Online and abuse is a topic we tend to discuss a lot this time in life, as social media and most topics and subject matters are now held online. In the article “Better Online Living Through Content Moderation,” Melissa King explains the abuse and harm that online media can cause others without content control features. Explaining that some users possibly suffer from PTSD or can develop PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) because of the online bullying and topics that could trigger anxiety, King believes content filters are valuable and should be used for mostly every website. King then spoke out upon the criticism individual’s face when expressing their opposition to the subject matter and how it becomes the victim’s issue once attacked through the internet. King stated “This advice is generalized to the point of uselessness, because not every “disagreement” is a simple difference of opinion: there are online aggressors that genuinely invoke anxiety attacks, or subject people to threats of violence. Content control is helpful in limiting the worst of these attacks, which themselves can cause PTSD if severe or long-term enough” on the belief that victims should ‘just deal with it.’ Although she believes content control isn’t guaranteed to stop abuse, she believes it will limit the amount of abuse and shouldn’t be discouraged.

King later touched on the topic of exposure therapy and how those who face PTSD are not just sensitive individuals, as it is possible to limit their trauma from PTSD. King explained exposure therapy as “a type of therapy designed to combat severe anxiety through gradual and controlled exposure to its source, to inure an individual to these triggers and lesson the disruptions they can cause. The misapplication of this concept to content control discussions represents a misunderstanding of human psychology: Exposure Therapy is not about having random internet strangers hurl insults and threats at someone with the hope they somehow come out more mentally durable.” She agreed that it may not be completely curable but it is better to attempt to limit the amount of exposure those individuals face with content filters. King also began to speak out on those individuals who opposed the content filters (the ones who believe that some individuals just are too soft and they are just mean words so they should get over themselves) by noting a credible psychologist whose primary field of study is anxiety, Caleb Lack. King wants others to realize the severity of this harassment and that long-term exposure is a cause to PTSD.

To conclude the article King finalized the discussion with the depth of blocking lists and how even those can be easily gotten around. In the article King explained women are primary targets for online abuse but any individual can be subject to online abuse. King believes “people should be allowed to set their own personal boundaries, and disregarding those personal boundaries should be seen as disrespectful at best.” King hopes that through this article people will begin to see the harm online abuse can cause and that people should be allowed to mitigate from situations they can’t handle.

Color Walking by Phia Bennin and Brendan McMullan is an intriguing article that explains the experiment and adventure the two individuals took that allowed them to view the world and its natural beauty. This walk was a way for Bennin and McMullan to explore the little things that usually goes ignored and let the things that catch their eyes lead them into an adventure of a lifetime. William Burroughs used color walks as a way to bring back memories and reminisce on memories that wouldn’t be brought up on a daily basis. Burroughs stated “Notice how the colors begin to stand out more sharply of their own accord. I was walking on yellow when I saw a yellow amphibious jeep near the corner of 94th Street and Central Park West. It was called the Thing. This reminded me of the Thing I knew in Mexico” explaining the exercise and how it is effective on not only the awareness of colors but also the effects of taking the time to focus on the little things that usually go unnoticed. Bennin and McMullan deciding to give it a try, started their own color walk in experimentation of Burroughs research. The two said “At the end of the afternoon, the colors hung in our brains and eyes. We walked away seeing a world brimming over with colors…” on their experience of the color walk. The article then goes on to discuss how to properly prepare yourself for your own color walk with steps and hints to reach the full experience of a color walk. To receive the full experience, one should dedicate uninterrupted time (away from cell phones, social media, and other things we tend to get so easily distracted by) to just open their minds and focus primarily on eye-popping objects. In Bennin and McMullan’s color walk, they started with blues and followed a blue scarf until they came across another eye-popping bleu object, chipping nails. Nearly getting on a train following the blue nails, they were luckily distracted by basketball courts and watched the sport until a purple shirt continued their journey. From the purple shirt, a pair of purple leopard pants gained the attention of the experimentalists thus leading them to a pink and purple shirt. The recent changing of color to color made the experience an adventure of a lifetime and made better acquaintances of those random strangers. The color walk brought more awareness and attention to the author’s surroundings and left them with a world full of color. After the color walk, the authors also began to see more noticeable colors stand out, whether it be a shirt, nails, or a roof on a brick building. From the article, an audience could tell Brennin and McMullan had immediately became more aware of the world around them and was more appreciative of the littler things in this busy world. From the author’s experiences, they definitely recommend taking a color walk and following these steps: Give yourself an hour of uninterrupted time, no commutes, no errands, just eye time; Pick a color, or let a color pick you–follow the one that makes your heart go thump-thump; and If you get lost, pick another color. If you get really lost, you’re on the right track.