6:45AM
I listened to music while I got ready for work. Songs I listened to were Maggots for Brains by Olivia Rodrigo, Father Figure by Taylor Swift, Overnight by Maggie Rogers. I played Maggots for Brains a few times as it is currently my favorite song.
9:30AM
Went on my 10 minute break and checked my emails for the time being. Subjects included Xcel Energy attempting to use legal loopholes to avoid additional costs due to data centers being built, new legal ruling around DJT’s Executive Order involving mai-in ballots, and a small Medium article about questions only jealous people ask.
11:30AM
Listened to music while driving home. I listened to Butterflies by Kacey Musgraves, Pulp by Eliza McLamb, Sue Me by Audrey Hobert, and How to Disappear by Lana Del Rey.
12:01PM
I got home and laid down to unwind while scrolling on Instagram. Lately I’ve noticed that I’ve been receiving a lot of content around farming, animal knowledge, healthy food recipes, and baking. I’ve also noticed an increase in AI content that showcases cute/funny animal impersonations.
1:07PM
Cleaned my room while listening to music. Artists included Lana del Rey, Taylor Swift, Audrey Hobert, PinkPanteress, etc. Also watched some Instagram reels about similar content as before.
1:56PM
I had a brief conversation with my family about the “name change” of Lake Ontario.
2:33PM
Spent about an hour drawing congressional districts for the House of Representatives on the website davesredistricting.com
3:47PM
Spent some time reading a book about the basics of economics. Economics 101 by Alfred Mill and Michele Cagan.
5:27PM
Spent some time reading the learning materials from Module 3. I learned about how changing the incentives in social media algorithms shows signs of slowing down misinformation spread, and how emotions play a major role in why facts aren’t sufficient to combat the problem.
6:13PM
I worked on my blog post while I watched an episode of Twin Peaks. The lead character of Dale Cooper is shot in the episode and seems to uncover another suspect in the murder of Laura Palmer.
6:47PM
Watched The Good Place on Prime Video. The plotline revolved around the 4 main characters being revived on earth for a second shot at heaven. I also drew some more congressional districts on davesredistricting.com
8:32PM
Scrolled on X.com and saw posts revolving around the artist Halsey, the Daisy Chain music festival, and some of the usual stan content you might see. I’ve noticed an increase in tensions among Livies (Olivia Rodrigo fans) and Swifties.
Overall throughout my day I noticed I come across mis/disinformation a lot less than I expected. Where I most experienced it was with the conversation with my family. Donald J. Trump’s executive order attempting to change Lake Ontario’s name is very difficult to navigate. I had to explain to my family why I believed it wasn’t a legitimate action and how corporations like Google add legitimacy to these actions.
I’ve also noticed how disinformation has become dominant among stan culture online where malicious rumors and cruel accusations are the norm. A frequent accusation I have been seeing lately is that Olivia Rodrigo is a serial copier of other artists’ songs, or accusing Ella Langley of being a far-right conservative.
Disinformation has become dominant in popular culture and online political circles. I would describe it as a constant competition over the next viral post. Whether it’s for how witty it is, how controversial it is, another cruel rumor, everybody is racing for virality at any cost.
Compared to last time, my interactions with the media are drastically different. I almost felt like I had to remember to use technology or some form of media throughout the day. I still use my phone and other devices a plenty but I found myself watching more television shows and X becoming my dominant social media platform. School has also become very dominant in the media I consume.
Politics Is Everything 