Final Blog Post: Technology

 My Relationship With Technology

In a world that is ever-changing and expanding, reliance on technology is in an upward trend. The argument of whether technology is making a positive or harmful impact on humanity, is an argument that will never be fully settled. 

Many would agree that technology consumes a great portion of our days. This being said, going to look at the Screen Time function on your phone can be a scary task. For me, technology has become a constant in my life. There will always be that easier choice of picking up your cellphone to mindlessly scroll through Instagram and TikTok. Mindless scrolling has become a staple in everyones day. It can be so difficult to choose anything other than sitting there on your phone.

From a young age I was always enthralled with reading, grabbing every book in Barnes & Noble and using all of my free time after school to indulge in a new chapter. Thankfully, to this day and while in college, I still find myself sitting down with a good book after a long day of classes and work. It is much more difficult to find those copious amounts of free time as a 19 year old college student, so I try my best to use it in ways that will benefit me.

But one day colored pencils and crayons turn to Chromebooks and tablets. Technology slowly creeped into everyone's lives, starting back in elementary school most likely. In my young experience, the Chromebook carts were rolled into the classroom and we would complete assignments on the tiny laptops instead of on paper or collaborating in groups. Are there benefits? Of course. Not all technology is bad, it really comes down to the amount of exposure an individual has.

Technology during early childhood education has been beneficial because we do need that foundation as we make our way into adulthood. Through high school and now into my college career, I can't remember a single day that has went by that I haven't opened my laptop. It is undeniable that it is convenient and we can accomplish so much in record time. However, technology has created a mental health crisis and has singlehandedly sparked cyberbullying.

As a young woman, it has become normal to sit there in the mirror and criticize yourself. Technology is great when it comes to such things like easy access to buying products or doing assignments, but it is also linked to increasing anxiety and depressive symptoms.  

Social media influencers, successful business men and women, actors/actresses, and so many more big brand and name people are plastered all over social media. In my experience, I have found myself scrolling through Instagram and looking at these people that have copious amounts of money, wondrous jobs, and just seem to have their life together. That's when the thoughts begin. I will tear myself apart, You aren't doing enough, You won't be successful, Why don't you have that money. I begin comparing myself to these random people and it is easy to get lost in your thoughts. It is easy to lose sight of what is really true. It is just social media. We begin to lose the ability of realizing what is real and what is simply just a product of social media. Technology has made us susceptible to seeing photoshopped and staged images, instilling the idea that that person who we see on the screen, has a much better life than we do.     

Chamath Palihapitiya, former Vice President of User Growth at Facebook says, "The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops that we have created are destroying how society works." Even if we know that scrolling through Instagram and comparing ourselves to others is harming us mentally and emotionally, we still continue to do it.  

Not only in my personal life, but in my family and friends as well, I have seen the affects of technology on their lives. Some people know how to balance their time and use technology efficiently and productively, but for some that is not the case. My brother and I are only 4 years apart but I have seen a major difference in the way he was brought up with technology. From Ipads to Xboxes, he always had technology right at his fingertips. Don't get me wrong, I did too, but I think that my age group was taught to handle it a little better. That's not the case anymore however, with the rise of social media. But for as long as I can remember he has always been attached to some type of video game. This Thanksgiving I barely saw my brother. He was attached to his controller playing Fortnite all week.

On a more positive note, technology has completely reshaped the medical world. During middle school, my close friend was diagnosed with progressed bone cancer. She went through unimaginable times but she tackled each obstacle with patience and grace. Without the available technology that we have today, she would not be with us. Technology saved her life and so many others too. For that reason, I am thankful we have incredible minds that can invent lifesaving technology. There are so many different forms of technology and it is important to realize what form is a constant in your life.  

Growing up with technology has been a beneficial experience. I do feel that I am able to use it to my advantage to propel me to where I want to be in life. Technology should act as a support system, but shouldn't be the basis of our entire lives. 

Technology is by far the most incredible and innovative human invention that has helped progress this world in leaps and bounds. When it comes to using it, balance is really the key. Technology has taken a lot of human connection away so it is important to recognize this and keep human interaction alive. Next time you are sitting with a family member or friend, turn your phone off, look them in the eyes, and really truly listen. Don't wait for the buzz or ding from your phone, be fully invested in the conversation that you are having with the human right in front of you. Technology is amazing, but the human brain and real emotional connection is even better.  

Blog Post #11 EOTO: What I Learned

News Desert

Grace led a very interesting and engaging presentation on the concept of News Deserts. She explains that a news desert is an area that receives little to no information from local news sources. This caught my attention because how is it that citizens can be left in the dust, uneducated and uninformed?   

These communities are being left in the dark, with limited access to credible and comprehensive news. What happens when there is no access to information? The people are left misinformed and without that information about local politics, business, and events, there is no way for them to make their own opinions or have opportunities to engage. When there is no information provided, people are going to go looking for any news that they can find, which typically ends with them falling upon untrustworthy sources. Rumors and false information are the results of relying on untrustworthy sources. The quality of news sources is of utmost importance because it is very easy to get people to believe things, so it is necessary to make sure that the information is true.

I learned that this hold of information is greatly blamed on the decline of print media. Print journalism has been negatively affected by the digital age. People rely on social media, TV, websites, etc. Social media only gives that quick blurb of information. Many people are not interested in reading the entirety of a story or understanding what the news is really saying. Digital media spews out huge headlines with little to no substance to go along with it. The news industry has greatly shifted during this modern time. 

Grace also mentioned financial constraints, investment entities, and big corporations. All three of these come down to one major issue: large newspaper chains taking over smaller publications. Small local publications are losing readership and revenue because of the digital age. Most readers are switching to online media thus negatively affecting smaller newspaper companies. Moreover, many of these daily newspapers are owned by large newspaper companies which means that they have the right to restrict the type of stories the daily publications can write. This affects the overall quality of the story because the writer will not be as enthusiastic if it is a story they have no interest in. Reporting and writing about a story that one cares about and connects with, will be a more thought out and informative piece. These stories that the writers care about tend to get cut by the larger companies because big corporations don't see truthful insights as a necessity. 

News deserts can happen anywhere and they are becoming more prevalent today. It is a growing issue in low-income areas and minority neighborhoods in big cities. Our country is growing more and more misinformed each day and this is leading to madness. There is great importance in understanding the entirety of story and looking at both sides of an argument. Making sure that everyone has access to truthful and informative news is the first step to creating a more educated and informed population.  

Grace said, "No news is bad news."

Blog Post #10 The Age of A.I.

 Artificial Intelligence Today

In this modern age, Artificial Intelligence is not even a question. It is simply a given. We are surrounded by it every time we walk out of our front door, and even when we are inside of our homes. "Hey Alexa, what is the weather like today?" We don't realize that every time we go to ask these devices a question, a conversation is being struck up with A.I. 

The way that I think of Artificial Intelligence is simply a robot trying to learn human thoughts and actions. It is undeniable that A.I. has progresses greatly in this world and has a lot of positive aspects such as data analysis for informed decisions and reduction in human error. The video focused mainly on the negatives of A.I. so I decided it was best to dive into some research about the positive impacts of this technology. One story that stood out to me is that A.I. has been used to monitor the health of coral reefs. A.I. is being used with underwater cameras to detect the health of the reefs and it then sends data to the cloud where scientists can use it to determine the reefs ongoing health. A.I. can be used to complete difficult tasks such as staying underwater for long periods of time to collect data, which is a trying task for humans. 

While A.I. is taking leaps and bounds in our industries, we have to pay attention to the negative side effects of this technology as well. Can A.I. complete human tasks quick and efficiently, yes, but what does this mean? There is no need for human labor. Artificial Intelligence is a silent job killer. Many business owners believe that automation is a great concept because products can be produced at high speed and they don't have to pay robots. However, replacing human workers with robots completely destroys the livelihood of those employees who are fired because they are told a robot can do their job better than them. 

A.I. lacks human qualities such as creativity and empathy, thus meaning it has no ability to understand emotions or produce original ideas. The beauty of human work is that we can feel this amazing range of emotions and we put our heart and soul into projects that we are passionate about. Robots do not have this ability which means that they have no way to care about the work they are programmed to do. Human jobs are meant for humans. Job loss leads to unemployment which not only affects that person, but their family
and the economy.   

Job loss and unemployment is not the only scary concept of Artificial Intelligence. During the video, one of the points that stood out to me the most was one when of the men said that robots don't pay taxes. This got me thinking. As much as we all dislike taxes, how do our school systems get paid for? How do our towns stay clean and safe? Without taxes there will be a loss of fireman, police, etc. These jobs are necessary for keeping our homes safe and protected. A.I. could put that in jeopardy because job loss leads to unemployment which then leads to financial difficulties, resulting in a town or city that is insufficiently funded and employed.

In our ever-changing world, technology such as Artificial Intelligence is simply just there. We accept that it is a part of our lives and we move on. It is important to pay attention to subjects such as this one because sometimes what is truly happening slips right under our nose. There are two sides to every argument. It is just a matter of if you want to understand and recognize both.        

Blog Post #8 Privacy

 Technology & Privacy 

Where would we be today without technology? Probably a lot more self confident and less anxious. 

In the first video, Juan Enriquez compared Facebook, LinkedIn, credit cards, etc. to tattoos. They are all electronic tattoos. Humans tattoo their bodies to shout a message, so what are these electronic tattoos doing too? They are shouting across the internet. This video was very eye-opening because sometimes we don't realize just how much information these websites and companies have on us. Anytime we make a purchase using our credit card, major companies can track your credit score. This greatly affects each and every one of us because our entire profile is floating around on the internet. We have the ability to look someone up and get everything from social media accounts to criminal records. 

With these electronic tattoos, we will never be able to escape anything. Everything you have ever posted, purchased, and searched can be found. This being said, we are human and humans make mistakes, and in this age, you will never be able to forget that mistake. Enriquez brought up the point of immortality and this should hit home for everyone. These electronic tattoos will live far longer than our physical bodies. When we go to post something, we have to take a second and think, "Do I want this tied to my name for eternity?" 

Not only do we have the ability to find an entire demographic of someone, there is location tracking as well. Catherine Crump turned our attention towards surveillance tracking. Modern technology has made private citizens everyday moves, not so private. The government is able to see if you are driving to a therapists office or an AA meeting. So I began thinking, can companies find this information too? What if people are applying for jobs and information such as this goes into consideration? The government needs to put a limit to this information because as Crump mentioned, the police have pictures of your location when you are just going about your normal day. This makes me question my privacy greatly. We believe that when we are home we are in the privacy and safety of our house, but are we really? As an innocent citizen, all of this information is still collected and stored for "just in case" purposes. Our every move and even our faces, are kept as stored data just in case it is needed in the future. It feels as if our identities are owned by the government, and that is a very unsettling feeling.  

From electronic tattoos to facial recognition and license plate tracking, we are all quite popular within the government. But what is the biggest and most impactful invasion of privacy? Having your own private conversations listened to. It is understandable in police investigations, and in the case that a major criminal needs to be caught. But when it is an innocent citizen who is simply calling their doctor or spouse, why does the government need those conversations? Christopher Soghoian says that governments believe that they should be able to access all communications: emails, phone calls, text messages, etc. Again, it makes sense in the terms of tracking criminals but since we all use the same technology, our calls and information can be tracked just as easily. The way that I think of it, is say an investigator gets bored one day. They can easily access your phone data in most likely a few clicks. Soghoian mentions it, but if our government officials can access information with ease, what's stopping other countries and organizations?

All of these have the same thing in common, privacy doesn't really mean true privacy. In our modern world it is impossible to escape digital footprints. Darieth Chisolm's story is one of the most pressing examples of privacy invasion known to man. Her story made my heart drop and my stomach in knots. I am very thankful that my parents kept social media from me until I was at an age to fully understand it. Many children and teens were exposed too young, and even ended up in situations such as Chisolm. The digital age has been one chock full of negativity such as privacy issues. 

Videos such as these four need to be shared, because these are topics that affect every single person in the United States, as well as the world. The best thing to do is educate yourself and your loved ones, and take the measures necessary to protect your information. Privacy is a key human privilege and we need to remember and honor that.

Blog #9 EOTO: Beyond the Definition

 Spiral of Silence

Have you ever been talking with a group of friends, and someone brings up a topic that you heavily disagree with? Instead of bringing up your opinion, you silence yourself and don't say anything to the group? Why do we do this? Why do we sometimes choose to internalize our thoughts and opinions to protect the comfort of others? Lets take a look in the phenomenon behind it all, the Spiral of Silence.

According to the Spiral of Silence theory, individuals will be more confident and outward with their opinion when they notice that their personal opinion is shared throughout the group. However, if the individual realizes that their opinion is unpopular with the group, they will be more inclined to be reserved and remain silent. Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, a German political scientist, proposed this theory during the 1970s to attempt to explain why Germans who disagreed with Hitler and the Nazi's remained silent until after his regime died. This theory focuses on how sways in public opinion come about.      

Humans are naturally social creatures. We crave attention, emotional connections, and  companionship. When our relationships are threatened we tend to do everything in our power to maintain them. This being said, we are all afraid of social isolation. We tend to observe other peoples' behavior in order to find out which opinions are met with approval or rejection. The Spiral of Silence theory comes into play here. The public sphere plays a large role in how we conduct ourselves; we choose to stay silent during times of disagreement to avoid being exiled from our social groups. For example, this "isolation pressure"  is exerted by people when they frown upon or turn someone away because of something they said or did that public opinion doesn't agree with. This phenomenon brings a lot of negativity with it. Social isolation and loneliness have been linked to health conditions such as heart disease, strokes, depression, addiction, dementia, and the list continues. So this constant pressure that we feel to fit in and keep peace within a group is because of the fear of isolation. 

The Spiral of Silence affects society as a whole because wherever people live in societies, public opinion will act as a mechanism of social control. Public opinion will also stabilize and integrate society because conflicts will be resolved in spirals of silence in favor of one opinion. In society, there will always be a voice that is unconsciously being silenced because of the fear of criticism. There is most likely so many opinions and ideas regarding the government, school system, etc. that we will never hear because of the workings of this theory. Moreover, to resist isolation, people holding these minority views either alter their thinking to conform to the majority views or remain silent. This then becomes a cycle, creating the constantly increasing impression of the majority’s view. The Spiral of Silence can affect every social group, every ethnicity, everyone everywhere. It has no limits because we all feel the same basic human
emotions, such as fear of isolation and anxiety.  

On the generally positive side of this theory, it does not tend to happen because it is usually elicited by controversial issues. Typically there is no Spiral of Silence within a group when it is noticeable that everyone agrees on one opinion. Individuals who feel support tend to express their opinions loudly and confidently. This can be a great thing because many people do have wonderful and innovative ideas that do need to be publicly supported. 

In my life, I have seen this spiral happen first hand. There have been many disputes in friend groups through high school, and many teens wouldn't voice their opinions until they were surrounded only by a small majority who also agreed with them. This greatly affects many families and friend groups because I believe a lot of people stay silent when they shouldn't. Sometimes addressing and confronting an issue can be a very scary and stressful concept, but change does not happen when everyone is comfortable. This also corresponds to our government, there are those that are willing to stand up and protest without the fear of backlash, however, there are so many voices out there being silenced. Due to the thought of being exiled and punished. The Spiral of Silence is present in everyone's life, we just don't always see it or observe how our actions/words may be creating it. We have to watch and make sure we are not creating the spiral, and also keep ourselves from falling into it as well.

Society needs to begin protecting everyone's opinion. We are each unique and entitled to our own thoughts; we should be able to share it and be confident that we will not be scorned and humiliated.

Blog Post #7 Innovation and The Lens of Diffusion

 Through the Lens of the Diffusion Theory

Inventions come and go. Most people will jump on the train as soon as the trend or item comes out. However, there will aways be those that wait to jump on at the last minute. To begin, the Diffusion of Innovations is a theory that seeks to explain how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spreads. The five main elements that influence the spread of new ideas are the innovation itself, communication channels, adopters, time, and a social system. Lets look at how each of these elements have affected the spread of social media through the lens of the Diffusion Theory. 

Social media hit our world like a massive wave. As soon as MySpace hit the internet, social media has been a bandwagon everyone hasn't hesitated to jump on. It may have started as MySpace, but now we have social media giants such as Instagram and of course the infamous TikTok. As of this early September, there are 4.9 billion social media users globally. This comes out to about 60.49% of the world population uses one or more of the various social media platforms we now have. Social media has taken over the world and it is safe to say that pretty much everyone uses at least one app or website.   

Early adopters are those that jump on the app as soon as it is launched. Usually trends hit the ground running and pick up everyone on the internet. Many people classify as early adopters because they have a fear of missing out. The fear of missing out is probably why social media platforms blow up and become the next best thing so quickly. When we feel as if people are having rewarding experiences without us, the phenomenon of FOMO takes over and anxiety builds. People catch wind of the new apps from their friends and then their friends make them feel as if they are missing out on something life-changing. This is typically how most people are roped into downloading social media.  

People who classify as late adopters are those that either want to prove they are different by not hopping on the trend or they just don't see the appeal of it until someone convinces them. Late adopters tend to approach new inventions with skepticism and after the greater majority of the population. Typically, late adopters are socially pressured into joining social media or it becomes a necessity due to a job, internship, etc. Many people can overcome this social pressure, and don't adopt the innovation at all. This group of people don't listen to the opinions of others and listen to the past generations and what was
considered socially acceptable during pre-modern times. Laggards tend to see the negative side affects of getting too involved in new innovations such as social media. Since these platforms first became a thing, many research studies have been done regarding the negative affects of social media on our global population. Many organizations try to get laggards to join the trend through propagating positive features and benefits.

It makes sense that many people are hesitant to join social media. Sometimes the positive can outweigh the negative but when it comes to social media, it can be a trap. These apps attempt to pull each user in by offering instant satisfaction through videos on TikTok and so on. Social media provides that quick serotonin boost that we are supposed to get from connecting with other in person. Moreover, these apps have been detrimental on the younger generations social skills because they rely heavily on the apps to do the talking for them.

It truly just depends on the person and what they feel is best for themselves. Some people know that they will have copious amounts of screen time or they will judge themselves to harshly because of social media. I think that social media can not be listed under one certain category. Social media affects everyone differently, and much like everything else in this world, there will always be positives and negatives. It is only a matter of how you choose to use it.

Blog Post #6 Anti-War

Mainstream News vs. Anti-War

The United States of America has been a force to reckon with for as long as we can remember. Voices have been silenced and censored since even before World War I jumpstarted the Progressive Era. In this specific instance, it was the anti-war voices that were being pushed away. Now, looking at today with the military operations that our government is waging all over the globe, it makes you wonder. What are we being told? What do we not know? 

Out of habit, and possible laziness, we are all guilty of just looking at what is in front of us and believing whatever that says. Instead of delving deep into sources that we do not immediately have and searching for the information that is not presented on mainstream news. Channels such as CNN, Fox News, USA Today, and so on are considered mainstream news channels. This means that these channels only focus on what the majority of people consider to be "normal". The reporters choose mainstream views that are conventional and easy for viewers to digest. On the other hand, these channels will inform you of what is happening in our world, but it may be surface level content and they will not give you explanations from both sides of the issue. 

After taking a look at websites such as Antiwar.com and The American Conservative is it evident that many voices, opinions, and facts are silenced in the creation of our mass media. After reading through various articles, the reader can see that the writers on both of these sites are strong anti-war voices that are censored on large news outlets and popular media apps such as Instagram. Why are these voices censored? To jump back to World War I and the Progressive Era, those that spoke out and voiced an opinion against "the norm", they would be prosecuted for it and treated as a criminal for speaking their mind. During wartime, the most important right that all Americans enjoy and exercised each day was "to discuss in an orderly way, frankly and publicly and without fear, from the platform and through the press, every important phase of this war."

 The First Amendment came into play so heavily during this time and still today. However, though free speech is a basic American right, during WWI this was practically taken away and we can see signs of this even now in our modern age. There are accounts being banned, stories withheld from being published, and people punished for speaking out against the government and voicing their opinion. Those that take the time to voice their opinion and look into the detailed facts of situations, are silenced because the government is worried that them sharing this knowledge may prompt others to start disagreeing and cause an uprise. 

Most people will never hear of websites like the ones I mentioned above. I know that I was not aware these existed until completing this assignment. Originally, I would have never thought to look beyond the main news channels. Now, reading through the strong voices of these authors, I see how important it is to not settle for what is on the surface. You have to seek out websites such as these because that is what the media wants to give you: surface level information. If all you are given is brief information without all of the facts, you are more likely to just fall in line and accept what you are being told. To hear strong anti-war voices, you have to search deep into the Internet because they get buried and nowadays many people still have a fear of speaking out because of the backlash they may receive from the public as well as the government. 

The role of dissent and the role of The First Amendment protecting it, is vital to the freedom of the United States of America. These websites show that it is our right to disagree and criticize the government, or change will never happen. It is just a matter of if the government and the public is willing to listen and accept your opinion.