The Internet and social media are two things that I never really thought of as being addictive. I figure this is mostly because I never thought that I needed to be on either, or that I was having withdraws whenever I could not be on it for an extended period of time. However, I think I am completely lying to myself because, as I have said before, I constantly feel an urge to check my phone and wonder what others are doing and posting on social media. I have also been guilty of playing different game apps for hours at a time because I needed to beat a high score. I can imagine that this behavior gets much worse for others, though, and I feel like more resources need to be out there for these people to get help. It is likely that these people have antisocial antics, even they were not there already, and their isolation from the rest of the real world would only further this behavior. Though I do not believe I could ever get to this extent, I have limited my phone usage throughout this semester and plan to continue to spend my time more effectively.

Despite all the negatives mentioned about social media, there is much good that can from it when people learn to use it for the right reasons and take advantage of the ways it can amplify good deeds. Make-A-Wish does an incredible job of making sick children's dreams come true, and in the case of the Batkid, the help of a tremendous amount of strangers also helped to make this little's day. The organization of this event was planned on social media, and I think it is amazing that, for one, this was even possible and also that so many people were willing to make this happen without any form of reward as they just did it out of the goodness of their hearts. The money used to coordinate a child's wish is a perfect use of this money because we really ought to be making the most of their time. Beyond that, we should make a point to try and brighten everyone's day in the best way we know how. For the longest time, my mom would post statuses on Facebook every morning with inspirational quotes or just a miniature pep talk, and as little as this seems, this possibly could have been the motivation someone needed to make it through that particular day. Another way social media tries to do good is through the sharing of GoFundMe pages. Although I do not agree with them removing a portion of the money raised for themselves, I still think it is a good resource to make a fundraiser happen that would otherwise be impossible. Recently, someone from home that was a year older than me passed away in a car accident, and a few people from his graduating class set up a GoFundMe to help his family raise money for his arrangements. I saw it shared on both Facebook and Twitter multiple times and even saw where they had raised well over their goal. It is things like this that restores my faith in humanity, that not everyone is bad and some people simply want to do what is right and what is good. We should all try to implement these behaviors in our daily lives, and putting on social media for a larger audience might just make it contagious.

Talking about public shaming this week in class, my views did a complete 180. When I first watched videos of parents disciplining their children that they had posted online, I did not think much of it. I found humor in some, and even though others were a bit off-colored, I could see where the punishment fit the crime. However, through reading many articles about this kind of humiliation, I realized that I saw no wrong because I am also a product of this authoritative approach to discipline. When I was in the sixth grade, my dad smashed my cell phone with a hammer because I had been texting people that he did not approve of. I wasn't allowed to have a phone for another year, and I honestly feel like I learned my lesson and how to use my technology more appropriately. Although I feel like I turned out okay and didn't suffer from my punishments, my parents also never posted them online. I was honest with my close friends about what happened to my phone, but I lied to most others saying that I had dropped it in water. I think them knowing the truth and actually seeing the ruthlessness of my dad would have embarrassed me to no end. Posting punishments online is uncalled for, and the child's feelings and sense of trust and faith in their parents should be considered in the process. The cost the child has to pay certainly would not be worth it.