Final Blog Post: My Relationship With Technology

Most of the world today is glued to their phone with an unhealthy relationship with technology. However, I believe that I have a healthy relationship with technology. Most of the time when I use the internet, I use it as a tool for my academics or source of news. As a college student, I have a very busy schedule and don’t have much free time. When I do have free time, I will use it to play games on the New York Times. I like Wordle, The Mini, and Connections. These games are brain games and make me think outside of the box which can positively affect me. Sometimes I will scroll on social media and see what my friends are up to, whether that be my sister traveling abroad, my friends who go to different colleges, or things that are going on at home.  

The average college student has a screen time of 4-6 hours. My screen time statistics show that I also spend 4-6 hours daily. My top three apps are Instagram, Safari, and TikTok. I am a big procrastinator and I usually go on the internet to procrastinate. Since many apps are designed to be endless, I will occasionally find myself glued to my phone as these platforms show me content that is based on my interactions with other videos and showing me videos that spark my interest.

I am confident in saying that I do not believe everything I hear on the internet. I always make sure that the sources are reliable and fact-checked as I don’t want to consume and spread false information. False information has become a huge problem recently because many people will automatically believe what they read. 

I have no choice but to accept the society we live in because it's only going to get worse. I think about the world's relationship with technology almost every day. It scares me how much people rely on the Internet and social media. Many people these days are making a living from social media. This can be good for them however, they are at risk of focusing and caring too much about the number of followers, post interactions, likes, and comments which will cause them stress and anxiety. 

With the internet being so big, people are starting to become more lazy and less independent. Many people rely on the Internet to solve their problems. One of my biggest fears is AI as a whole. I am scared for our future as many college students are cheating from AI and not learning key concepts. Can I trust future professionals such as doctors and lawyers to help me if they possibly used a form of artificial intelligence to find answers or to get through school? I also worry about finding a job in the future because I think some careers will be eliminated. After all, AI can essentially do that position better and faster than humans. I worry that as a society we are going to lose human interaction because AI will be able to do so many things for people.

Unfortunately, I have to say that I am concerned with my family and friends’ relationship with technology. When I hang out with my friends, they will usually be on their phones instead of living in the moment. This makes me feel like I'm less important and overall makes me question my relationships. I don't think people realize how this can affect their relationships, communication, and interactions.

Technology plays a major role in my life. Technology gives me access to call my friends and family when I am away at college. I can’t imagine living in a world where communication involves writing letters and sending them by postal services. As someone who struggles with dyslexia, technology assists me with my writing through the use of spell check and various other grammar checkers.

If a future employer were to search me up online, they would hopefully get a good impression of who I am as a person. I am always cautious about my actions on social media, as it can essentially ruin my future. I have accounts on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Snapchat. However, I only post on Instagram. My goal is to make my Instagram page match my personality. I am a fun, outgoing, optimistic, and adventurous person. By wearing bright-colored dresses, posting in scenic locations, and always having a smile on my face, I want everyone to see my true colors and values. As someone who always likes to stay positive, I try to keep my Instagram filled with positivity. 

When I search for myself online, my Facebook, LinkedIn and inactive Instagram account from middle school will pop up. You can also find many of my family members including my aunt, uncle, and sister. There will also be a TikTok account under my name, but it isn’t me. I am in the process of trying to get that account removed because the thought of it makes me squirm. You will also find my LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram as well as a GoFundMe page that I donated to for my friend's dog, and a news article that I was featured in.

Age Of Artificial Intelligence

 The documentary begins with Lee Sodol, the world champion of the worlds most complex game, Go, prepare to play against artificial intelligence. The AI, known as Alpha Go, was developed by Google. Similar to the networks in the human brain, Alpha Go was able to educate itself the game's rules and became experienced. Lee Sedol was eliminated from the game after Alpha Go discovered moves that no human had ever considered, which proves that AI is far more advanced than we think.

Before watching the video, I already had my fears and opinions about artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence has powers that us, humans do not hold. There is no doubt that AI is taking over the world. What I didn’t know was that AI has already begun to replace human labor because it reduces the need for employers to pay taxes for labor performed by robots. This is scary because AI will be much more advanced by the time I graduate from college and start up my career. I also fear for the future, as many college students are using ChatGPT for answers. Why should I Trust a doctor who cheated online for answers?

Many companies are taking advantage of AI. For example, Facebook wanted to see if they could influence world behavior through online messaging. Their goal was to get more people to vote in the polls. As a result, Facebook induced 3,040 voters in the 2010 midterm election. 

Harvard professor, Shoshana Zuboff explains that social media is using us and tracking what we do. The video shares that Google used AI to track the way we use the internet. In the early 2000s, Google’s investors were pressuring them to make more money, and their company was in danger, they needed a way to save the company. They made their browsers make digital traces, also known as “digital exhausts” of our behavior to track us. They would use these trackers to predict our interests and future actions online. This proves that with such little data, AI can determine anything and everything about us, humans.

I think it's incredible that we've come so far in the world to discover AI. But I believe we should stick to the present for now. I recently watched this video that I think should be shared around the world, as I do not believe enough people have seen it. The video that I have linked is a great example of one of the many powers that AI holds. 

EOTO #2

 

Online influencers play a major role in today's society. Online influencers have access to a large audience where they use their platform to interest, inform, motivate, and shape the beliefs and actions of their listeners. Today, online influencers are becoming more and more prominent, as we spend most of our time online. Many people look up to, trust, and support influencers they see online. Influencers may use their platform to share political beliefs, advertise companies' products, services, share tutorials, and expand their personal brand. 

In 2002, the first online influencers were “mommy bloggers.” Mommy bloggers are blogs created by women who share their experiences of being of mother. They also include stories about their families, children, and what to expect.

Online influencers started to become popular around 2009, with influencers on Youtube such as PewdiePie, Dude Perfect, and Ryan Higa. In 2010, Instagram was created and became accessible to the public. Instagram became popular very quickly, as it allowed users to post and share images of their daily lives. 

With social media on the rise, most of today’s influencers are found on TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, and Youtube. Most influencers create content about gaming, lifestyle, beauty, fashion, and reality TV. Many influencers are paid by brands to advertise and sponsor their products. This helps businesses expand their reach. You can also pay to have your posts sponsored on various platforms, which will help promote your profile. Influencers are incredibly powerful. 

Out of every social media platform, influencers make the most money on Instagram. There are four different types of influencers, mega, macro, micro, and nano. The most well-liked category of influencers are mega influencers. Typically, they are well-known individuals, or celebrities with a million or more followers, who earn up to $10,000 every post. People with 500K–1M followers are considered macro influencers. Their earnings range from $5,000 to $10,000 each post. With 5,000–100,000 followers, micro influencers have a smaller fan base compared to mega and macro influencers. They may earn between $100 and $500 every post. Nano influencers have between 1,000 and 10,000 followers, which is a smaller audience. Despite being influential, it's possible that not many people are aware of them. They may earn between $10 and $100 every post. (shopify)

Most influencers don’t discuss topics like politics, they typically post content that their audience can relate to. This helps them maintain their following and keep a good reputation. However, there has been controversy in the past when influencers have voiced their opinions about political circumstances. Some of their followers support their opinion meanwhile, others will no longer support them as a whole. 

It has become a normal thing for an influencer to get “cancelled.”  People can get cancelled due to racisist comments, inappropriate actions or content, offensive behavior, and so much more. Kanye West is a great example of a celebrity that has been canceled. Kanye has made many anti-semetic tweets about Jews in which made his fans question his morals. It is so easy for an influencer to say the wrong thing and lose their fans. This is why we need to be cautious of what we say, write, and how we express ourselves on social media.

Blog #7 Diffusion of Innovation

 

Created in 1962 by Everett Rogers, the Diffusion of Innovation Theory explains how and why certain innovations get adopted over time. The rate at which innovations are adopted can be influenced by several factors including accessibility, the social system, complexity, relative advantage, and observability. This theory can be applied to innovations as well as ideas, as Professor Smith mentioned. 

The Diffusion of Innovation Theory can be applied to the app TikTok. TikTok was created in 2016 as a reboot of the app Music.ly which was created in 2014 (investopedia). However, TikTok became popular in 2018. TikTok is a social media platform where people can create and share videos. These videos can include viral trends, dances, world events, tutorials, etc. Compared to other social media platforms, TikTok has a unique recommendation algorithm that tracks how much time you spend watching each video, what you like, what you share, and what you save. TikTok then creates something called a “For You Page,” which contains videos that appeal to the user based on their usage and interests. 

When looking through the lens of Rogers's Diffusion Theory, we can identify factors that influenced the rate at which people used or adopted TikTok. The pandemic forced people to stay inside their homes. Since TikTok became popular in 2018, many people spent time using the app while being locked down in their homes or quarantined. Some people were quick to adopt this technology because it was a brand new social media platform and everyone wanted to try it. Also, since TikTok lacks complexity, people are more inclined to use it. Another factor that influenced TikTok being adoption so quickly is the social system factor. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are more inclined to use TikTok because social media plays a major role in their lives. These generations use social media to communicate and express themselves. 

When using this theory to analyze why some people are late to adopt or use TikTok, several factors come to mind. As I mentioned earlier, certain generations are more inclined to use social media for communication and expression. Gen X and The Baby Boomer Generation are not as inclined to use technology or social media to communicate or express themselves. This could be because they did not grow up using this type of technology. Some people may not see certain advantages of TikTok or find the videos entertaining or relevant. 

Some people have decided not to use TikTok at all. Reasons could include the issue of security and possible addiction. TikTok collects various types of data including behavior patterns and location information. It is believed that the Chinese government can use this information. These security concerns have caused several countries to ban the app. Authorities believe that the app could compromise national security. 

A negative consequence of the app can be the risk of addiction. TikTok is designed to be bottomless, where users are encouraged to keep scrolling through the content over an extended time period. With this negative consequence in mind, people may not want to risk using the app due to potential consequences.  

Blog #6 The Progressive Era

 I believe main stream news outlets lack antiwar voices for several different reasons. The first reason is that these opinions or viewpoints do not align with the current political narrative. Certain mainstream news outlets have government licenses (in some way funded by the government). With the threat of losing funding, certain licenses, and potential support; main stream news sources push stories that the government will support to keep funding and licenses. Main stream news sources base their stories on the preferences of the government, even if it means not painting the complete picture of what is truly going on.

The government can also enact laws and regulations that limit freedom of speech, expression, and the press. This in turn censors content that could be politically sensitive. News information suppression restricts peoples rights by undermining basic democratic ideals and the freedom to get information. It limits peoples ability to obtain a wide variety of information, which is essential for making educated decisions, participating in society, and holding governments responsible. Suppression of some viewpoints might result in a limited and skewed perception of situations and problems. The government can even resort to arresting journalists and activist who report content that goes against the status quo. With the threat of possible arrest, certain main stream media sources have to limit the views and stories they share with the public.

Main stream media outlets typically have a larger audience and more funding compared to new sources such as Antiwar.com and The American Conservative. People often view main stream news sources as more credible and less biased. However, that is not necessarily the case. Smaller media sources that share different views are harder to find because they can face censorship which in turn limits them to a smaller audience.

It is really interesting to see how similar times are today compared to the Progressive Era where people who voiced their antiwar opinions about WWI could be persecuted or thrown in jail. While people aren’t necessarily being killed, they still face legal challenges and potential jail time if they “go against the government” and voice opinions that may not fit the political narrative. The limiting of peoples first amendment rights is still a prevalent issue today.

Privacy Online & Off

 

Juan Enriquez starts off this video by explaining how tattoos can tell a story without words. Juan Enriquez claims that the things we do every day, which can include using, Facebook Twitter, yelp, cell phone calls, credit cards etc. are considered “electronics tattoos.” He suggests that these tattoos live far longer than us and our immortal. This symbolizes how everything we do on the Internet will be up there forever. He also mentions that facial recognition is also an electronic tattoo, meaning that you can find out anything about a person using facial recognition. This can affect anyone because we are all active online and the things we post are permanent.

The second video explains the truth behind surveillance cameras. Catherine Crump explains that the government and police departments can use surveillance cameras to find out private information about anyone, for example, it can reveal where we go and what car we drive. Automatic plate readers are very common. They capture images of license plates of cars that drive by and put them in a database. This can be helpful to track down any car involved in suspicious activity. 

The third video is about wiretapping. He explains that our phones and network carriers are specifically wired for surveillance. This means that the government or anyone that hacks into the system, can listen in on our phone calls and conversations. Christopher Soghoian encourages us to use tools to protect our privacy. This affects me because I think it is an invasion of privacy. There is a possibility that I could be having a conversation and someone could be listening in on it.

The fourth video is about revenge porn. Darieth Chisolm opens her TedTalk with a horrifying story. She shared that she was about to give a speech to an audience when she had a missed call from her ex-husband. There was a website created that shared multiple nude photos of the speaker while she was asleep. It turns out that her ex-boyfriend created the website to get back at her for ending the relationship. What he did is known as revenge porn. There is data that one in twenty-five women are impacted as a result of revenge porn with suicide rates of 51%. Only 40 states have some type of law regarding revenge porn. We can prevent this by being aware of what we post and the amount of people that have access to it.

Blog #4 EOTO

 In 1967 Ralph Baer created the first video game console called The Brown Box. In 1972, he sold it to Magnavox, which the Brown Box was renamed to Odyssey. This video game console allowed people to play games at home. The Odyssey came with 12 games including, hockey, table tennis, haunted house, cat and mouse, and more. There were additional game cards for the Odyssey that offered other games. The Magnavox Odyssey was created mainly to entertain individuals and provide an interactive method of playing games with others. It was not created to solve any type of problem. Individuals during this time had an increasing interest in electronic entertainment. Ralph Baer took advantage of the growing interest in electronic entertainment and created the first at-home gaming system.

Video games are used by billions of people worldwide. Today, the most popular video game consoles are Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Video games continue to impact society and the way people communicate. Video games are a major form of entertainment. Multiplayer games enable individuals to connect and communicate with each other. Individuals can create friendships through this virtual platform. They also force people to communicate about gameplay, collaborate as a team to reach certain game achievements and strategize about gameplay. Like any form of technology, video games come with negative impacts. Some negative impacts can include addiction, online harassment, and negative impacts on physical and mental health. Video games can change how people interact and perceive the world today. 

Video games have become more accessible to the public. Early video games were found in arcades and we’re limited in people's homes. As video games have evolved, they can now be played in the comfort of their own home, on their TV and computer, and now even on smartphones and tablets.

Graphics and technology have evolved significantly. Early video games lacked color and had simple 2-D graphics. The introduction of home consoles came with improved graphics and color. Video games started to include 3-D graphics in the mid-1900s, allowing people to fully immerse themselves in the game. Virtual reality (VR) technology has become very popular today. High-definition graphics emerged on the gaming systems that most people use today including PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, creating a more realistic game experience for users.

Gameplay has also changed since the introduction of the first video game. Initially, games were simple and didn’t need much strategy to play them. Games included Pac-Man and table tennis. As technology advanced over the years, video games have incorporated more styles and involve more strategies. This allows for a more immersive gaming experience and players now communicate with each other (chat or by headset) to reach certain game objectives.

Today’s culture has significantly been impacted by video games. People can now play and connect with people in other countries. Gaming has also become incredibly competitive. This has led to esports and video game tournaments. We now see professional gamers who make a living by live streaming the gaming experience, create content, and participate in virtual forums that discuss gameplay. Video gaming has become so popular that even some colleges offer degrees in video game design.