The Impact of World Events
There have been countless world events that have made an international impact affecting not only people close to the vicinity of the said events but also the entire world. But how well do these events affect and influence our daily life and future? How can one event cause so much force and power to the future of its people?
I will be tackling the 6 most significant world events that have impacted my life from before I was born, when, and how it will impact my future as an individual in society.
Before I was Born:
First on my list would be the Edsa Revolution. As a young girl, I’ve always known about the mass protest that happened in Epifanio de Los Santos Avenue (EDSA), in the heart of Metro Manila, even when it occurred before I was born. This was not because it was highly political and involved major characters within its movement — I only had little knowledge of the Marcos Regime back then; but because I could recall Nuns and ordinary citizens marching together while holding their hands in prayer.
This event made it most intriguing and impactful to me because of how much soul and power the people had against the oppressor. My father made it clear to me that our government should always be in favor of its people and nothing less, and if it weren’t for the men and women from this revolution, students like me would not enjoy the privilege we have today such as freedom of speech and action. This revolution showed so much heart, spirit, and courage despite the harsh and tyrannical administration that was once under the Marcoses.
Though the Marcos Family had somehow found their way back into Philippine Politics, I still have hope for my countrymen and women to not repeat what has once happened to us before.
The event which marked the beginning and growth of the software company, Microsoft, come second, wherein Bill Gates steps into the world of technology in the early 1970s and introduces a revolution that has shaped and started a whole new world of technology. Today, he may be known as the billionaire who invented Microsoft, but I mainly know him more for his work on Microsoft Office Suite (Microsoft word, excel and etc.)
As a kid, Microsoft Windows Software was one of the very few things I learned when I started using the computer. The window icon was captivating to me even with its simple yet creative aesthetic. I could recall practicing on Microsoft Word and Powerpoint the available and easy tools to create paragraphs, images, icons, and even shapes. Thinking about this momentarily makes me realize how much of an impact Microsoft has played in my childhood. Through them, I was able to present my creativity and use their different platforms as a medium for my bright ideas, helping me express them through the digital world and the likes.
In a more descriptive context, Microsoft plays a huge role in our evolution in terms of technology and online learning. With the use of his smart and convenient inventions, Bill Gates made Microsoft accessible to billions of users around the world which changed how organizations, companies, governments, schools, and individuals configure data outputs, work files, school projects and etc. Making them one of the most powerful and significant companies of today.
When I was Born:
Facebook had made its mark in 2004 when Mark Zuckerberg, along with his team, created one of the biggest social media platforms used today. It has over 2.7 billion active users since the second quarter of 2020 and is known to be the first social network to ever do so. I use this platform to connect with people beyond the screen and interact with the digital world as it is, but do we really know how powerful Facebook is?
Well, in one of Netflix's newest documentary film “The Great Hack”, they dig deep into facebook’s biggest data scandal involving Cambridge Analytica wherein the trillions of data from Facebook users were being leaked and illegally processed by firms to help organizations manipulate and reshape people in large quantities with the use of their personal data. This is highly alarming because the data privacy of millions was breached and we still have yet to discover the details of this unpopular crime. This affects me as a Facebook user because it not only threatens the data I’ve included in my personal account but also it reforms the field of politics in some way.
Why you may ask? Hear me out.
With a person’s data, you can find a way to use his/her weaknesses, interests, and values against them. There are several ways to do this online which can be done through creating fabricated news, messing with the Facebook algorithm, and sketchy advertisements. When a certain organization sees it beneficial to have you believe that a certain argument, it is likely that you turn into their own media puppet where you share and influence other people into sharing the same sentiments as you; and to no surprise, it’s happening all over the internet, especially the Philippines. Several Facebook users are unaware and are completely clueless about this data privacy scandal. You might be thinking
“Oh, it really is up to the people whether they’d believe it or not”
Well, that is true, however, this does not escape the fact that even political organizations are taking part in these proceedings where thousands, if not, millions of voters are subverted on an industrial scale to believe and trust in these huge companies with their personal data; and as an eligible voter for the next election, that scares me.
Watch the Trailer for the Great Hack
I assume everyone knows the name of this man. His name was George Floyd and he was killed by Minneapolis police officers at 46 years old. The video of him getting choked when a policeman applied brutal force to his neck, causing him to not breathe went viral on May 25, 2020. As he wailed for his late mother, he soon passed away in no less than 10 minutes in the original footage.
This graphic video spur around every social media platform, not only enraging the black community but the entire world. I could recall how I first encountered the video after waking up from my nap. I watched the entire thing when it only had 10 thousand views. I couldn’t hold my tears after seeing how he was killed so relentlessly. The rage and fear I had after days of filing petitions and sharing as much as I could to reinform my friends and family. I couldn't imagine what the black community must’ve felt when the news broke out.
Seeing them go out in the streets to protest and stand against their oppressors brought up the flame within me to stand up for the people who need us the most. This made me aware of even more cases happening throughout the world; not only focusing on the black community.
As a young adult, this event serves as a huge timestamp in my years, marking the day when I took an oath to myself that I would help as much as I can for people around the world. Allowing me to not let things like this just pass by and do nothing about it.
World Events that will impact my future:
One of the biggest world events of 2016 was when Rodrigo Duterte won the Philippine Presidency and Donald Trump winning the American Presidency. Both very strong and controversial figures won by a landslide and are also known to be highly criticized on social media platforms. President Donald Trump was even impeached by the House of Representatives last 2019 but was then acquitted by the Senate later on. President Rodrigo Duterte, on the other hand, is known for being accused of leading the extrajudicial killing campaign in his nationwide “War on Drugs”.
I consider these events deeply significant to the future of our people because both politically powerful men influenced so much violence and chaos in both countries, bringing out questionable and awful choice of wording during press hearings and presidential speeches. Not only are their leadership abilities problematic along with their misogynistic views and values towards women and other different beliefs, but they also hold a very strong group of supporters who blindly follow whatever they have to say — no matter how concerning and unreliable they may sound.
These are relevant and can be seen through how they’ve handled our current issue amidst a global pandemic; wherein both leaderships failed in preventing the spread of Coronavirus around January of 2020. Both presidents did not feel the need and urgency to take it seriously and admittedly believed that this virus would simply just pass; which leads us to today where America globally has the most cases and the Philippines being the country that had the longest lockdown in Southeast Asia.
I see them both equally irresponsible and child-like, and I believe most of my peers would agree. In future time, hopefully, my generation will find this as a way to not repeat history and to vote for more qualified and worthy presidents to lead our countries.
Never in my life would I have thought that I’d experience a global pandemic during my freshman year away from my province. Internationally, we’re currently close to 50 million cases and 1.2 million deaths. The numbers are bizarre and they continue to surge through the charts, forcing countries into quarantine and lockdown, affecting billions of businesses, organizations, and lives. I could go deeper into detail but there is so much to talk about.
Instead, I would like to personally share how this global pandemic has affected my life, the people I love, and the small city I live in. Not more than a week ago, my Grandmother passed away due to COVID-19. Her death was announced at 3 pm in the afternoon and we were notified that she’d be buried on the same day. Without her direct family present, I had to represent myself as her immediate family since 2 of my other households tested positive excluding mine. Without enough time to grieve, I held out my phone showing my family members on zoom her quick burial that only lasted 30 minutes.
This took a toll not only on my family but also on our whole entire city. She was one of only two COVID-19 fatalities in my province and she only left her home once to go to church on a Sunday. This shook my family to our core, in fear for my Grandfather, the husband of my late Grandma, who is a stage-4 lung cancer survivor. Taking the words out of my Father’s mouth, he said
“COVID-19 couldn't get any more real than this.”
Though I agree with this phrase and do I get where it comes from, I believe that COVID-19 has been real since the day it had its first case here in the Philippines. In the month of January, I would try and convince all my friends in Taft to wear their masks and bring with them alcohol for sanitation. I would always tell them
“Ayaw og ka kumpyensa”
which directly translates to “Don’t be too confident/relaxed” in Cebuano; indicating that we should always be aware of our surroundings and to follow health protocols as much as possible. I’ve always feared for COVID-19 and now that it has taken away someone very close to my heart, I’ve never been more agitated and fearful for the people closest to me. I wish we shouldn't have reached this point. The impact this pandemic holds in my memories will forever be one of the hardest moments in my life however, I will use it to become more careful and aware in terms of safety and health for the protection of everyone else, and to always hold on to my favorite phrase “Ayaw og ka kumpyensa”.
