From the time I was born in February of 1999 to today, there have been an innumerate number of riveting headlines in the news across the world. While this may be the case, there are a few that have gone a long way towards shaping my personal identity and have stuck with me through the years:
- The Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001
This will be a day that myself, nor any other American, will ever forget. This event may be the most media-covered event the world has seen since the turn of the century, and is an event that will forever stay on the minds of those from the United States. Personally, I was less than 30 minutes from the site of the terrorist attacks of the World Trade Center, and my father was actually in New York City as this tragedy occurred. After being covered by every news network and form of popular media at the time, this set of events has gone towards shaping the patriotism and American culture of every last citizen of our country. I originally viewed this event on the news as it was happening, so I feel as though it has shaped my sense of love for my country and support in a domestic context. This event, however, would have been shared via live international news, local, domestic and international newspapers, and by word of mouth. These events marked the beginning of the modern era of terrorism by radical Islamist groups, who aimed to strike fear into their victims. This event, unfortunately, was monumental towards the movement of increased terrorism activity all across the globe, having global ramifications in many cities all across the world for the years to come. As can be seen with this article, journalists are still writing remembrance articles about this tragic day in US History, and for that reason I believe it was the most crucial event of the 2000’s.
2. The Los Angeles Angels Win The 2002 World Series
While this may not be a generation defining event, this was huge in my upbringing, as I come from a very “ultrafan” family of the Los Angeles Angels. I was very fortunate to be able to attend this game live, and still have much of the memorabilia from these games in my house. This event would have been viewed by much of the United States on live national television, and even potentially a small global audience to any others interested in baseball. This is one of my earliest and fondest memories, only being three years old at the time. This event is very insignificant to most, but sparked a predisposed love for this sports team for me. It also drove my interest in the sport of baseball, of which I would continue to play for almost twenty years past this day. Being in an environment of community such as this, to support my local franchise in its’ first ever World Series win, went a long way towards defining my interests and leisurely activities. This event has caused a lasting impact on my life, as I still attempt to watch every game I can, even with the time change in Spain.
3. The Creation of Instagram in 2010
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45640386
The launch of Instagram in 2010 was one of the most important events of the last 10 years. What began as a small social media sharing app has today turned into a platform that can be used for almost anything. From Beyoncé announcing her pregnancy, to government news updates, to the above post (the most popular post since Instagram’s creation, receiving over 18 million likes) of Kylie Jenner announcing the birth of her daughter, Instagram has become the go-to platform for users all over the globe to stay connected. Today, 111 Million users world wide choose Instagram as their main platform of social media. It offers shopping, news, popular culture, sports, government, promotions of health and much, much more. I originally heard about this app via word of mouth, but since then have seen the app mentioned on every major news network across the world. Like Facebook, Instagram has no locational boundaries, so it is a very influential app in an international context. The attached news article speaks of the sense of community fostered by the app, and how their idea has become a global platform for all to stay connected and in the loop.
4. The Capture of Osama Bin Laden in May of 2011
https://www.history.com/news/osama-bin-laden-death-seal-team-six
May 2, 2011 will forever be an important day in the eyes of United States citizens. For the decade following the 9/11 attacks, Americans were constantly living in fear of a repeat attack. Airport security drastically increased and governmental agencies were constantly on edge. Upon the capture and killing of Osama Bin Laden, I witnessed a shift in the attitude of Americans, and the pride I once knew of my country felt as though it had been restored. It allowed me to reflect and thank those who risked their lives for the safety of our country and the protection of its people. We were now able to rest assured that the man responsible for the death of so many American lives and the tragic events of September the 11th was forever gone. This very quickly struck international headlines, as news of these attacks had reached all ends of the globe and Al-Qaeda, his organization, was a threat to much of the world at this time. I witnessed this event on radio in a car, but was also shared through international news and early social media platforms.
Overall, these events have gone a long way towards shaping who I am as an individual, as a member of my local community, a citizen of the United States and as a generational identity. These are a few of the most important events that have made me develop into the person that I have become, pushed me towards my interests, created a community both locally and nationally and allowed me to be an informed member of the world. These events define the type of consumer that I am, as I am interested in sports, popular culture, social media and global headlines. All 4 of these events have defined our generation, as social media now runs the world. They have brought together communities of sports fans, of United States citizens, and as global social media users.
Auston Locke's Blog 