The Evolution of the First Amendment: From Social Media Use to Influencer Marketing, Ethical Dilemmas, and Social Movements

part 1
When our Founding Fathers drafted the First Amendment, they obviously could not imagine how the ways in which we communicate and share information would change. One of the most debated topics is the First Amendment. Many people do not understand what is or is not protected under the First Amendment. What does the First Amendment mean to you and how do you think it applies to social media use? You can find the First Amendment and some additional information to help your argument here:
https://www.freedomforuminstitute.org/first-amendment-center/
part 2 Many companies use social media as a means to communicate with consumers. Additionally, companies are increasingly discovering the power of social media “influencers” to promote their brands and products.
Please watch the TED Talk from Rachel David, CEO of Hashtag Communications, an influencer marketing company. TED: How Influencers Have Transformed Modern Marketing
After reviewing the video, discuss your thoughts on the content. What surprised you? Do you think David is correct in her assertions? What does she mean when she calls social media marketing the “Wild West”?
part 3
Please read this article:
https://www.themuse.com/advice/yes-you-can-get-fired-for-your-social-media-posts-9-times-people-learned-this-lesson-the-hard-way
Choose one of the cases, or find a similar case online, and discuss the ethics involved. Explain if the person posting on social media was feeling alienation or autonomy. What would you have done in this situation and why?
patt 4
Social movements are defined as a group of people or organizations that work toward a common goal of social change. Social movements also go through various stages of development (see https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-introductiontosociology/chapter/types-and-stages-of-social-movements/).
Choose a modern social movement (not BLM) and discuss how the movement has been impacted by social media. Meaning, how does the social movement use social media tools to benefit their goals?