Final Blog- Our Relationship with Technology

 Our Relationship With Technology 

Final Blog Post

    When I google myself,I find pictures from highschool volleyball, the occasional throwback instagram post or retired twitter profile picture, and sometimes even find photos of one of my brothers playing lacrosse (Due to having the same last name). This is a very reasonable and frankly relieving search find. Some people don't have it this "easy", however. If you were to google anyone who has a somewhat severe run in with the cops, a mugshot is likely to be found. In some instances,
you can find old controversies for people, depending on their following and how much attention it received. From an employers point of view, this is the easiest way to find out if you do or don't want to hire an applicant. As for the applicants, depending on what is found in the search, you may or may not want run away and start a new life. 

    Personally, I've never been overly open on the internet. Of course I had those middle school cringe-worthy dancing and singing videos, a couple questionable selfies, you know the average "Just got my first phone!" posts. I know a lot of people who cannot say the same. Honestly, it's almost heart breaking. One mistake, one stupid little post, can mess up your future relationships, jobs, even credibility. A single post can engrave your reputation to something you would never want. 

    Of course technology is not always the villain, it can also be used in heroic ways. When the pandemic hit, students were moved to online classes, rather than being sent home and losing months, even years,  worth of education. It connects family and friends who are not able to physically be together. It enables learning and curiosity. The amazing thing about search engines like google is their vast variety of answers. Almost any question you could imagine can be found with one simple search. 

The growth of technology over decades is indescribable. It is almost breathtaking the amount of changes we have seen in such a short time. These advancements have helped with medicine, development of U.S. war weaponry, and overall communication throughout nations. The scary part is how far CAN we go? We must ask ourselves, at what point will technology be TOO much? Too invasive, too harmful, too uncontrollable? 

We have seen dystopian and sci-fi films where technology has been used against communities. Where governments have abused their power and accessibility to use technology against their own people, the people they should be protecting and working cohesively with. We've seen videos of couples on dates where their noses are buried in their phones, videos of children with tablets acting so zombie-like and addicted, even people misusing simple social media applications like instagram and twitter to bully, harass, even threaten others. That is just the start, the basics. 

The dark web exists. People can buy war grade guns and machines off the internet. People can steal money and identities from the without even leaving their homes. Child pornography, evidence of animal abuse, the possibilities are endless as to what evil things can be found on your computer. 

It is disappointing that the evil parts of the world have such an extended platform and capability. It ruins the good in the internet. Being able to video chat with long distance relatives on Christmas morning could possibly be taken away because of the misuse. When I wasn't able to attend my grandmothers 90th birthday, I was on Facetime with my family for 30 minutes just so I wasn't missing such a big event. If I didn't have that available, who knows if I would be attending a university 12 hours away. 

My hope is that somehow our next technological advances include decreasing the evil and harmfulness and improving on the good. I understand that good things can be twisted. and used for the wrong reason, but one can hope, right? 

Blog #11

 EOTO 2: What I Learned

Blog #11

For the second EOTO presentation, my group was labeled "media-sphere" so we focused on different forms of media including online influencers, alternative media, and mainstream media. The
topic that was most intriguing to me was the whistle blowers, presented by Hope.

We began to discuss whistle blowers during an earlier class when we watched the Assange video with the murders of Namir and Saeed. If you don't know what a whistle blower is, here's how I look at it; it's like a snitch but in a robin hood way. What I'm trying to say is these are people who hold very important and secret information that they then leak in order to get justice for whoever is involved. Assange was considered a whistleblower after releasing the WikiLeaks video and sharing. private American information. Examples of common whistle blowing tasks is employees who report corruption, discrimination, harassment, and fraud.  

Whistleblowers are probably some of the most hated but feared people. They are protected by a network of laws, but the level of protection depends on what they are leaking, this being said it is not always in the whistleblowers best interest to work with the press. If something is leaked that the government is working hard to hide, the repercussions can outweigh the rewards.

However despite having some type of protection, it is important for these whistleblowers to know their rights and how far the protection will go. Personally I think the most important thing a whistleblower needs to do is protect his/her anonymity. Remaining anonymous is a big part of the fairness of whistleblowing. These are people trying to fight for justice and do what is right so if they are exposed for whistleblowing, they can lose EVERYTHING. For example, Bradley Manning was. imprisoned for seven years for. whistleblowing, only to be pardoned by Barack Obama as he left office.

blog #12

 Class Discussion: The Corruption

Blog #12

Saeed Chmagh and Namir Noor-Eldeen were a father, a son, a loved one, but most importantly; they were both an innocent man. 

I have shared in previous blog posts my view on war and how I would prefer a world without it. What happened to these men, being murder in broad daylight for holding a camera, is just another reason why I believe what the things I believe. 

In the video on WikiLeaks showing the full incident, including the commentary of the American men doing it, is not something for the weak stomachs. It is a cruel, emotionless move that has impacted many. I understand that war is almost inevitable and there will be collateral damage, however in the video, the men are almost treating it like a game. A game where innocent lives are being taken, childhoods are. being ruined, and countries are being torn to shreds. 

Why?

At the beginning of the video it shows a quote by George Orwell that says, "Political language is designed to make lies sound. truthful and murder respectable, and to give the appearance of solidity to pure wind." This is exactly where I am coming from when I speak my mind about being on the anti-war side; Americans declaring war has become just another reason to kill rather than to solve problems. In reality, it is creating more problems than it is solving. You can clearly see in the video, Saeed and Namir posed no threat and almost seemed relaxed. If the roles were reversed and this happened to American citizens, it would surely be labeled as an act of terrorism. 

Where Do We Go From Here? 

In America, we are still having constant battles regarding gun regulation laws and how fire arms should be treated. If this debate were easy, it would not still be going on. That is why i believe war will never end, no matter who dies, no matter how long it takes, it will never cease to exist. However there is always a peaceful way to solve problems, which may sound naive coming from a female in college, but we've done it before and can do it again. 

I hope the families who have lost loved ones find clarity and light again, death is. never fair, but in this case these men never stood a chance. 

Blog #9

 Mediasphere: Online Influencers

Blog #9

I grew up with very little technology compared to other kids my age. My parents limited my television time and would push for me to play outside or do things with other friends. As I have aged, technology has grown with me and, like many others, is a big part of my life. Now, a junior in college, I see many people spending their free time watching youtube videos, spending hours on TikTok, even checking the popular users on social media apps. This is because these influencers are quite literally the biggest influences of society. 

An online influencer is anyone whoo uses their platform and following to do, push, or make certain things. Whether it be marketing for brand deals and advertising goods, or asking followers to use their voice to vote in elections, these influencers hold more power than one may think. 

The range of platforms that influencers use are endless; TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, even gaming sites like Twitch have users, typically 16-25 years old, voicing their opinions and ideas for the world to see. 

A Dangerous Job

Being a teenager is hard enough, now imagine the whole world being able to watch your every move and comment on just about everything you do. Highly followed users are experiencing constant bullying and harassment, especially due to the fact that most of these users are young, attractive people. For example, one of, is not the, most highly followed people on TikTok is Charli D'amelio experiences just about every type of hate one could imagine. I grew up in the same town as the D'amelio's, I had dance classes with these girls and family hangouts so I know first hand how much they have changed. In their most recent Hulu show, viewers watched the mental strain a 16 year old girl who just likes to dance has been experiencing. Between hateful comments about body image or anything they've done, to sexual predators trying to find sensitive information; online influencers experience potentially life-threatening things. 

Even a famous singer such as Lil Nas X has a high following on all platforms and experiences hate. As a homosexual person of color, everyone has something to say about his every move and decision. He fights the bullies and trolls with equally sarcastic remarks and tries to make light of even the darkest situations.

The Differences

There can be splits between users on social media. The gamers, the beauty gurus, the pranksters, while they all are working the same jobs, these users are treated quite differently. Women are more likely to be victims of body shaming or hyper sexualized, while men typically receive more backlash for coming out as any sexuality other than straight. Many people of color experience racism, especially with the recent election and black lives matter protests. Children are preyed on by creeps and predators. The censorship on the internet is very limited and it shows with how these people are treated.  

The Good

Now, don't get me wrong, there is a bright side to all these terrors I have mentioned. Online influencers are able to make a living for themselves doing something they love. Whether it be solely creating content, brand deals, branching off and creating their own companies, these people are building a name for themselves and allowing for many future opportunities. Many use their platform to discuss sensitive topics or to raise awareness for ongoing issues. 

In my opinion, these online influencers are very brave doing what they do. It is a very vulnerable thing putting your identity into the internet and allowing strangers to see into your lives. 

Blog #8

The American Voices: War Talk

Blog #8

Now before I begin talking about the sensitive subject that is war, I should probably warn you of the bias that comes with my words. I am a 19 year old female who grew up in a quiet town of

Connecticut, I am vegetarian, an animal lover, and many of my friends tend to call me a "granola girl", which is basically the 2021 way of saying hippy. 

With that being said, you can probably guess where I stand on the topic of war. I am not a fan, I appreciate the troops whoo risk their lives in order to protect the country, however it's not the troops who I am against, it's the concept. 

When I visited antiwar.com and other websites we were given, I saw even more war related content than I would ever like to see in my lifetime. These websites are not big and popular, and my best guess as to why is due. to the fact that war is almost looked at as "nationalistic". It is the government who decide when and who we go into battle with. Imagine being an author of these websites and terrified for your safety and freedom because you don't stand with the same opinion as the government. It is important for more websites like the ones I visited to continue posting and educating Americans about what the government is doing, not only with our citizens, but with our tax dollars and how other countries are being impacted. 

I write today telling you my opinion on the war, which I am aware is the less favored in America. It is not an easy topic to discuss, nor will it ever be, but it is a topic that MUST be discussed. My right to use dissent may not. matter to anyone, but it is with great hope that even if we hold different beliefs or values, people continue to educate themselves and be open minded to all options and ideas.

 

Blog #10: AI

The Age of Artificial Intelligence

Blog #10

The 21st century has been a turning point in terms of electronics and media. Between new video games and consoles, different phones being designed nearly monthly, software updates, the list is endless as to what inventions we've seen in the short amount of time. However, the most intriguing new invention, in my opinion, would definitely be artificial intelligence.

What Is AI?

Artificial Intelligence, also know as AI, is the use of computers and technology to almost replace what humans have been doing all this time. For example; self driving cars. You may think, why do I need a machine to drive my car for me? Well in this case it would be more beneficial for truck drivers and delivery people due to the long, tiring hours and it would also reduce crash numbers. AI is a system that is based on data, therefore the more data it has, the better it works. In the video we watched in class, we saw artificial intelligence being used for a certain game play, which they described as "one type of intelligence beating another." 

Pros & Cons

While self driving cars and voice activated technology may be exciting, there are also downsides to be considered when it comes to these advancements. The bottom line is, jobs are being taken away, and not just that but women's' jobs in particular. Women are at higher risk for losing their job to artificial intelligence because females are more often seen in jobs such as teachers, cashiers, and nurses. It is true that men make up more than 90% of truck drivers and manual laborers, they are still less at risk considering AI won't completely eliminate jobs but rather take away certain tasks.

 From a business stand point, artificial intelligence is going to be amazing because it will maximize the objective function therefore bringing in more money. If you are having a machine produce products at a faster rate, for less money, obviously you will need less employees resulting in the need to pay fewer salaries. When we get into the security aspect of AI, it becomes complicated. Machines are already tracking our media and technology use in order to do things like produce more appropriate ads and things oof that nature. Your digital exhaust, which is the traces left behind on the internet can be see by computer engineers and those in the technological profession, in order t adapt and grow the products used. What most people don't know is that is not the only thing being tracked. We are seeing a growth in facial tracking and recognition. Since the technology is ever-changing and continuously growing, we don't know how private our private lives will soon be. This could be both good and bad. For example, if there is a wanted murderer roaming the streets, we are going to want every single detail about their life, where they are, who they're with, what their buying, what they look like, etc.. On the other hand, I as a harmless college student don't need a hacker getting into my computer for private information and changing up my own personal data. It is both an exciting and terrifying thing to think about the possibilities that technology has, but my hope is that developers find a good medium and don't push the limits too far.

blog #4

 EOTO: TikTok

blog #4

When my EOTO group got together to choose which technology we would research, I was actually excited that I got the app TikTok. The history, business, and impact of this app is interesting, considering it basically took over the world. TikTok was invented by an Asian tech company called ByteDance. It was created in 2016 by combing two preexisting apps; Music.ly and Douyin. We've seen similar apps before, like a non discontinued Vine, but never in this format.

Part of the appeal of TikTok is the shortness of the videos. Users can record between fifteen and sixty second videos of whatever they please; lip-syncing, dancing, cooking, gaming, you name it! TikTok grew at aggressive rates; by September 2018 it surpassed Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, and Facebook in monthly installs by more than one billion downloads. Not only is TikTok a great platform for entertainment, but it also is a method of networking. Many big creators have received brand deals with significant companies, some even go on to develop their own businesses or products. 

The Good Side

Many of the most highly followed TikTok users, such as the D'amelios and Lil Huddy have gone on to form music careers, accept invitations to prestigious events like the Met Gala or VMA's, and grow their following across all social media platforms. 

We live in a very technology based era, many children are seen with their noses in iPad screens before the age of 4. In the case of TikTok, however, this is a good thing. The app personalizes each users feed based of their likes, searches, following, etc. When the Corona Viru
s struck the United States and put citizens in lockdown, TikTok use almost skyrocketed. Between the crave for human interaction and hatred for boredom, users were creating and watching even more than typical. TikTok makes money through the ads it places, but users can also make money.

As I said before, many creators go on to expand their self brand but what most don't know is the opportunity to continue on the app while still making money. The creator fund is offered to users with a certain minimum number of followers. This means that the more views, likes and comments a post has, the more money the user will receive. 

The Bad Side

TikTok may seem like a harmless app, I mean how much damage can a bunch of 13 year olds doing dancing do? Well, you might be surprised to hear about the dark side that comes with it. TikTok has very little censorship, unless the user changes their personal settings. The cases of sexual predators and pedophiles have drastically grown as the app has earned more popularity. Users have the opportunity to adjust their privacy settings; make their accounts private, turn off comments or likes, and adjust the accounts to make them feel more comfortable. However, in all honesty, when I was 13 years old I was not thinking about scary creeps using my social media to find me. 

This danger stands true for any and all social media platforms, the same with bullies, racism, unrealistic standards, and just about anything toxic you can think of. TikTok does do a good job of attempting to pprotect their clients, however no one will ever be 100% on a social media app, especially one as popular and loved as TikTok. 

Blog #7

 Finding New Technology

Blog #7

During our recent EOTO presentations I learned about a lot of different technologies and apps. While my part of the presentation was focused on the app TikTok, I got to sit and hear more about a topic I normally would disregard, video games. Video games have become a rather large part of society and social media. Platforms such as Twitch have been a big part in bringing gamers together. 

Twitch is a streaming app used to share game play and tricks. The interactive live-streaming service is used by many video game connoisseurs to commentate and play while viewer can watch, comment, interact, and keep up to date on the most current games and apps. 

Twitch was one of the apps that grew immensely during the world wide pandemic of 2020. With people locked up at home, many resorted to video games and live streaming. People could have human interaction, doing the things they loved and had in common, while still social distancing. 

Video games have been around my whole life, which isn't that long looking at the bigger picture. However, in the short time that they have been available, video games shave probably had the most growth out of any technology, in my opinion. We started out with small consoles that had lots of wires, not a lot of games, and typically broke in a span of months. Nowadays, we see all different versions of consoles. Take the PlayStation, since the first released console in 1994, there have been five new ones, and over 400 possible games to be played. 

Video games are a great way to improve hand-eye coordination, connect with others, and release stress. The world of gaming is growing daily with apps like Twitch, events such as Summer Game Fest, and new releases of video games almost daily. While it may not be new to others, video games and the gaming world is new to me and I am intrigued to learn more about it. 

Blog #6

 Diffusion Of Innovation

Blog #6

As someone who has only known a life with technology, I have been able to see many apps flourish and many apps have a rapid downfall. After reading about the diffusion of innovation theory, I now understand why this happens. It depends on the innovation itself, time, communication channels, as well as a social system. 

If we were to compare a successful app such as TikTok, to an unsuccessful one, take YikYak, we can see how the differences vary. TikTok became big in 2020 when the Corona Virus put the United States in lockdown. This means that more people were using their phones and mindlessly scrolling in order to attempt to cure the boredom. YikYak on the other hand was created in 2013 and did not last long before shutting down due to failure to maintain user engagement. In 2013, most social media user were still buzzing about Instagram and Snapchat, not an app used to anonymously comment on people in the same vicinity as you. 

Many people became early adapters of apps like TikTok and Instagram because of the social scene at the time. Rather than missing out on what others are experiencing, people will download the apps, let them sit on their phones without posting, and just use it every once in a while. When they realize these apps are changing and growing, people will resort to using them more in depth. Many of my own friend were against TikTok when it first became big because they figured it was just something to watch people dance and lip-sync, however as more users appear, the app grows with the audience and adapts. Nowadays, everyones "for you" page is personalized, whether it be dancing, cooking, cars, fashion, you name it!

One thing that doe hold app back from growing is age. Not many older people use social media as often as kids ages 10-25. Not because they are hard to use, but because many people of older generations are stuck in their ways; they grew up with telephones with curly wire and televisions that do not have remotes. In addition, there are articles written about the safety and hazards of social media, these are more likely to be read by older people rather than the youthful users. 

The question that remains is do the positives outweigh the negatives? Well, as a said before, many apps like YikYak will crumble for various reasons, but other apps like TikTok will almost. help boost society as a whole. It is important to be aware of online dangerous such as bullying, harassment, sex trafficking, identity theft, and more. However, if apps are used correctly and with discretion, problems will stay minimal. Social media is meant to be a good thing, a way to connect people around the world and build networks, it's not meant to be harmful. 

Blog 9/22/2021: Privacy

 Privacy & Surrounding Problems

Blog #5

The videos we watched regarding privacy, and lack thereof, prove how closely surveyed American citizens are. I know a lot of parents nowadays use tracking apps for their children such as Find My Friends and Life360, however it is a completely different story when people are having their faces on websites unknowingly or have footage of them in places such as bars or libraries. 

My family has been affected by these problems because in 2020, some very bad people got my grandparents information, blackmailed them, and took their money. A simple thing like ordering from an unknown website or using your credit card at a gas station are just some of the ways people, like the ones that did that to my grandparents, are able to get your information and steal your identity, money, or unimaginable things. 

I am not completely against surveillance, such as to track people on probation or men or women who work in dangerous jobs like firefighters or deep-sea fishermen even. However the line can very easily be crossed when people are unknowingly tracked. One thing I think the government should do about this issue is minimize the photo surveillance. I think having some parts known and others left unknown is a good medium for both surveyed and the surveyor. As citizens, we receive warnings and have to sign user agreements before using most websites, apps, or services. Never once in my life have I read the terms and conditions before checking agree. I think in order to protect ourselves, we must begin reading these types of things rather than using something blind. 

Blog #3

 8 Values of Free Expression: Top Picks

When it comes to the 8 Values of Free Expression, the one that resonates most with me, personally, is the fourth; individual self-fulfillment. Freedom of speech is not something to mess around with when it comes to American citizens. 

After this most recent presidential election, we have seen a lot more people publicly voicing their opinions, no matter how unkind the words used are. Rather than shutting down every hurtful tweet or comment, these people were free to speak their opinion, regardless of how belligerent it was. The 

individual self-fulfillment encourages people to use their voice because it enables their self expression and allows more room for building self worth. 

To me, individual self-fulfillment is one of America's most unique "qualities". If you look at this country in comparison to any others, whether it be Greece, Mexico, China, what have you, you will find much more difference between the citizens here. America its known for being the "melting pot" and we continue to live by this name. With our freedom of self-fulfillment, people are more successful, happier, and live a more ideal life. 

This value of free expression also coincides with another, and I feel as though you can't have one with out having both. The value of Stable Change speaks about individuals speaking their mind are less likely to resort to violence and rage. This may seem redundant, due to the fact that almost everything in the judicial system is repeated, but it is important to note that monitoring does come into play with this. 

Whatever the case may be, a rant about someones job, angrily tweeting about a parking ticket, commenting about a sports game, no matter how big or small an incident may seem, it can be someone else's driving factor. The government is much safer when they allow people to speak their mind.  

In order to remain peaceful and orderly, American citizens really demand one thing; the opportunity to talk. We have the power to vote for presidents, the power to talk about problems going on, the power to speak on things we feel so passionately about. This power is almost like a trade between the government and the common people. In exchange for ones speech, the government is less likely to experience backlash and physical harm. 

Despite the ongoing struggle of racism and other societal issues, the diversity of America is exactly what make it "America, land of the free home of the brave." The differences between two people can not go unnoticed, which is exactly why we must be given are basic right to speak openly and freely. With the 8 values of free expression, we are putting a leash on how drastic people can go. Without this leash, citizens would probably be twisting words and bending laws in order to have them fit the scenarios.

We don't live in a world that is simply black and white; the color is what makes Earth so great. Part of the color that comes with human beings is their opinion. Without opinion and different ideas, the world would probably never have the technology and change that we have. experienced and continue to. One of America's biggest appeals and best quality's is the individuality of it's citizens. We would not have so much nationalism and energy if everyone was tied down to a certain way of life.