2026 Edition

Eric Voegelin’s analysis of “second reality” in Hitler and the Germans is applied to contemporary American algorithmic media environments. By comparing Nazi propaganda to platform-driven content curation, I argue that both build emotionally satisfying worlds that displace people from reality and elevate “representative men” who embody societal pathologies. I aim to prove that the fight for reality is a recurring condition of modern mass politics, not a historical anomaly.

COVID-19 significantly impacted the mental health trends of adolescents and young adults in America. The social isolation and increased dependence on technology intensified the widespread addiction of pornography. Statistical data showed that screen usage soared to 13.5 hours a day, making extended screen time a widespread coping mechanism that activates dopamine pathways to provide emotional relief. With the normalization of sexual content on non-pornographic sites, it acts as a gateway to dedicated pornography sites, fueling the cycle of loneliness during the lockdowns. The habits formed during the lockdowns normalized excessive screen usage and compulsive consumption patterns, making pornography addictions an ongoing issue.

Britain’s world wars forged a powerful “grammar of grief,” a cultural language through which private bereavement became public meaning. The intertwined insights of Winter, Gregory, Gullace, and Noakes reveal how industrialized loss unsettled Victorian mourning. New rituals, from the Cenotaph to the Unknown Warrior, structured collective sorrow. Gendered and emotional citizenship shaped expectations of feeling. Together, these interpretations illuminate the making of Britain’s modern commemorative culture and the enduring frameworks through which national grief is understood.

The US was involved in Afghanistan for two decades and had spent millions of dollars funding a war that left the country in disgrace. An analysis of the wasteful expenditure of the US and Afghan governments demonstrate the failures of reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. With the return of the Taliban, questions arise: was the conflict worth it, and should we return to Afghanistan?

The People’s Republic of China has established itself as a strong competitor, opponent, and enemy to the United States. As tensions continue to rise between the two nations and strategies are formed to aid in the power struggle between systems, Chinese espionage operations have become more apparent. As a near peer, China poses a unique threat to both the national security of the United States and the economic sector of American companies.

As Generative AI continues to find its way into classrooms, teachers must adapt their teaching methods to address the issues created by students’ use of Artificial Intelligence. With students unable to differentiate between using AI to create answers and using AI to aid in the learning process, there is emphasis placed on the educator to address this issue. Discussion-based learning methods provide the framework to aid in reading, writing, and oral literacy while combating the challenges introduced by Generative AI.

Generative AI has made software development easier for those who are unable to code. However, building production-level software for businesses requires strict adherence to security regulations. These regulations require knowledge beyond the abilities of generative AI, and businesses must possess some technical understanding for software implementation. Furthermore, the focus on AI for automation jeopardizes many jobs; preventing this requires a shift from using AI as a means for complete automation to a tool that helps people expedite their work.