@KatieGullans
In the Palm Beach Clark County District in summer of 2009, they announced a new program that increased emphasis on standardized tests. Parents were upset by the changes. Then a substitute teacher/parent named Lisa Goldman started a Facebook page that would go against the standardized testing, emphasizing that “testing is not teaching.” The people of the community joined together to share their ideas on what actions they should take. They ended up with more than 6000 members to fight against this(Zandt 164).
This is a good example of how social media environments can group together to share similar views on a situation and try to make a change. This brought people to join together because they strongly disagreed with the new system of standardized testing and they could all build a trust with each other.
People can build trust and empathy with each other by sharing stories. Someone may share an experience they had and another person may find meaning in that because they’ve had a similar experience. This process can be done with or without the internet, but with it, there is a possibility for even more connections. If one can’t seek out a group in real life, then there are many to find and join online. If people can have someone to understand how they feel and relate to, then they wouldn’t feel alone. If I didn’t understand the homework and someone said they didn’t get it either, I’d feel better because at least I wouldn’t be the only one. If the whole class didn’t understand it, they would have something in common. And this idea can build up with more people online.