Opinion: Return to physical media to counter online uncertainty

Grey Reed voices their opinion on the return to physical media to counter online uncertainty

Grey Reed is a senior at Syracuse University who is studying magazine, news and digital journalism. They are looking at the influences of social media and how influential physical media can be. 

Reed starts off the article by explaining their personal relationship with social media, “Until this point in my life, the internet’s been a safe haven for me. When I was in high school, I loved curating Instagram fan pages for my favorite bands and YouTubers. During COVID-19’s quarantine period, I found comfort in watching Twitch streamers and consuming content from services like Netflix and Max”. They then explain how the internet helped them connect with people who were going through similar things as them, when they struggled to find connections in their hometown. 

Reed then continues the article with the sense that today, they understand how the spaces on social media they once loved were actually “invitations for division and harm”. Reed continues the article with how a better solution to finding themselves in the media is by taking themselves away from a screen and putting their head into books.

“The internet is woven so deeply into our everyday routines, so I don’t think it’ll be easy to completely disconnect from the digital space anytime soon. Taking the time to engage with physical media is a way to reclaim and prioritize not only our sense of self, but also the roots our modern society sprouted from” This quote is how Reed ends the article after explaining the cruciality of physical media compared to social media. 

Opinion: Trump defies democracy by crowning himself king online

Max Lancer, a junior at Syracuse University who is studying chemistry, biochemistry, and mathematics explains his opinion on the topic of President Donald Trump crowning himself king online.

The article starts off with “The photo struck me like a jolt of electricity” which immediately draws the attention of readers into the article. Lancer explains where the post came from, and how Donald Trump himself posted this picture of himself online being crowned with the phrase:  “Long Live The King.” 

Lancer claims how the post is the start of the end of democracy, and how he feels that we are dangerously close to that happening. “This online declaration of kingship should send shivers down the spine of every American who believes in democracy. History has shown us democracies don’t fall all at once; they erode piece by piece until the final blow is struck.” This quote by Lancer gives a strong idea of what his opinion is, and what he fears.