We look at today's news, and we see attempts to glorify the US. But, do we see achievements that have been recently accomplished? No, of course not. Instead of lifting one party up, social media encourages and actively pursues the practice of putting down other parties lower, whether it be Russians, Middle Easterns, or Hispanics. Is it America's fault? What caused the ideologies behind pursuing a "lower others before raising oneself" mentality?

Let's get to the point. Russia has been perpetuating this behavior. Ever since the end of World War II, the US and Russia countered each other in any and all situations. Russia has been posing as US citizens in order to spread controversial topics and ideas that ultimately weaken the US while benefiting Russia. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit have been targeted by Russia because of the already established influence over American citizens.

What can you do to protect yourself? Well, take everything with a grain of salt. Just because one person or a group of people say something doesn't mean that it's true. Get information from trusted sites such as government websites (anything that ends in .gov). And best of all, use your common sense!