EOTO #2 - Reaction Post

Group 1's presentation opened my eyes to the evolving nature of propaganda in our society. While they focused broadly on awareness, it was Destini's segment that really interested me. She showed how propaganda isn't just some old-school thing from the past with those WWII posters everyone's seen in history books. I never really thought about how propaganda is actually all around us today too. 

Destini explained how it's changed over time but still does the same thing - trying to make us think or feel a certain way. The way she connected history to today's world made me realize this topic is way more relevant to my life than I thought it would be.

I'd always considered propaganda to be something you'd only find on war posters from the 1900s but I see now that they shape how we receive information today. Destini's own story was very telling as she expressed her own experience in her high school where she showed how propaganda is not just what you say, but what you do not say on purpose. 

The personal examples Destini shared from her educational experiences as a Black woman in predominantly white institutions highlighted how propaganda isn't just about explicit messaging but also about what information is systematically omitted. I had not understood that before, but it makes sense that it could be used as manipulation.When she mentioned real-life housing discrimination polices and how they had been discussed in her classroom, it just really showed that the classroom discussions can sometimes reinforce problematic issues even if it tries to address them. 

What also impressed me was how Destini described how modern propaganda has evolved with technology. The example of fake videos spreading misinformation showed how modern propaganda can happen quickly compared to the past. She also suggested that social media algorithms became streams of propaganda, showing that content can be spread by emotions and behaviors making me wonder about my own digital footprint. 

I also liked that Destini shared the positives of propaganda. Stating that they also have a positive purpose, like health campaigns. This made me realize that propaganda could be an innocent tool that could be used for different purposes rather than always a negative agenda. This presentation had definitely made me rethink how I see things everyday and I will be constantly conscious of what I read and post because you never know what the real narrative is.