The interactions that Megan has with these people with different beliefs and backgrounds are a big part of what social media should be used for. Before social media, it was difficult to be naturally exposed to people who opposed your beliefs, especially if you lived in a small community like Westboro. Even now, people who don’t have access to the internet may never get a chance to see the world from other perspectives and form their own opinions, not just be stuck with the opinions of their parents. Social media is a great tool for learning about other cultures and beliefs straight from the mouths of people who actually practice them. The exchange of information is a vital part of the human experience because it is what connects us as a species. Yet some may challenge my view that social media is best used for the spread of ideas on the grounds that social media is regularly used to spread information that isn’t true, and can even be incredibly dangerous. Every day, social media is used to circulate lies about specific people groups, make false claims about the intentions of political figures, and popularize conspiracy theories that are largely based in fiction, rather than fact. It takes just one post about someone on social media to completely ruin someone’s reputation, regardless of whether that post contains any accurate information. While this is a major issue with social media that doesn’t have a single, clear-cut solution, it shouldn’t negate the fact that social media can be an overwhelming force for good. All it takes is one post about misfortune and suffering to become a rallying point for people around the world to come together and try to change things for the better. I’ve personally witnessed this spread of human kindness on Reddit, where communities like r/rescuedogs have dozens of posts daily attempting to find homes for dogs that are about to be euthanized. Hundreds of people will pledge to donate money to the rescue effort, just on a single post! Even though not all posts are successful at rescuing the animal, the lengths that strangers on the internet will go to help a single, hopeless dog, really shows how, while social media can bring out the worst in people, it can also, quite easily, bring out the best. While social media may not be able to replicate relationships on a personal level, worldwide connections which serve to broaden our horizons and connect us through both good and bad experiences are greatly improved by social media.