By Adrian Chen

Unfollow, by Adrien Chen is a great example of how people use their social media platforms to spread hatred. Megan Phelps-Roper is a member of the Westboro Baptist Church and represents her branch on twitter. Phelps-Roper spreads vile, homophobic and anti semitic messages through her twitter. To readers who come from a different background than Phelps-Roper, the way she when reading about her childhood it is clear that she was raised in a toxic environment. From a young age Phelps-Ropor “viewed them with extreme suspicion—she knew that they were either intentionally evil or deluded by God.” This is obviously not a healthy way to look at the world. When growing up in a toxic environment where adult figures are constantly projecting hateful messages to you it is hard to break away from that mindset. As Phelps-Roper got older she starting using social media that exposed her to more people with more diverse backgrounds that allowed her to change her mindset and escape to bubble she was raised in.