Policy- What has this generation come to?! News deserts and cord cutting?

Over the past few years, our world has changed drastically.

People have started to steer away from print and have gone digital. People have also turned away from paying for cable and have pursued cheaper monthly subscriptions.

This being said, two major key policy terms have become prominent to newer generations- news deserts and cord cutting.

News deserts is a term used to describe a community or town that is no longer covered by daily newspapers. This affects many as newspapers are one of the major sources of reliable news locally, statewide, and nationally. This term emerged when hundreds of daily newspapers were closing in certain cities.

News deserts may affect the community in which people must rely on the internet instead to look for important news, moreover, it can affect people who don't even have internet access. People who want to read about more local news are out of luck. They are left with no daily news outlet. In addition, kids who live in these towns may not get to experience the impact of newspapers.

The benefits are using fewer paper products and taking advantage of Google. The cons are missing local news, having to purchase wifi for internet access, and not finding the news you're interested in.

Next, cord cutting is similar in the way it "cuts" how people used to watch TV to moving people in the direction of what's more popular now, which is purchasing monthly subscriptions to television networks online. Whether it's on your smart TV or laptop, there's a variety of companies that give you the option to pay a fixed monthly fee. Some of these companies include Netflix, Hulu, and Youtube TV.





The benefits of canceling or "cord cutting" your cable is lower costs, no contract, lower equipment costs, and you receive an a la carte channel selection. You can also watch what you want when you want without any interruptions. The downfalls are most likely you still need to pay some sort of fee, you may still need cable or satellite, could cause streaming limits, and not all companies offer the same channels.

All in all, there are pros and cons to both news deserts and cord cutting. These policy changes have affected many, regardless if your old, young, black, white, gay, or straight. These terms have given generations a different perspective on life, due to the fact that print newspapers and TV cable are slowly disappearing.

Here is a guide on how to ditch TV cable and stream happily ever after.

"I felt betrayed and lied to," she said.

According to Fast Company, "Teens get a lot of warnings that we aren't mature enough to understand that everything we post online is permanent, but parents should also reflect about their use of social media and how it could potentially impact thier children's lives as we become yound adults."

When 8th grader Sonia Bokhari joined social media for the first time, she discovered that her mom and sister had been posting about her for her entire life. Although their intentions weren't to embarrass her, but to document Sonia's early childhood, it was still mortifying and embarrasing to see.

In the article, she mentions she most upset about her mom and sister not asking for her permission to post these photos and tweets. Sonia had no idea they were posting such things about her before she even went public online. She knew these posts would stay on the Internet forever, even if they got deleted, and there was nothing she could've done to stop it, since she was unware, didn't have control, and was basically lied to.

After a while, Bokhari told her mom and sister not to post about her anymore unless given permission. They haven't posted about her online since.

She felt like her privacy was violated because her mom and sister had no right in posting photos of her or quoting her on Twitter without her permission. This revoles around the idea of protecting your privacy online and making sure you always approve and give permission, even if you're not the one directly posting it.

After this incident, Sonia has become more active and aware of her social media platforms. She's made sure to keep all accounts private, has erased her location, and other necessary things to keep her accounts limited. Having conversations in school about online safety has motivated Bokhari to think and act more seriously about her behavior online can impact and affect her future.

She said, "I realized being 13 and using social media wasn't a fantastic idea, even though I wasn't obsessed with it and was using it appropriately."

In all, no matter your age, you need to be aware of the things you post and if your posting someone else, you must get permission, as it can potentially hurt both you and your friend in the future if the post is inappropriate.

It doesn't hurt or take much to ask...

"Can I post this of you?"

"Should I post this?"

"Could this impact me in the future?"

The IN's and OUT's to protecting my Privacy

Ever since social media bloomed, people have lost most of their privacy online.

Have you ever heard someone tell you, "Nothing is private on the Internet," or "What you post is out there for everyone to see." Well, it's true. Once you post something, it's out there forever for everyone to access and see.

It's called data retention and there is nothing you can do, even if you think you've deleted the post.

All of these search engines and social media apps keep a record of your account and track your activity. This has created a lot of controversies, as people are worried about their personal information.

For example, if you have just applied to your dream job, but you get denied because the employer found a photo of you drinking underage.

The posts can potentially ruin your future. With the help of VPN's, they can protect your data and accounts better.

A VPN is "a term used to refer to a connection between your device and a VPN server." VPNs can prevent authorities from tracing your online activities effectively and making sure your searches stay private and secure. 

Even though you need to still exercise caution when using VPNs, they can also help keep your account anonymous.


Here are some advantages to using VPNs as your main server:
1. Security Protocol
2. Data Encryption
3. Number of Servers
4. Accessing geo-restricted websites
5. Get discounts
6. Torrenting

Find your person on #TinderU

Tinder.

A place to find your match. Your lover. Your soulmate.

A location-based social search mobile free app that allows users to like or dislike other users, and allows users to chat if they match with each other. Essentially, it's a dating app.

Left for no, pass but maybe next time. Right for yes, I'm very interested!

Since its launch in 2012, it's become one of the most popular lifestyle apps. In 2018, there was "an average of 1.5 billion swipes and 21 million matches."

Tinder is mobile only, free, and easy to use. What more can you ask for?

Once matched, the rest is up to you to build the relationship. Many take this dating app seriously and others casually use it. The cons to this mobile app is most people who use it casually only want a hook up with no ties and it is tied to your location, which can be scary. It tells you how many miles you are from the person you've matched with.

Moreover, Tinder has helped many find their soulmates and future spouses. Download Tinder today and check it out!

Welcome to #swipelife.

The POWER of Youtube

Started by Jawed Karim, Steve Chen, and Chad Hurley, three former Paypal employees, Youtube first launched in December of 2005 and has now become one of the most visited websites in the history of the Internet. It is only 14 years old! Since then, Youtube has changed the world forever. 

Youtube is a video sharing service where users can create their own profile, make and upload videos, watch others, and like and comment. 

















In fact, Youtube is now the world's 2nd biggest search engine for more than 1.8 billion people registered on the site to check it daily to watch over 5 billion videos that people have uploaded. Every 60 seconds more than 400 hours of video is being uploaded to Youtube.

A Nike commercial became the first video to receive one million views. 

Youtube grew so fast in the first year it was created that owners Chen and Hurley sold Youtube to Google for $1.65 billion in November of 2006. 

Moreover, people have abandoned traditional TV for Youtube because they can filter out videos that have interest to them. For example, makeup tutorials or a favorite movie or how to play fortnite. Not only have people ditched cable, but people have quit their jobs to start a career on Youtube. 

People of all ages have dropped everything to start a career on Youtube and hope for the best. Most bloggers start making money with Google Adsense on their blogs. Youtube shares 55% of its ad revenue with video creators and books an average of $7.60 per 1,000 views. When you reach 10,000 subscribers, you can expect $100 - $300 per sponsorship, and you can expect $100+ from advertisements. 

The tricky part is you can only earn income if someone clicks an ad or watches it for 30 seconds. If your video gets ten million views but nobody watches or click the ads, you don't
make any money. 

In addition, a good amount of people have become famous from Youtube. At 12, Justin Bieber uploaded home videos of him singing. It started with 100 views and the views increased by the hour. At 15, Usher found his videos and signed Bieber to Island Def Jam Recordings. 


From then on, his life changed forever. He wasn't some random, awkward teenager anymore; Bieber had thousands of teen girls screaming for him and made a top 20 song on Billboard's top 100 list. 

In all, Youtube has increasingly grown and will continue to progress and grow. It has changed people's lives forever and will carry on the impact it has already made for billions. 

Empowered Women and Empowering Women

In March, we celebrate Women's History Month. 

We recognize the great contributions that women have made to our nations. Ever since they received the right to vote through the 19th amendment in 1920 up until today, where women are still fighting to have a voice and be treated equally to men.

Hannah Testa, a 16-year-old Georgia girl, is the CEO and founder of Hannah4Change, a nonprofit that fights for the protection of animals and the environment. She sees the problems that are arising due to pollution and wants to make a difference.

Testa wants to educate people about the dangers of harming the Earth. Moreover, her accomplishments have shown who she is and who she wants to be in the future. Testa has created an identity for herself, in which she wants to help change the world for the better.

Ever since she was a child, she's had an interest in the environment. Testa and her family have cleaned beaches and have participated in marches.

"There's not much of a future at all if we don't speak up," said Testa.

Her hard work has definitely not gone unnoticed. Hannah has worked with Georgia Sen. Michael Williams to create a "Plastic Pollution Awareness Day" at the state Capitol. She's also spoken at a United Nations World Oceans Day event and was named 'Teen Earth Day Hero' by CNN.

"It's really inspirational to see so many young people realize they have a voice and a duty to speak up," Testa said, "We are sick and tired of being pushed in a corner and told to wait your turn."

To conclude, this special month not only celebrates the empowerment of women, but it also allows us as females to express ourselves and create our own identities. In addition, this relates to one of the eight values of free expression- individual self-fulfillment.

These topics relate because we are implementing how important women are to society and how every female is different and unique within their own ways. The first amendment and its values are significant to how we act and live our daily lives.

Overall, Women's History Month is "a reminder of how far we've come and how far we still have to go to ensure equal representation here and across the country. Let's recommit to getting more women involved- on their school board, on their city council, on their planning commission, or anywhere else where we're missing their voice... It's up to us to keep showing up, keep fighting for what we believe in, and keep working to ensure our voices are heard."

Trump's mandatory 'free speech' executive order

Trump's CPAC speech could make or break some universities in the U.S.

On Saturday, March 2, President Donald Trump will be signing an executive order requiring American universities and colleges to maintain 'free speech' on campuses. If universities and colleges fail to implement this order, Trump threatened that schools could lose federal research funds. Universities must support this decision, in order to gain federal research funds from the government.


This past weekend, Trump spoke at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, MD. President Trump spoke about Hayden Williams, a conservative activist who was punched at the University of California, Berkeley, last month while recruiting other students to join a conservative group.

This issue is huge as it relates to the First Amendment of the U.S Constitution. One of the very first clauses of the First Amendment is Freedom of Speech, which protects the freedom of any individual who may want to articulate their ideas or opinions without fear of retaliation or censorship.

The U.S Justice Department filed a statement of interest in 2018 in a free speech lawsuit against the University of California, Berkeley. The accused the university of discriminating against speakers and students with different, but specifically conservative views.

If universities "want our dollars and we give to them by the billions, they have to allow people like Williams and many other great, young or old, people to speak- free speech," Trump said. He said that if universities don't follow this new rule, it will cost them in the long run.

The U.S government awards universities more than $30 billion annually in federal research funds.

President Trump has yet to further disclose any other details of this executive order.