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.