Blog #12 : Final Blog

 

What is something that is integrated into every single one of our lives? In fact, it is so intrinsic in our society that it is nearly impossible to remove it from our daily routine. This powerful artifact is nothing other than technology. Technology has completely altered and shaped the 21st century. It has allowed us to build new connections and accomplish tasks never before possible. Yet, it has also brought about a whole new era of angst and unanswered questions. So, let's dive a little into the newfound world of technology and all the positives and negatives that have developed alongside it. 

As for everyone else living in today's world, I am sure they could share their own personal experiences of how technology shaped their lives. Personally, the form of technology that has significantly infiltrated my life would be social media. A few months prior to the Covid pandemic in the spring of 2020, I was going through a rather challenging time in my life. I was struggling with my mental health and was in the middle of transferring to a new high school in the midst of my junior year. During this same time, there was a social media platform that was growing rapidly, known as TikTok. I decided to create a profile and partake in this app, as most 16-year-olds my age were also doing. Little did I know that posting videos with my friends would lead to me gaining over 100,000 followers. My decision in downloading an app helped me gain confidence and an entirely new mindset. Despite my life transitions during that time, there were also people out there who actually cared about me and were fascinated by my life. I also built connections and gained opportunities in modeling for clothing brands I would have never imagined possible. From my perspective,  I view technology as a blessing, in that we have this powerful tool right at the tip of our fingers. Although I am not ignorant of the curses that also come alongside it, I would like to focus on the positives first.  

Humans have been communicating since we were placed on this planet. As humans evolved, so did communication, from letters to landlines to emails to text messages. Today, there is a world of communication accessible to us. A simple device small enough to slip into our pockets allows us to connect with others anywhere in the world.  Today, 5 billion people in the world own
a mobile device. Texting has allowed us to get in touch with friends or family in a matter of seconds. We are able to send short direct messages, whether it's delivering news, making business deals, or just checking in on a friend. In 2020, texting became the most widely used method of communication, with nearly 23 billion texts being sent each day.  Other communication features, such as Facetime, have been able to bring people even closer together. During the pandemic, nearly everyone was isolated from friends, close family, classmates, and co-workers. Facetime allowed us to speak to one another face-to-face, even if it was not in person. 

Not only has technology changed communication within our world today, but it has also changed education immensely. Everyone has experienced education through technology when the world was put on pause during the pandemic. Yet, technology has shaped education more than just Zoom meetings and online assignments. Technology has opened horizons for extensive amounts of information. A simple Google search can lead to thousands of documents, information, and answers. Technology even helps educators venture further with teaching techniques. They can enhance their students' learning experience simply with the incorporation of technology. 

Technology has clearly enhanced our lives, and mostly in beneficial ways. Yet, despite all the improvements, there are also equally as many concerns. One of the most detrimental effects of technology, that many may not even question, is its impact on our physical health. Different aspects of technology can actually harm our health. We have become very reliant on technology, which has led us to use forms of it for extended periods of time. Viewing a screen can lead to serious eyestrain. It is predicted that 2 out of 3 Americans will experience eyestrain from excessive phone use.  There are various factors of phones that cause this eyestrain, from the brightness to glare to time used. Just as we have adapted to the integration of technology within our lives, doctors have already come up with remedies for these technology-related problems. They have created the 20-20-20 rule, which states that for every 20 minutes spent looking at a screen, a person should look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.  Overuse of phones has also led to an increase in back pain and poor posture. While looking down at your phone, you are likely to hunch your shoulders, which over time, may result in poor posture. This motion of constantly looking down at a phone is not only bad for posture, but can also lead to arthritis, nerve pain, headaches, and various other negative impacts on our health. It is clear there is plenty of research that proves technology affects our physical health, but it is not the only thing it impacts. 

Within recent years, it has become more evident that technology has begun to take a toll on mental health. Technology has become something so prevalent in all of our lives.  In fact, a survey from Pew Research Center showed roughly 4 out of 10 teenagers feel anxious when they do not have their cell phones with them. Thus,  cell phone use can cause even more feelings of anxiety. It actually seems to be a vicious cycle, where phone use keeps us in a constant state of anxiety, and yet the only relief is to go on your phone. Technology has become a second lifeline within our lives which never stops, unlike humans. Knowing this creates a significant level of anxiety in everyone's lives, trying to keep up with this vast new era. Cell phone use also heightens symptoms of depression. An NPR article included research that showed that teens who spend five or more hours per day on their devices are 71% more likely to have one risk factor for suicide. Whether it is social media use or communicating through a phone, any extended amount of technology use has risks of causing feelings of depression. Now, the question asked is why? The answer is quite simple, being that technology is an alternative version of reality. Essentially, we are able to do almost everything in real life, yet through a screen. 

Technology has allowed communication to become accessible and efficient, essentially being able to communicate with anyone nearly anywhere or anytime. Yet this accessibility has opened the door to isolation. Having constant access to technology has created a strain on our ability to make personal connections. Communicating virtually in such a casual manner has left many generations with improper social etiquette, which is a leading cause of why relationships are so much harder to build.  A 2017 study showed that young adults aged 19–32 years found that people with higher social media use were more than three times as likely to feel socially isolated than those who did not use social media as often. The feeling of isolation from social media may have been a result of viewing others’ lives. Seeing what others may be doing can lead to feelings of missing out and loneliness, which can be linked to further self-isolation and poor self-esteem. It is important to take a step back and check our own reality, to make sure technology is not controlling our lives. 

 

 

Blog #10 : In the Age of AI

 

Artificial Intelligence, or AI - many people may not know what this is, but they should for it is something frightening developing in today's world. I did not know much about Artificial Intelligence until I took a course in science fiction during my first year at High Point University. This course completely immersed me into the world of artificial intelligence by studying it for almost a straight month. I learned a lot about the type of Artificial Intelligence that is a computer or robot. AI in this form was created to interact with humans through computed responses to simulate an interaction with another human being.  These types of AI are developing so quickly, and it is not unlikely that they could think for themselves or become conscious in the future. Not only would this become a major scientific development, but it could also create all types of problems within society. This would increase the margin of jobs and opportunities that machines are already able to do, rather than human beings. Further, this would create extensive debate concerning whether or not this technology could be considered human, if they are conscious. As a result, people may analyze whether these machines should be granted the same human rights that we maintain. My professor explained how much of a large societal issue this could present if AI reaches a certain level of intelligence. 

I was reintroduced to the topic of Artificial Intelligence within my Media Law and Literacy course. Yet this time, instead of learning how AI is venturing towards human intelligence, I learned how AI is able to invade human privacy. Through the Frontlines documentary In the Age of AI, it was proven that artificial intelligence is already invading our privacy, in more ways than one. The most evident ways happen almost constantly online, for there really seems to be no such thing as privacy on the internet, for we gave technology a place in our lives that it it did not earn. 

One of the most notable internet giants that abuses its powers is Google. It has been said that Google's entire business is crafted to learn about you, your dreams, your inspirations, and even your thoughts. Within the Frontline documentary, a Google employee who was asked about the privacy concern responded, “you would be horrified if you knew what we knew about you”. 

Yet, Google is not the only culprit in invading privacy in order to better their company. Facebook is right alongside them in connection to privacy scandals. In 2010, Facebook experimented with AI to send users a direct message urging them to vote in the presidential election. They also offered an “I voted” sticker, leaving Facebook credited with potentially influencing approximately 34,000 Americans to vote. This is one of the few positive examples there are of online software using their abilities for good, by trying to get Americans involved and vote. Yet, at the same time, Facebook was also using their ability to invade the privacy of millions of users. In 2018, it was revealed by The New York Times and The Guardian that over 50 million Facebook profiles and accompanying information were being harvested to hand data to Cambridge Analytic, and thus led to over 9 billion in fines for Facebook and a public apology from CEO Mark Zuckerburg. Data breaches happen all the time, just not typically as widespread in the public eye or reaching such an immense amount of people. In the Facebook case, it was mostly information such as email, name, gender, and location which were leaked, and which are all key parts of our identification. Yet, some data breaches are much more serious, where social security or other information can be breached and lead to identity theft. 

A few years following Facebook's data scandal, there was a push for a law in California in 2017 called the right to know, meaning you can go to any company and ask what they know about you and what they have collected on you within a certain span of time. It is also the right to say no, meaning you can opt to guarantee that no company is tracking or gaining personal information, and you can also opt to make sure that no third parties are obtaining any information.  It was passed in 2018 as The California Consumer Privacy Act, which granted all these rights to citizens of California. It also gave consumers in California the opportunity to sue companies if they perceive any guidelines to be violated. California clearly took a step in the right direction to protect citizens from the dangers of advancing technologies, and is something I hope we will see at a federal level in the future. 

Now if you think all of these cases of Artificial Intelligence in the United States are alarming, look beyond our borders for even more extreme instances. China utilizes AI within almost every aspect of life, for it is on its way to becoming a complete surveillance state. China’s national security is based on routinely invading their citizens' privacy.  Frontline’s documentary on AI showcased how there is surveillance on every street, every corner, every village, and essentially any and every place in China. These cameras are connected to screens that read, track, and identify a person by scanning their face.  The New York Times summed up this surveillance state perfectly, “The Chinese government’s goal is clear: designing a system to maximize what the state can find out about a person’s identity, activities and social connections, which could ultimately help the government maintain its authoritarian rule.” It has been said that there are an estimated 1 billion cameras being actively used as part of this system. They are strategically placed where citizens fulfill their needs such as eating, traveling, shopping, and entertainment. The government has even placed cameras inside residential buildings and bars. It is terrifying that this is happening within our world today, and even more frightening that there are rumors of this surveillance state happening in the United States. 

It is clear that as technology and Artificial Intelligence develop, there is a significant threat to our society, whether it be more invasion of our privacy or more access to our private information. Or, it may be that technology may surpass our abilities. We live in a world where technology is a large influence within our lives, and which has helped shape the modern world we live in today. Yet, we must hope that this technology does not completely take over our lives in the future. 

 

Blog #11 : EOTO Reaction

This week within my Media Law and Literacy class, we were able to learn from our peers through Each One Teach One. The first time our class was assigned this task, I thoroughly enjoyed being able to present information I researched to my peers, so I was excited to receive the opportunity to participate again. I presented the topic of Mainstream Media, and basically explained what it is and how it influences our modern world. Due to my prior research on Mainstream Media, one of my peer’s presentations on the topic of propaganda resonated the most with me. 

While researching for my own presentation, I learned that MainStream Media was first introduced in the United States during World War I. It was utilized to spread propaganda in a widespread manner  to the citizens at that time.  During wars, propaganda can be considered very dangerous, and may even be considered a weapon. Propaganda during wars illustrates the “enemy,” or other nations and countries, in a poor light, in order to create a false image within the minds of our citizens. This must be one considered one of the most frightening aspects of propaganda, as some of the ideas propagated are meant solely to mislead and depict things that are not often reality.  Essentially, the reason for propaganda is to try to promote specific views to the mass population. While in middle school, I was first introduced to the idea of propaganda, as I studied the Holocaust. I learned about all the propaganda the Nazi Party developed to spread their discriminatory methodology to the citizens of Germany. Propaganda was one of the most important tools the Nazis used to shape the beliefs and attitudes of the German public.  The whole purpose of this propaganda was to influence the minds of Germans concerning what their future should look like. 

Although negative and war associated propaganda is typically what we are introduced to, there is also plenty of positive propaganda that attempts to spread a beneficial message to the public. For example, there has been an immense amount of propaganda to spread the message regarding the consequences of smoking. This is meant to try to create a positive change and influence individuals to quit smoking within our society. Personally, I see two different types of positive propaganda in my own life very frequently. The first may be seen on YouTube or TikTok in the form of advertisements. One example of this propaganda is a short film clip which persuades the audience to stop vaping. It is mostly published online due to the fact that its audience is young adults and teenagers, who are also the largest demographic that is impacted by vaping.  The second type of modern propaganda that I commonly see is on digital signs on major highways. These usually have common slogans that are trying to persuade drivers to stay safe, whether it be to warn of impaired driving or fastening your seatbelt. 

Overall, I believe it was interesting to learn a little more about propaganda, since it was a part of the beginning of MainStream Media.  I also thought it was helpful to enhance my knowledge of the topic in a different setting. Although propaganda is portrayed differently in today's world, it is very interesting to learn about the different types and the traditional forms. Its influence is also something to consider if we were to see our country enter a war again.  Essentially, all types of media are clearly connected in some manner. 

Blog #8 : Privacy

Privacy is defined as “the state or condition of being free from being observed or disturbed by other people” (Oxford Dictionary). Privacy can be easily defined, but it can be questioned whether or not it is a real occurrence in modern society. This is due to the fact that in today's world, true privacy does not exist very often. Nearly every aspect of our lives are being watched, whether by the government or technology software. 

One of the most frightening things I learned about privacy was from a Ted Talk by Juan Enriquez. He began his talk with the topic of tattoos and how they can hold a lot of symbolic meaning about a person through sharing the individual’s story visually. Now, there is nothing to be frightened about with physical tattoos, but electronic tattoos are a legitimate concern. Electronic tattoos are very similar to body tattoos, in the sense that they visually tell a lot about a person. There are electronic tattoos connected to every person that uses the internet, from your family and friends to yourself. We all understand that celebrities often lose their privacy once becoming famous, with even the smallest aspects of their lives being collected and distributed. This same collection of information has been happening to us over the past few decades. Sources such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, cell phones, and even GPS have been collecting information about us. This is nearly impossible to avoid because technology is so heavily integrated within our lives. Yet, the best way to look at electronic tattoos is from the Greek story of Sisyphus. Sisyphus was condemned to roll a rock uphill, for it to only fall back down eternally due to his poor actions. This rock can be compared to our electronic tattoos, for we will have them going up and downhill for a very long time. It is imperative to be cautious of what activities we are engaging in online so it does not damage our reputation. 

Unfortunately, those who do not use technology are also not safe from this invasion of privacy. Today, there are trackers that can scan license plates and follow each and every place we travel. They can collect information about you whether you are going to visit a therapist or an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Catherine Crump held a Ted Talk on this tracking, that is essentially an unknown track of almost every move. License plate scanners are nearly everywhere, and yet the general population is typically unaware of what they look like or the fact that technology like this even exists. They are most commonly found within police cars or simply stationed on streets. They can track each place you visit and even track who is traveling with you. This information is said to be collected in case of a legal matter where this information would be necessary. Now, the question that is commonly asked is: What can the government do? Yet, they clearly do not care that they are invading our privacy, since they are playing a large role in collecting our information. Although it is said this information is only used to help with legal matters, it is not certain that the government is not abusing their power. 

One of the most basic solutions to help with privacy issues is to completely remove technology from one’s life. Yet, this is a very difficult concept, due to the fact that technology is quite integral in today's world. From phones to cars, there is technology within every single aspect of our daily lives. One small solution that could help is using Apple technology. It is claimed that if you were to use an Apple product to communicate with another user of an Apple product that your information would not be collected. Apple claims to know about the privacy invasion and has been putting forth efforts to keep users safe. One other precaution to take is to try using a third party communication source like Whatsapp. These third party messaging sites can help block the collection of our data. Despite taking these steps, it is clear that in today's world no one is safe from privacy invasion, and it will only continue to get more significant in the future. 

Blog #7 : The Diffusion Theory

 

The Diffusion Theory was created to help analyze and understand how new ideas and technology spread. This theory was created by professor Everett Rogers in his published book Diffusion of Innovations. I was introduced to this theory through a lecture that my professor held, where he explored Apple products through the Diffusion Theory. Once introduced, I realized that most of the technology that I am familiar with has been through each stage of this theory, and therefore I decided to look into my most commonly used app Snapchat through the lens of the Diffusion Theory. 

Nearly twelve years ago, Snapchat began as merely an idea when founder Evan Spiegel was sitting in his class at Stanford talking with his friends. So the question is how did a small conversation with friends lead to one of the most popular apps with nearly 360 million active monthly users? Perhaps because it was different from any other type of social media at the time. It was a social media creation that was most similar to face-to-face communication, for the whole purpose was to send pictures back and forth. In a 2013 interview with The Telegraph, Spiegel explained why he believed the app was so popular with the young users, “Snapchat changed that perception of deleting something as bad,” he said. “Online, typically you delete something if it’s bad or if it’s really embarrassing.”

This was the main reason that people became users of Snapchat. Young people wanted to try this new and unheard of type of social platform to communicate with others. When Snapchat was created in 2011, it was originally named Picaboo.  Yet, after the switch to the name Snapchat in 2012, the app’s popularity began to rise. The early users of Snapchat were all teenagers, which is how and why the platform became so popular. Young adults love social media, and during this time, they were moving away from Facebook due to parents and adults heavily utilizing this app. With the help of teeneagers connecting on Snapchat, the app had 10 million users within just the first year. In 2013, Snapchat created an update that offered a feature to not only communicate with one another, but post a story that all their friends could view.  By August 2014, 40% of 18 year olds in the US were using Snapchat on a daily basis. In 2015, Snapchat released Snapchat Discover, where you could say the “late adopters'' of the app came into place. Further, the MainStream Media outlets began to join the app, such as National Geographic, Vice, and ESPN. Influencers and celebrities could also post within Snapchat Discover, creating a place where all current events could be explored. 

Despite Snapchat’s huge popularity and growth, there are some downsides of the technology. The real downside is that Snapchats disappear. Stories on Snapchat only last for 24 hours and Snapchats sent between users disappear after opening. This leaves room for illegal activity, since nothing is being stored. One of the biggest issues is child pornography, due the fact that most users are teenagers. The “disappear feature” in Snapchat has allowed for illegal activity to occur without consequences in many situations. It also has deceived young adults into thinking that sending explicit pictures is not as serious a matter, due to the disappearance of Snapchats after opening. 

The majority could agree that the positives of Snapchat outweigh the negatives. It has established a new form of digital communication unlike any other messaging platform. It does not have any censorship within the app, which allows one to post anything for friends to see. This app gives users complete freedom to express themselves in whatever way they please. It also gives more privacy than most other applications, since you can only become friends with people on the app if they know your username. Snapchat’s cost to benefit analysis is also very impressive, from an app that was developed to just allow others to communicate, it has now grown to a strong company. In 2014, shortly after the launch, Snapchat made only $3.4 million and lost $500 million that same year. Yet, despite the company’s loss, they continued to advertise and create updates, which led to generating $4.1 billion in revenue in 2021.

It is clear that Snapchat can be named a historic technology advance, initiating from a small conversation within a Stanford classroom and growing to a multi-billion dollar technology company. Snapchat is something that all of you have heard of and the majority use on a daily basis. This app has been extremely influential within young adults’ lives, creating connections and relationships unheard of prior to its development. Overall, Snapchat is an extremely successful piece of technology, and will most likely continue to experience growth in the future.  

Blog Post #9 : Main Stream Media

When I am assigned to write about a topic I am not totally comfortable with, I actually tend to enjoy it more due to discovering so much information embedded within the topic exploration. This happened when I was assigned to study MSM or mainstream media. Of course, I have heard mainstream media being mentioned previously, but in all honesty I did not know of its extensive influence… but that soon changed. Mainstream media was a classification that was created within the world of journalism to basically group all large broadcasting and publishing media outlets that reach the large majority of the general public. Up until the 2000’s, mainstream media solely consisted of the news (both published and broadcasted) and the national broadcast system. Yet, today the classification of mainstream media has drastically expanded.  Common examples of mainstream media include CBS, CNN, ABC, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. These media outlets all share a leading goal, to reach the most amount of viewers. 

Although everyone can say they are familiar with one outlet that is considered mainstream media, there are more underlying implications. There are both positives and negatives that affect our general public that we might not be aware of.  One of the most beneficial outcomes of mainstream media is to inform current generations of their rights and keep them educated on current matters. Due to the heavy influence of mainstream media today, its outlets maintain a global audience. This is another positive influence of mainstream media - its ability to be mass-produced and reach an extremely large audience.  One of the most significant downsides of mainstream media is that they are commonly embedded with bias. Some have even been accused of trying to divert the audience due to their reach of the population. This has been seen throughout many presidential elections.  For example, Fox News has been connected with a conservative stance and the Republican Party, while CNN has been seen to lead more towards the liberal ideology and the Democratic Party.  There have actually been several incidents where outlets will manipulate their information in order to help gain favor for the political party their beliefs are aligned with. In a recent experiment conducted by The Washington Post and Mike's Hard Lemonade, it was found that 70% of Americans have reported that they feel overwhelmed by the news that is constantly being published, and 56% of that number are adults that claim that it has added serious stress within their lives. This is not going unrecognized by the sources, for there seems to be a strong effort in beginning to publish more uplifting news articles. 

Media has become an inseparable part of our society. Whether it is education, politics, cooking, technology, or fashion, nearly everything is influenced by mainstream media. It is constantly surrounding us and influencing our daily lives. One of the most evident reasons for the media is to cover current situations that occur, for as citizens we want to be informed on trending topics, and mass coverage can lead to a better understanding of contemporary issues. We are also affected by the media because outlets can pick what they want to include within their coverage, which can be misleading. There can be various serious matters that may be going on globally and that we are uneducated about because the media does not want to cover it. This is the largest effect that mainstream media has on us, because it is so accessible and constantly surrounding us. Essentially, their coverage is what we know to be our world today. 

Currently, mainstream media reaches nearly everyone within our society, from the educated to the illiterate. There is a visible target within each of the outlets that are considered to be mainstream media. Outlets such as The New York Times and CBS are considered to be elite types of media. These sources are agenda-based and have specific targets and reaches. They are able to do this due to the immense amount of resources they have. The direct audience of The New York Times tend to be named “privileged”. Most of the readers of the New York Times are typically seen to be wealthy or middle to upper class, or have been connected to a political party. Other outlets such as ABC and CNN reach the majority of the public, despite their social or political status. In a 2021 survey, it was proven that ABC and CNN were the most commonly known outlets that are considered mainstream media. This means these outlets are reaching the general population and all factions, wether it be the old or young, the gay or minority, rich or poor. It is clear that the media reaches everyone, and yet some outlets target different audiences. 

Since mainstream media is already so heavily involved within our lives today, it is concerning to think how it may impact future generations. We rely on the media, especially those outlets that are considered mainstream, to educate us on an array of topics.  The media was really first introduced with World War I, which was mostly just propaganda. The start of the mainstream media influence was slightly before the generation of most of our grandparents, which grew and expanded as they did. Have you ever noticed that many of our grandparents will believe anything they see on the news? That is because they trust the media, for they have relied on it since they were born. In today's world, we have learned that not all news we encounter is accurate, which can make us more discerning in finding the truth.

In all, it is evident that mainstream media is here to stay. It has only grown and become stronger from its inception, and has embedded itself more within our society and daily lives. Despite all the negatives of the media, I am hoping that the effort to prioritize positivity will continue. I also hope that all of society will become more educated concerning the purpose of mainstream media and to learn what to rely on or not. Overall, I believe that when properly utilized, mainstream media is a benefit within our society. 

Blog #6 : Each One Teach One

 This week during my class, our professor assigned us a EOTO, which stands for Each One Teach One. Essentially, we each were assigned an essential communication tool and taught the class a little about its use and its history. I thoroughly enjoyed the research I conducted, for I learned so much I would have never known my topic, which was the world wide web. Yet little did I know how much I would take away from my classmates' research as well.

One of the presentations I found the most interesting was on the typewriter. The typewriter stopped being used by the time I was born, but it was commonly used while my grandparents were growing up. Before the typewriter was invented, it could take months or years to be able to write books or newspapers. The typewriter was a revolutionary piece of technology, and thus giving a new level of accessibility in publishing. The first typewriter was produced in 1867, and yet it did not look like the typewriter we all picture within our heads. This first prototype was actually called the Hansen Writing Ball. It was shaped as a sphere, and was originally created in mind for the blind to utilize. It was not very popular, and only a few were sold before the classic typewriter came into the picture. 

The second most interesting presentation I listened to was the one on drones. I have never personally used one, but I actually have quite frequently seen them flying overhead, whether it be a concert or graduation or any type of event. Drones are typically used to capture photographs and video footage. Yet, little did I know that prior to the creation of drones, helicopters and airplanes were used to capture that same footage. Drones were created because they were smaller and less expensive. One interesting facet of the presentation was a news story where a drone was able to capture footage of the destruction within Ukraine. This would have never been possible if not for the creation of drones. It allows for footage to be taken in places and from heights that humans could not possibly reach.