Blog Post 12: Final Post

 Final Blog Post

Today, I will be sharing with you all my relationship with technology and how the media has a role in my life. Additionally, I will share information about my digital footprint as well as my online presence.

Relationship Status: Complicated

My relationship with technology and media in itself is very complicated. I love it and hate it at the same time. I find so many positives with it, yet with those positives, I still find a good amount of negatives. 

Here are some of the positives I found with technology:

- Reality Made Easier:

Everyone now has access to knowledge of everything at the tips of their fingers. Our phones provide us with information and technology we could only dream of 40 years ago. We no longer have to open up a dictionary or a book. Just type in what you are looking for into Google and it will find the answers for you. 

- Medical Advancements:

Technology that helps with organ transplants, bionic limbs, gene editing, and 3D-printed organs and tissues are just to name a few amazing advancements. Years and years ago, we would have struggled to find solutions for amputees. Now, we can provide them with bionic arms that help them get back to their normal lives before they were impacted by their amputation.

- Impossible Made Possible:

We now have access to jobs through computers, and even our phones. Our world has self-driving cars and augmented realities. These are just some of the advancements we have made that no one thought could be remotely possible 20 years ago. Technology makes the impossible possible. Without technology, we would likely struggle to function in our everyday lives just because technology makes it so much easier.

Yet...we did function before technology. So, why do we need it so badly now? Have we just become reliant on it? Are we addicted to the ease that technology brings to us in our everyday lives?

Here are the negatives of technology that I found to be true:

- Social Media:

Social media has been a very controversial topic throughout the years since it was introduced. The idea of liking peoples content and commenting seems like a cute idea, no? However, the idea of getting likes and positive comments was something people were beginning to strive for; crave. When people's accounts do not reach a certain following or they do not get a certain amount of likes on their posts, that is when mental health is put in jeopardy. Because overall social standards have been raised to almost an unreachable bar, it is no wonder so many people on social media develop anxiety, depression, FOMO, and body image issues. 

- Technology Takeover:

Technology as we know it is almost implemented in everything, especially when it comes to everyday lives. Microwave? Technology. Refrigerator? Technology. Washer and dryer? Technology. You want to ask a question? Resort to technology. Humans today rely so much on technology that there is no way anyone can imagine living without it. That is what our world has come to. We cannot function without our phones nearby us or in our hand or pocket. We have begun an overreliance on technology. We rely too heavily on calculators, spellcheck, GPS, and so many more things that were more than possible before the time of technology. People would use mental math and write out equations; people used dictionaries to check their spelling; people used paper or laminated maps to find where they were going. Our lives were doable then and they are doable now. However, the issue still remains where we rely so heavily on technology that we have begun not thinking for ourselves.

- Educational Concerns:

With our reliance on technology comes education and cognitive concerns. Between the years of 2000 and 2015, the average attention span of a teenager has gone from 28-42 minutes all the way down to just 8 seconds by 2024. That is alarming. It has decreased so severely due to constant notifications and multitasking, reducing the ability to focus deeply. With my phone around me while doing tasks or homework, I struggle to stay attentive in my work for more than 10 minutes without getting distracted by a notification. 

Technology today is terrifying. It is everywhere, and is implemented in almost everything we know. What would we do without technology?  

Relating to the Short Videos

In the final blog post prompt I have been following, I found that the dark side of technology video appealed the most to me. I see the dark side more than the light. I have never felt more left out and lonely when it comes to social media. Seeing posts about how perfect someone's life looks is very detrimental to my health and I have attempted at telling myself that I should never assume what someone is going through. While it may look perfect on the outside, who knows what is happening on the inside. I prefer to tell myself that there is a vulnerable side to everyone and everyone has their own conflicts like myself. That tends to help me feel less of the effects of FOMO because I can reflect on my own life. 

For the videos I had discussed in other blog posts regarding privacy and online censorship, those are not nearly as thought-provoking for me as the dark side of social media and its effect on mental health. However, I do believe that technology allows the impossible to be possible, and that may not necessarily always be good. Technology may allow governments to surveil its citizens in a non-ethical way, like listening in on private conversations or spying on the actions of citizens, which is very concerning. 

Conclusion

Overall, my relationship with technology is complicated. I struggle to find more good in it than bad, yet I use it every day. I am writing on a computer right now. That is both amazing and horrible at the same time. This just reasserts my opinion that we rely too heavily on technology for all our needs and wants. What happened to writing on paper? 

Thank you so much for following along with me as I explored multiple different topics across all my blog posts concerning laws and media and both combined. I hope you enjoyed reading these as much as I enjoyed typing and compiling them!  

Blog Post 11: Each One, Teach One - Second Presentation Reflection

 Each One, Teach One: Reaction Post

In this blog post, I will be reflecting on information shared by my fellow peers from their "Each One, Teach One" presentation!

There were many topics shared from many different students, but there were a few topics that I personally took an interest in, and I will be discussing them down below!

Five Eyes

Before this presentation, I had no idea what "Five Eyes" was and had never heard of it before. Now, I am much more aware of what it is. Five Eyes is an intelligence sharing process between five different countries. It originated all the way back to WWII, where the US and the UK worked together to intercept enemy communication. They set up intelligence sharing between the two countries to stay in the know about the enemy and allied together to get ahead of the pack.

Today, Five Eyes still exists, and it mainly focuses on cyberthreats, geopolitical intelligence, and terrorism. Five Eyes only became apparent to the public once there were a bunch of data leaks from around the world. These leaks revealed extensive monitoring actions, which in return made citizens angry and upset about their governments spying on its own citizens. 

Because of this outrage, there have been many who strive to completely eliminate Five Eyes and to discontinue its operations. While I completely understand why citizens would be outraged due to not being aware of the government's actions, I also understand why they had to keep that information under wraps. In order for them to catch criminals or conspirators, they had to go unseen by the public. However, I do believe honesty and transparency is the best policy.

Disinformation

I had heard the term of "disinformation" before, but never knew the full extent of its meaning. According to my classmate who presented on this topic, disinformation is information deliberately spread in order to influence public opinion or to obscure the truth. 

My peer discussed both the negatives and the positives, as follows:

Positives: 

- Unites people

- Removes shame

- Give feeling of power

- Confirm already believed thoughts

- Gives explanation to unexplained events

- Provides a release

Negatives: 

- Takes away trust

- Can make you emotional 

- Creates division

- Leaves you in uncertainty

- Can be dangerous

I have to say I completely agree with all of these positives and negatives, especially under "Positives," that it provides a release and gives feelings of power. Many people who deliberately spread false information want to feel that they have the power to influence those around them, and through disinformation, they are able to achieve that. In addition, under the "Negatives" list, it definitely takes away trust and leaves you in uncertainty. If you were to listen to everything someone says and find out that it is all false information, you would be left doubting everything you hear from someone else, regardless of whether it is actually true or false.

Within the presentation, it was mentioned that disinformation is mainly found on social media, happening through trolls, AI, hackers, and search history like recommended engines. 

Ways to combat disinformation include:

- Looking at the author & where the source comes from

- Dig deeper on the topic to fully understand what is being discussed & so you are aware of what information is correct and what information may be false or incorrect

- Do a personal bias check; double check if the information is coming from someone who is biased

- Ask well-educated people about the information to ensure it is correct information

- Was the article with information done for satire? Was it serious?

**IMPORTANT: Disinformation is hard to spot!!!***

False Flags

The third topic I was interested in was the topic of false flags. False flags is a strategic operation put in place by the party at fault to pin the blame on another party. This is typically used in politics to paint one side as looking worse than the other. Countries also tend to use false flags to make their citizens lean on their own government for support rather than seeking out other countries. A perfect example is China. China tends to want to portray itself as elite and perfect to its citizens, hiding controversial events and using false flags to make other countries seem less appealing and look bad to their citizens.

Some positives of false flags include gaining tactical advantage in war, as well as possibly gaining public support. 

On the downside, there are negatives of using false flags. For example, using false flags is essentially lying to the public, is unethical, and hurts international allies. For a country like China who does not really care about its reputation and its allies, the negatives do not really affect it. However, for countries like the USA and smaller countries with less military support who rely on having allies, using false flags can be very detrimental to their reputation and is usually avoided at all costs.

How False Flags Affect Society as a Whole

- Public loses trust

- Death of innocent people & destroying of their homes

- Affects who people vote for in the future

- Destroys social unity

- Protests & riots may rise

How it Affects Certain Groups

- Wealthier people tend to have more resources and power than people with less money

- Minorities are more likely to be targeted

Conclusion

To conclude, I really enjoyed listening to my peers' presentations; I feel I learned so much more than I expected to learn. There were so many more topics that I did not mention in my blog post that caught my attention and I learned many new things about our government and the actions it takes. 

My next blog post will be my final post, so I am looking forward to seeing you join me in my last post on this platform! Thank you for reading, and see you next time!

Blog Post 10: Living in the Age of AI

 Living in the Age of AI

Today in this blog post, I will be discussing the video I watched labeled "In the Age of AI," which discussed the positives and the negatives of AI in today's society. Additionally, I will be reflecting on the video and sharing my thoughts on AI.

"In the Age of AI" Video

From watching the video, what I learned that I did not know already was how many jobs are being taken over by AI. At the beginning of the second hour of the video, it shows what looks like a factory, but is labeled as a 'supermarket.' Personally, I cannot imagine why we need machines to do work that someone else could be getting paid to do. It really highlights the significance of how people are becoming less relevant and technology is becoming the new "thang." It is quite terrifying to me that in 20 years, or maybe even less than that, all jobs that humans have will be taken over by technology and AI. They are already exploring using robots in the military and in the medical fields, where robots will perform surgeries and perform other tasks that humans could easily do, but possibly better.

I struggle to understand why we as a society need AI to do tasks anyone could easily do with just a little sweat and tears. Is it because we have become lazy as a society and no longer feel the need to work for what we want? 

Further into the video, it is mentioned that there are "millions of people who work in cashier positions" and in the next few years, it is likely that those jobs will be taken over by AI and technology. A perfect example of this already happening is in the Amazon Fresh grocery stores. I have one in my hometown and it is actually quite terrifying. You walk in, grab a cart, and everything you put into your cart is scanned and added to your virtual Amazon cart. Once you are done shopping, your Amazon account is charged for your groceries and you leave the store. There are no cashiers involved. Now that, to me, is very weird. Why is it that we do not feel the need to provide jobs to those who need them and instead of giving open jobs to people we choose robots? Or none at all, like at the Amazon Fresh store? 

I understand the want for perfection and the want for everything to be easier and more, but isn't taking people out of the equation when it comes to jobs mean less human interaction and more reliance on technology?

Later in the video, it is mentioned that many businesses look at implementing technology and AI into their business due to the want for more efficiency. These businesses are looking for a way to use less workers and promote more productivity and efficiency, yet they are eliminating jobs that could be offered to those that need the money and networking.

One of the lines that stuck the most with me in the video was "And I do think that when we look at some of the studies about opportunity in this country, the likelihood that you won't be able to advance from where your parents were, I think that's...is very serious and gets to the heart of the way we like to think of America as the land of opportunity." While there is a very serious issue with inequality when it comes to the job field, how is technology going to make that any more fair? How will people be able to make a living if technology is doing everything for them.

One other issue I want to address is how we are so reliable on technology and we are no longer going to be able to function at a healthy, productive way. Our next generation needs to be sufficient in taking care of themselves and using their motor skills in order to keep our world functioning. Relying completely on technology to perform simple tasks like packing groceries into a bag or needing AI to write you an essay--when you should be able to do that on your own--will mean that we will never be able to function without technology and there is the possibility that an actual AI apocalypse could occur. God forbid AI becomes conscious and realizes humans are useless and are not needed. 

Conclusion

Overall, my thoughts on AI vary. I love the idea of being able to do things that were once labeled impossible with the help of technology, but I hate the idea that humans will be pushed out of their jobs that keeps them active, attentive, challenges their critical thinking and problem solving skills, communication skills, and productivity, just for technology to take over for them. It does not make sense to employ AI into doing jobs that humans are perfectly capable of. In my opinion, it shows that we want to choose the easy way out.

Next week, I will be reflecting on information shared in the EOTO Presentations by my fellow peers! 'Til next time!

Blog Post 9: Each One, Teach One - (group & topic)

Each One, Teach One: Citizen Journalism

Today, I will be discussing the topic I chose to present on for my second EOTO presentation. I chose to talk about Citizen Journalism! If you have not heard of this term before, you definitely want to pay attention because it is a very important definition to understand.

What is Citizen Journalism?

Citizen journalism is where citizens participate in the action of collecting, reporting, analyzing, and spreading news. Some real life examples include:

- Black Lives Matter Movement

- The 2013 Turkish Protests

- John F. Kennedy Assassination

Pros & Cons of Citizen Journalism

Positives:

- Interaction with Media: 

Citizen journalism allows for the average citizen to interact with media. Without citizen journalism, most citizens would not take part in interactions with the news media.

- Personal to Viewers:

Because it is average citizens involved in news coverage and journalism, this makes it more personal and appealing to others.

- Untouched by Media:

News media and other professional journalists tend to share news stories that are filtered or edited to fit their viewpoint or to fit the narrative. With citizens participating in sharing stories, they tend to stay unfiltered.

- Diverse Perspectives:

Anyone can participate in citizen journalism and because of this, more diverse stories can be shared rather than just the mainstream news anchors. All kinds of different topics can be shared and multiple different perspectives are viewed.

- Gives Minorities Voice: 

Again, anyone can participate in citizen journalism. Because of this, people who are part of diverse minority groups can share their voice and opinions on different stories from around the world. Citizen journalism gives everyone a voice!

Negatives:

- Potential Misinformation:

With citizen journalism, anyone can share information. Because the average citizen can participate, there is the potential for misinformation since they may not do research to the fullest extent or they may intentionally leave information out to help their opinion spread. 

- Lack of Professional Training:

As mentioned above, people who are participating in citizen journalism may not exactly have the same training and experience as other mainstream media personnel, which leads me into my next point.

- Credibility/Trust Issues:

People tend to trust those they see consistency from, like people on the mainstream media. With average citizens coming out and sharing information, it is much harder to garner audience trust and build credibility for yourself because of your possible lack of training or being an unknown individual.

Impact of Citizen Journalism

There are many positive impacts when it comes to citizen journalism. 

The average citizen can easily practice their First Amendment: speech! They have the freedom to participate in sharing their opinions with the world. Citizen journalism helps to enhance the freedoms of America. 

Additionally, it helps promote government transparency where citizens can hold the government accountable for potential withholding of information or false information intentionally spread to make the government look better. 

To add on, it challenges traditional media that tends to follow a specific narrative. Citizen journalism promotes stories that are typically shutdown or hidden by the mainstream media because it does not fit their narrative. 

And to conclude, citizen journalism empowers citizens to step up to their role as a citizen and inform all about what is going on in our nation.

Conclusion

Citizen journalism is extremely important to our nation. It allows stories that are ignored to be shared with everyone. It also supports patriotism and shows that our country works together to inform others of what is happening in the world. It brings people together where they have a safe space to share their thoughts and opinions. It can be concerning because it does put people in a vulnerable position to be criticized for their opinions or stories shared, but it does allow information to be spread that is unfiltered and untouched.

Next time, I will be sharing my thoughts on living in The Age of AI and how it impacts me. See you then!

Blog Post 8: Diffusion of Innovations

 Diffusion of Innovations

Hello all! Today, I will be discussing the topic of the Diffusion Theory and how it relates to new innovations.

What is Diffusion of Innovations Theory?

The theory of diffusion of innovations is a theory that explains how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spread through cultures. According to wikipedia, there are five different categories people fall under in this theory:

- Innovators (risk-takers, first adopters)

- Early Adopters (respected, opinion leaders)

- Early Majority (deliberate, before the average person)

- Late Majority (skeptical, adopt after the majority)

- Laggards (last to adopt, resistant to change) 

Through these categories, it makes it easier for us to differentiate between different groups of people and their 'adopting' patterns when it comes to new innovations. How quickly do they jump on the bandwagon of different innovations, especially when it comes to technology and media?

Some Innovations that Caught On

TikTok

TikTok appealed to early adopters for its creativity and viral potential. It was a type of lo-effort, high-reward app, where all you had to do was make a video lip syncing or dancing or showing other talents and in return, you could go viral and earn money for your video views. The app was fast-paced in terms of the length of attention span required, and was formatted to feel familiar to the younger generation--especially Gen Z. Its spread was boosted by algorithms that made ordinary users go viral.

Smartphones

Smartphones like the iPhone and Android went viral due to several factors like how it had advantages over other technology. It was a phone, camera, GPS, and internet all combined into one. Additionally, you could bring it anywhere and everywhere you went, which made it stand out compatibility-wise. People became early adopters because it showed productivity and connectivity. 

Why Do People Become Early Adopters?

People who become early adopters tend to want to be first because they are more "in the know" compared to others who are late adopters. It makes them seem cool that they know so much about a new innovation. To add, these types of people often enjoy new technology or innovations and want to explore new creations. Sometimes, early adopters are seen as influencers because they are more "in the know" than others, and many tend to feel they are trustworthy.

Why Are Some People Late Adopters or Non-Adopters?

Those who are late adopters or non-adopters are most likely just skeptical about the new innovation and are unsure of whether they trust the new technology, which is understandable. On top of that, some of them just do not have an appeal towards it, making them non-adopters. Maybe some of them are happy with what they have or the way things were before the new innovation and just are not interested in adopting the new technology. Many people often adopt once something becomes more popular and mainstream--once its in your face and practically unavoidable. 

The Downsides of New Technology

I am a big fan of speaking about the downsides of new technology, especially when it comes to social media. Its impact on mental health is something that many people do not take into account. It causes anxiety and many people often struggle with body image issues because of social media. It can also cause FOMO, which may in turn, cause depression. 

Privacy concerns are also a huge factor. The conspiracy or idea that Instagram or TikTok listens to you might be real just due to how these apps surveille us and hold onto and have access to our personal information.

Why Some Choose Not to be on Social Media

Like Dr. Dean, many may not choose social media because they are just as happy and content with the resources they already have. There also is the possibility that Dr. Dean and others would rather save themselves from mental health issues and the chance of their personal information being leaked somewhere or their data being sold. Furthermore, they may prefer different methods of communication like in-person relationships rather than over the phone or social media friendships--my personal preference.

What You Could Gain If You Did Join

If people like Dr. Dean joined social media, he could gain the ability to easily stay in touch and find people like him in communities, whereas that may be more difficult to do in person. He also could have access to new trends and opportunities like networking through LinkedIn. To conclude, he also could have a platform where he could practice self-expression and he can voice his opinions or interests with the world rather than through just word of mouth.

Conclusion

Today, I shared information about the Diffusion of Innovations Theory and what it is and how it applies to the real world. I also shared the different categories of people within the theory. I feel like I am one of those people who falls into the "early adopter" category. I tend to quickly jump on trends after seeing people who were adopters at the very beginning, like influencers. 

Next week, I will be discussing my second Each One, Teach One presentation and the topic I chose--Citizen Journalism!

Blog Post 7: The Progressive Era

 The Progressive Era

In my blog today, I will be writing about why the average citizen must seek out anti-war websites that share information from writers about anti-war arguments, and why it is that no one seems to hear about it in the mainstream media.

First Website: antiwar.com

This first website, when visited pops up with a bunch of different topics surrounding war from around the world. The writings in this blogger website are all very strong...but why are we not hearing about the things discussed in these blogs on the news? 

Second Website: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/

My Opinion

I believe that the reason behind why the average citizen is not viewing discussions surrounding topics of antiwar like on this website because the government wants to retain a certain image. If the news were to be talking about anti-war, people could begin siding with the idea that war is actually a horrible way to assert dominance by a government. 

Since anti-war talk is so marginalized due to it not being discussed, the media figures it is not as important to discuss since it does not fit a certain 'narrative.' The media relies on tellings stories from major sources and huge political and economic interests. They tend to rely on official sources like government press briefings, defense department updates, and corporate PR. Since anti-war voices often challenge these sources (questioning military actions, questioning government actions, foreign policy, military spending, etc) they don't fit the typical narrative. For example, questioning or critiquing U.S. military actions or alliances like NATO might be seen as "unpatriotic," which can make editors of stories in the media nervous about including such perspectives.

Additionally, these websites usually are not found easily enough due to underfunding since many of these websites are created by small groups that, again, do not fit the typical narrative. Because they do not fit the narrative, many people view them as outcasts. They tend to rely on donations, which limits their ability to spread their message and views, and it especially makes it difficult for the mainstream media to pick up their stories or opinions and share it across media.

To conclude, as many of us know, things like war and conflict sell. People watch more news that has to do with shocking events and out-of-the-ordinary occurrences. While anti-war talk is out of the ordinary, the average citizen tends to crave something more dramatic and sensational, like war. News channels that report on things like war get more views which in turn earns them more money, while anti-war messages tend to be more subtle and reflective--view it as less sexy and appealing as war.

Conclusion

With the websites listed above, I had no knowledge of websites like these before discovering them. I did really think about the idea that there are groups out there who are strongly against war and try to spread their message around the nation and around the world. Because I am not of this, and I am sure many others are not, it only goes to show how the mainstream media picks and chooses its stories, and if they think it will not sell, they do not bother. 

I believe that mainstream news should try to stray away from the typical narrative and share more nuanced stories like these. I know I would watch!

My next blog will be sharing information about the Diffusion Theory and my thoughts on it! See you next time!