The readings and videos we had to watch/read this week dealt with the idea of escaping reality by using social media and technology. In the Black Mirror episode “U.S.S. Callister,” the main character, Robert Daly, lives a life where he is berated at work on a daily basis by his fellow employees. He creates this modded version of the multiplayer game Infinity and places himself as the captain of the ship. Within the modded game, he creates characters based on his fellow employees and berates them instead. This reversal of power is addicting to someone like Robert Daly who in real life has little to no power. He escapes to this false reality created by technology. The article, “How Twitter Became Home to the Teen Status Update: ‘Local Twitter’ is a booming network of basic, young suburbanites across the country” discusses how teens escape from reality by using twitter and social media. They don’t face as much backlash or judgement from those that they see on a daily basis so they feel safer voicing their opinions and feelings. They become addicted to social media platforms and it blends together with reality. In the article, “When the First Voice You Hear is Not Your Own” the author discusses how large social groups have the power to overwhelm smaller social groups. He says that we should listen to each other stories and respond to them. This is much more rare nowadays since most people just want to listen to what they want to listen to. They confirm their biases and don’t bother listening to other viewpoints. This is denial. All of these pieces deal with the idea that people often escape from reality by ignoring other people’s opinions and how as a society we should listen and respond to everyone.