I really loved how Professor Schwarz pointed out that fake news surrounds all aspects of our communication—not just media communication—and has always surrounded us. The development of the concept of fake news over the last year is something that has really fascinated me—how different people emphasize different definitions of it, how concerned the country at large has gotten about it, and how it has become sort of a colloquial phrase in the same way that “lit” or “shook” has. Despite having gone to a couple of different events and discussions about fake news on campus, Professor Schwarz’s point that every time we fail to speak out against the words of others that spread stereotypes, mindlessly pass on a word of gossip, or create a false rumor about someone or something out of our own bad feelings, we are fueling fake news. This point is so important to remember because given that spreading or failing to stop the spread of these kinds of seeds of fake news is nearly an everyday action for us, it is no wonder that it is starting to saturate the media, get in the way of political elections, and feed division on larger scales. If we perpetuate fake news at a micro-level, we are numbing ourselves to the consequences it can create at a macro-level. We may share ridiculous stories simply for the laugh of it, feed into conspiracy theories for the thrill of debating about it, and then get so caught up in the fake that we are no longer vigilant about making the distinction the real and the fake. This added perspective to the fake news phenomenon reveals that people really do have more power against fake news and that this power is easier to make use of than is immediately apparent. By recognizing our own tendencies and speaking out against the actions of others that fuel and normalize fake news, we reduce the power fake news has to entice and divide the country.