Yes. The tearing down of the statue was infringing on the rights of those who support the confederacy to this day. Without the statues, they lose that voice in stating their opinion on the matter and can only use their words, not symbolism.

While this act was not done directly by the government, tearing down the statues still negatively affected how and where supporters of the confederacy could state their opinions.

Why is football on Sundays almost like a national holiday?

Ever since the invention of television, football has been at the forefront of sport and TV programming, but why is that? in recent years the sport has been on a decline in popularity as far as participation, but still remains one of the biggest sports in the world despite this fact. So, why are people so why are people so infatuated with the sport?

For as long as I can remember, football has been my life. Going to games every Saturday or watching them every Sunday. I loved the sport so much that I even played for 11 years of my life, despite the risks of the sport. Something about it was so appealing that my world did and still does revolve around this sport every fall.

Even if football is not the World's most popular sport, the Super Bowl still rakes in about half a billion views per year throughout the world no matter the teams. More importantly, the National Football League, NFL, brings in about 9 billion USD per year, with that number only set to go up. the most important stat is perhaps why. Football teaches a variety of skills that many other things or sports cannot. Team work, hard work, and determination are only 3 examples of the qualities learned in football.

Football teaches individuals all about the fruits of hard work and perseverance whilst also teaching about the importance of standing up and taking responsibility. The physical aspect of the game is also important but the mental side of things also plays a prominent role in driving a team onto victory. It’s the combination of all these components that make football such a popular game amongst the public. This is all highlighted by how exciting it is to cheer your favorite team to victory and there’s nothing like being at the game in person.

The excitement people get when they watch a game is something unmatched in the entertainment world and that speaks a testament to what football can do for those who search for excitement in their lives.

Without this game many would not have the thing on Sundays that really drives them and they follow and just watching a game can pump someone up so much they are content for a whole week until the next week.