There are so many topics and issues that I could choose from to focus on for the semester. There are is so much going on in the world right now in politics, science, healthcare, and technology that it’s almost impossible to pick one. I have often found myself getting angry at the state of the world that we live in today for a bunch of different reasons. For one, I hate social media, but I am addicted to social media. I think 80% of my time on my phone is spent on Twitter, Snapchat, or Instagram, and the more I try and stay away from these forms of media the more I find myself using them. The other thing that I am incredibly passionate about is Net Neutrality. This is a recent issue, but I have known about this since 2015 when I saw John Oliver discuss this issue on his show “Last Week Tonight”. Last semester I took a media class that gave me the option to write a paper on the issue, which I did, and I don’t think I’ve ever been so mad about something the government has done. It’s also another case of our short-term memories as a nation because 3 weeks ago this was hot news, but since the vote to repeal net neutrality passed there has been absolutely no coverage that I’ve seen.
While I am passionate about these issues, I decided that I would rather choose something that I have had first hand experience with and have an emotional connection. For this reason, I decided to focus on the opioid and heroin epidemic happening in the United States right now. Since this post is late and I’ve already seen some other people’s posts, I know that this is a pretty popular topic for this class. The reason that I have chosen to focus on this topic is because I have known a few people die from a heroin or related drug overdose that began with prescription painkillers. While my relationships with these people have varied from friends, to family friends, to old classmates that I knew but not well, each one has affected my life greatly.
I know that this epidemic exists because of my first hand experience, but I know that it’s an incredibly popular topic in many different circles of people. Everyone I know that has died from overdoses was under the age of 25 and used different forms of opiates, benzodiazepines, and heroin. I have seen bright young futures crash and burn in a matter of months and it’s incredibly sad, but more than anything it’s baffling. Another reason I want to focus on this topic is because I have had friends that used Xanax recreationally last year and a lot of them got to scary places. I countlessly tried to get them to stop, but it was almost impossible. Then I found out a kid from my high school took Xanax and drank– like my friends often did– and he died. For many of them that was a final straw, but for others it was just a beginning step. Either way, that story helped a lot of my friends out and they’re all off of that stuff. That’s why I think it is possible for this epidemic to change. It’s one of the saddest stories in history; the life expectancy of Americans has dropped a few years because of how many young people are dying from overdose. I want this to stop and I’m eager to look into the means of how to end this tragedy.
I too struggle with social media! From one perspective, all it does is make me angry (not always, but nearly always). Why do I do it to myself then? (I should note that I am mostly a lurker on Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook–I don’t have Snapchat or Instagram). From another perspective, this is a major medium for communication and political discourse in the world. I need to be a part of it or else I miss out on a large body of discourse. Still, unlike, say, the older media like television and newspapers, I never got this angry–it never put me in such a place that, arguably, impacts my mental health. Yet, arguably, if I want to be a part of politics from my lowly position, I need to be there to some extent. Hmm.
Yes, we won’t hear about net neutrality again until there is a piece of news that is easily digestable and easy to circulate. Probably when something happens with corporations suing the government over it. Maybe–MAYBE–when ISPs start messing with the way they bill people, but I bet that won’t happen for a while, and changes might happen gradually I wonder (i.e., gradually enough that it is hard to notice).
Yes, the deaths from drug use have been an issue for some time. It is sad. Sorry about your losses; I think at this point we all know someone who has died via heroin over last 10 years. It is interesting to pay attention to the news coverage and where it goes. In wider political discourse, sometimes a public health crisis can be hijacked in ways that are easier to think about but less useful as policy (e.g., some racist policies stemming from the War on Drugs back in the day). Researching theories and studies on best treatment options would be interesting to put against how people talk about the current issues with opiates.