Second Year Advocacy Project

For my second year advocacy project, I teamed up with fellow psl cohort member Clara Hach to research the stress levels endured in the day to day life of college students and how it negatively impacts us. Attached you’ll find a powerpoint which will guide you to a better understanding of the issue and what can be done to combat it.

college is too much

 

PSL Question Editorial

Over the past few years, social media has found itself at the center of the world of information distribution. Today, many consider social media to be a prime source of news. It is easy to see why social media has become such a popular outlet, as it is simple to use, straight to the point, and a quicker way to relay information. Through social media more people are able to stay up to date on the latest events occurring across the globe. However, there are many negatives as well that come along with these changing times as the use of social media as a news outlet can result in misinformation and hyper partisanship.

With information continuously flowing in from various different sources, it can be difficult to tell what is trustworthy. This becomes an even bigger issue when many are concerned more with finding information they agree with rather than information that is true. While these two elements can co-exist, this is often not the case. Nonetheless when people see news that they agree with or that further supports an already held belief, they consider it to be trustworthy. In addition, seeing opposing information will appear untrustworthy. With social media, it is easy to customize the content that one sees. For example if one held more liberal beliefs, they would be able to alter what they read based on what they “like” and who they “follow” which could completely omit opposing information. Wether it is trustworthy or not, people are able to only view material which they favor. This can be problematic, however, as it can lead to hyper partisanship. Because of this, people tend to stray further from facts and gravitate more toward opinion based news which in return causes more misinformation.

Misinformation can be dangerous for various reasons. When ill informed individuals are given power, facts can be harder to find. Debates and issues can quickly become clouded which can make them difficult to resolve. With social media, this issue will only intensify. However, there are precautions that can be taken to verify if the information being displayed is trustworthy. One method is checking the source of the news. Social media allows most anyone to publish their thoughts. In order to be careful about content, one can double check the source. If the post belongs to a large or well known journalism or news outlet, chances are it is more factual than if it is coming from an obscure source. Another way to be sure that information is correct is through investigation. Often when reading about something that seems unusual or incorrect, I will search for other articles on the topic apart from those on social media to see if the information is correct. This can sometimes be a more involved process, however it will allow you to be more knowledgeable about the topic.

Apart from self verification, I think steps can also be taken by the social media outlets as well. Corporations such as Facebook have already taken steps to make a difference. One possibility is a system that fact checks content when it is posted. If a social media users decides to post an article concerning politics, the website would be able to investigate the posts truthfulness and then deem it either factual or false. With this, others who view the post would be able to know if what they were reading was true or not. There are many steps that can be taken to determine in information is trustworthy. Wether it be the work of the individual or the social media outlet, such actions can help to decrease the spread of misinformation and lead to a better informed society.

 

 

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

  • Global Awareness: I believe taking the time to become familiar with cultures and traditions which differ from your own is a fundamental aspect of personal growth. By exposing ourselves to more of what the world around us encompasses, we are able to gain more knowledge as well as valuable skills beneficial to the professional world. Because of this I plan on getting involved with education abroad programs provided through the university.
  • Original Inquiry: I hope to find various opportunities through both majors to work on independent projects that will put my skills to work. Ideally I would like to work on and create independent films while in school to determine if it somethings that truly interests me. In addition, I would also like to be involved with political research investigating current issues and our system of government.
  • Academic Enrichment: Through taking courses that satisfy both a political science and moving-image production major, I hope to be prepared for a career in either category. I chose said majors because they are topics which never cease to interest me. By pursuing both I will be able to further understand their finer details and as result determine which route I would prefer to take or discover a way to combine the two.
  • Leadership Development: Leadership is often synonymous with success. Holding positions of authority can help us improve beneficial skills as well as challenge ourselves. The main way I would like to exercise my leadership skills is by getting involved with organizations around campus. After a couple years of serious involvement it is my goal to hold some type of office within an organization.
  • Service Engagement: As previously stated, I think it is important to take the time to be an engaging member of society. This can be achieved through volunteer work and commitment to local activities. I plan on getting involved in both the OSU and Columbus community through a number of service clubs and organizations.

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

As a member of the Politics Society and Law Scholars Program, I was given a mentor to help me through my first year of college. My mentor is Siena Schuth. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Siena has found her place here at OSU. Now, as a sophomore, she is studying business and Spanish. One of her many aspirations is to eventually run her own business; preferably something trendy. Although Siena has to focus on many difficult courses for her major, she also manages to find time for fun classes as well such as Yoga and Critiquing Television. Outside of academics, Siena enjoys spending time with her friends whether it be at local restaurants or one of the many concerts that always seem to be going on in Columbus. And even though before coming to OSU she never really payed much attention to football, as a buckeye Siena has quickly adopted the game day mentality. Overall, Siena is a wonderful person who is kind, has great taste in music, and is easy to talk to and I look forward to having many more conversations with her in the future.

About Me

My name is Renee Austin and I am a member of the Politics Society and Law Scholars Program here at the Ohio Sate University. Originally from Marietta, a small river town on the outskirts of Ohio, I decided to attend OSU in search of a larger and more diverse community full of unmatched opportunities. I am currently a double major with political science and moving-image production. During the course of the next four years I plan to explore both the work that goes into a political campaign and the process of filmmaking with the hopes of gaining hands on experience along the way. Apart from academics, I have always found it important to be an engaging member of the community through activities ranging from volunteer work to local clubs and organizations. I intend to continue this trend as I work on becoming a contributor to both the OSU and Columbus community.