Marriah's Mind

By Marriah Boyd One of the founding principles of democratic government rests in its upholding of the values of freedom of speech and freedom of expression. With the growing popularity of technology, it too seems as if much of the world’s inhabitants who have a tether to the Internet are active on at least one social media platform where opinions are expressed openly and honestly from the point of view of the content creator. Incidentally, and unsurprisingly, Twitter is one of those social media platforms. In my personal opinion, Twitter is also one of the only social media platforms – besides perhaps Reddit or Tumblr – where users seem to voice their most unfiltered thoughts, opinions, and ideas. In a way, this type of social expression is like a breath of fresh air. In another way, it can open the door to issues and concerns; particularly, when tweets are accused of violating a country’s laws and regulations. In this blog, I will be providing an overview of one present-day example wh...

By Marriah Boyd                  In March 2020 everything changed. The world stopped… literally . Since that time, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has altered both our daily habits and the way we interact with others. From mask-wearing to social distancing to cancelled Thanksgiving and birthday plans, it is not an understatement to say that for many individuals, the desire for the world to return to the times before the COVID-19 era flames brighter and brighter with the turn of each new month. With the recent worldwide rollouts of COVID-19 vaccinations, it is finally beginning to seem like the current pandemic times are – albeit slowly – ending. However, with the announcement of new vaccines, many are still skeptical. Rumors and false information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine(s) seem to be spreading rapidly over social media and digital platforms. This post looks to examine the ways which one social media giant, Facebook, is attemp...

By Marriah Boyd      The world of social media is riveting, exciting, and ever-changing. In a world that is growing to be continuously dependent on technological advancements and applications, social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok have become staple anchoring points in many individual’s spheres of communication. As more people become members of such apps, there has also been a noted shift in the way which not only individuals communicate, but also how organizations communicate with their publics. It is this influence and power of social media that fascinates me so. Social media is changing the playing field – changing who and what gains fame based on trends or lucky happenstance. Likewise, social media, if used with precise technique and strategy, can also aid in the quick creation and development of one’s personal brand and/or global image. Social media allows the world to get a snapshot view of what individuals would like the world to see ...