Individual- self Fulfillment

One of the most important theories that was listed is Individual Self-Fulfillment and the ability to say and have individual opinions. This theory goes much deeper than simply just freedom of speech, It's about people having unique identity, and finding those alike who have similar ideals. Being able to express yourself allows you to figure out things you believe in and what makes you different from everyone else. It's also a very important way for people to find people alike, People with similar ideals and opinions. 

An important aspect of my life is being able to identify with people and in my generation one of the biggest ways to show your opinion and your ideals is through social media. You see tons of people every day sharing their opinion on

social media, supporting something or protesting something. Social media is a good example of this because I have met many people through social media with similar ideals and opinions. A good example is a good friend of mine I met through them making a post in discord asking for help with something in a game, and from there we started talking more and realized we have a lot of similar interests. Without being able to express their interest in the game and ask for help, we probably would have never met each other. This is a good example of individual self fulfillment that can happen through freedom of speech and expression because they were able to express what they were interested in, and because of this they can find people with similar interests.

This gives a new light to the freedom of expression that it is not just about being able to state your opinion. It can also create opportunities for people to meet each other who they may have never met otherwise. My experience is not unique. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, online groups can be an important part of social lives. The study says that 74% of teens who are a part of online groups say that these groups expose them to different people, and 68% of them feel more accepted. The most common online groups are made through gaming according to the research center as well. This links directly to my experience because I met my friend online playing a game.  

This shows why individual self-fulfillment is an important reason to protect freedom of speech. Expressing what you enjoy or believe in gives other people the opportunity to learn about you as a person and your interest, And without this ability to express ourselves, it would be much harder to connect with people who have common interests. One final point is as time goes on the world will continue to advance and online interaction is only going to rise. With more and more technology allowing for more immersive social interaction online, expressing what you believe in will become easier and will be shown way more online than anywhere else, and some can argue that opinions are shared online more than anywhere else.