The first idea I have considered for my This I believe podcast is telling my story of when I almost drowned back in the summer before 7th grade.  We had a game between our families siblings to see who could swim back and forth the most times in our pool without breathing.  One July day I was set on breaking the record so I made attempt after attempt at the elusive four laps, a record set by my sister.  After about two hours of laps, I was ready to give up.  I decided to hyperventilate for two minutes to saturate my body with oxygen and then make one more attempt.  This apparently was the perfect combination for passing out because after 3 and a half laps I floated to the bottom, my face pale. The message I would conclude with is that life is delicate as, before this incident, death seemed to be so far away in my mind.  Only until I realized that my life could have easily ended if my brother took another 30 seconds to pull me out of the water.

The second idea I had for my this I believe was that everyone has to find a specific thing to become their main source of confidence.  Even when I was young I was fairly well rounded, I was somewhat athletic, playing basketball and lacrosse, fairly smart among my peers, and decently well liked by everyone.  The problem was I was so average in everything that I never really found an identity with any particular group.  I became insecure about myself and had difficulty finding friends.  In high school, I started weightlifting for the first time and, as cliche as it sounds, everything began to change for me.  I found the identity that I never had before in the weight room.  As my body began to change for the better, my confidence grew equally.  I became dedicated to the gym as it gave me an identity and provided me with a source of confidence that I desperately needed.  With this confidence, I was able to start coming out of my shell and it has shaped the person I am today.

I am fairly decided on the topic for my civic issues blog.  I want to discuss and give my opinion on the effect of social media on the confidence and mental health of our generation.  This is a topic I am fairly passionate about as many people close to me have struggled with mental health problems including my girlfriend and my sister.  I was very curious about why these problems have become so apparent and common in our generation and younger generations.  I would like to discuss the idea that social media has a significant and direct impact on the mental health of younger people.  I will discuss points proving this idea as well as other possible sources of the mental health crisis.  I am fairly set on this idea and am excited about exploring it further.