Blog #12 Final Blog Post

                                       My Relationship With Technology 

My Relationship With Technology at a Young                                     Age

I started using technology at a very young age and I remember how fast I adapted to it when I first started using it my first ever technology product I revived was a Nintendo DS and I used it all the time when I was bored, I played tons of games and even wrote little diary posts in there as well. I wouldn't say I became addicted to using my DS or I wouldn't say that I depended on it, to me it was just something fun to have when bored nothing else. My parents were kind of strict on technology and what I was exposed to I remember as a kid my parents never let me watch SpongeBob because of what was being talked about and my parents didn't let me have a phone until I was in 8th grade. Back then I wasn't all that happy with just getting a phone at age 14 but now im so happy they did that because the effect on kids with phones is insane and how much they depend on their phones and act like they can't live without them.  Having a phone at 14 was weird at first because everyone had already had one but I truly never seemed to become addicted to my phone it was still something I used to play games when I was bored. The main purpose of my phone in 8th grade was to text or call my parents when I needed them and I was okay with that. 

My Relationship With Technology in High School

In High School, this is when I became addicted to my phone and depended on it for everything and it really had a toll on my mental health. High School was pretty rough for me going to an art school and just having lots of pressure on me to become a perfect student and do amazing things I used my phone to help me kind of distract myself from all of this pressure but it just caused me to do horrible in school. I used to be on my phone all the time probably 9-14 hours a day I was on my phone, which is horrible when trying to do well in school there was no time for homework or anything if I was always on my phone. The things I would do on my phone were use Snapchat all of the time communicate with friends and people from school all the time 24/7 and there was this thing called Snapchat streaks which is when you snap a person a picture every day a number appears by there name and it was of how many days you and that person communicate and I was terrified of losing streaks so I was always on Snapchat. Another thing I did on my phone a lot was Instagram and Youtube. I loved posting pictures on Instagram it was just something I loved doing editing pictures and looking at other people's pictures was like a waste of time to do when bored, I didn't really depend on Instagram as much as I did Snapchat because it wasn't that "fun" of a social media app back in the day. Youtube I used all of the time when eating and going to bed I always watched something on YouTube and the videos were mainly makeup, vlogs, or try-on hauls but it was something I was interested in watching so just never stopped watching. I wouldn't say Youtube is a bad social media it's more entertaining than an actual social media app. Social media had a huge impact on teenagers in High School that was the only thing teens did was social media and depended on that to make friends and to talk to people which is scary when we could just talk to people in person. I, unfortunately, got sucked into social media and developed social anxiety because I didn't know how to talk t people in person from using social media and my phone constantly. 

                                        My Relationship With Technology Now

My relationship with technology is way different than it was when I was in High School now as a college student I don't depend on it to make friends and to seek out attention. I use technology to inform me what's going on, to see what my friends are up to, and to post what I feel like I want to post without feeling like I have to because my generation posts things all the time. I also think that technology has a good and bad side and I feel like after watching the animation Mad World I truly think technology is a bad thing and I feel like more people need to be informed on why technology is bad for people in all types of ways. The way people use their phones all day every day is so unhealthy and so bad for your mental health. People should not have to depend on their phones and post pictures to prove to people they are perfect. But overall I feel like social media is the worst of all and is horrible for people's confidence and mental health when looking at posts of other people comparing themselves and just everything overall about social media is just drama and unnecessary drama that people do not need in their lives. Ways I have tried to limit myself on social media is setting up screentime where I can not go on my social media apps and just have a break from the social media world and just breathe and honestly, it really helps im barely on my phone anymore because I feel like I do not need to be on my phone to see things I do not want to see or deal with so I constantly try to limit myself on social media. 

Blog #11- EOTO Reflection

                                                          Group #2 EOTO Reflection

I decided to write my reflection on group #2 because I found their presentation the most interesting and informative their presentation was on the media sphere. The first topic they talked about was whistleblowers. 

What is a WhistleBlower?

A whistleblower is "an individual who without authorization reveals private or classified information about an organization usually related to wrongdoing or misconduct". 

Pros and Cons

Pros- Whistleblowing has protection in many states which means the company the whistleblower works for cant sue for telling information even if that person is involved in whistleblowing they can not go to jail if protected in that state.  Cons- Some of the cons of whistleblowing are espionage, losing social privileges, cutting finances, and the lack of awareness.  Some of the most famous whistleblowers are Daniel Ellsberg, John Kiriakou, and Edward Snowden. 

The next topic group 2 talked about was mainstream media. 

What is Mainstream Media?

Mainstream media is "forms of media especially traditional forms such as newspapers, tv, and radio rather than the internet that influences large numbers of people and is likely to represent generally accepted beliefs and opinions". 

Pros and Cons

Pros- the ability to reach the masses on a scale, awareness of politics, and government activity. 

Cons- authenticity is not always genuine, the spread of misinformation, the strong bias between networks, and unnecessary sensationalism. 

The next topic is Echo Chambers.

What is an Echo Chamber?

An echo chamber is where a person only receives information or opioids that reflect on their own. Both people would get different types of data on the same topic and both would not know one another's perspective on that topic due to echo chambers because of the data you receive and the opinions you have. "A social media chamber is when one experiences a biased, tailored media experience that eliminates opposing viewpoints and differing viewpoints".

The next topic is Filter Bubbles

What is a Filter Bubble?

A filter bubble is an algorithmic bias that limits the information and individual use sites on the internet, this affects social media platforms like Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Pros and Cons

Some of the pros of filter bubbles are you get some type of information on the topic doesn't mean it's a correct or complete story, boosts people's confidence. Some of the cons of filter bubbles are it cause misinformation, limits people's problem-solving, and people can stop thinking for themselves which is not a good thing in today's society and should be avoided.

Overall the information learned by this group was super helpful and super informative and very easy to follow and I truly think this information is important to have when looking things up and trying to find good media to read and trust and not get so sucked into social media and to not believe anything you see on the internet and to voice your opinions.

Blog #10- EOTO terms and Concepts

                                          Total Information Awareness (TIA)

What is Total Information Awareness(TIA)?

Total Information Awareness was a program created by the United States government's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency known as the DARPA. The program was created in the early 2000s. The program's goal was to develop technologies that would allow for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating large amounts of information about individuals to identify potential terrorist threats. 

The program was controversial and faced criticism from privacy advocates and civil liberty groups who were concerned about the potential for the program to violate privacy rights and lead to unwarranted surveillance of people. "In 2003 congress passed legislation that ended funding for the program".

What might be good/bad about the TIA?

The concept of Total Information Awareness was definitely controversial and few people argued that the TIA could have good benefits in terms of national security and law enforcement. An example of this is the TIA could help authorities identify and prevent terrorist attacks or other criminal activities before they happen. Another good thing about the TIA is that it could improve coordination and information sharing with different agencies and branches of government. Some of the downsides of the TIA is definitely an invasion of privacy due to the TIA collecting big amounts of your personal data which can include financial records, medical history, and what you look up online. Another downside is the potential for misuse or abuse by people who have access to the information like law enforcement officials who may use it to target individuals. The last downside of TIA that is major is the chilling effect on free speech and expression. People may speak less out loud about controversial topics if they think they are being monitored or tracked. 

How might TIA affect different people differently? 

Total Information Awareness could affect different people differently depending on a range of factors such as age, ethnicity, and personal circumstances. TIA could impact marginalized groups more especially ethnic minorities and those with lower socioeconomic status who are already subject to discrimination. Such groups may be targeted more by law enforcement based on race, religion, and other characteristics which could worsen their exclusion. Another way this could affect people differently is people who are normally concerned about their privacy or who participate in activities that they consider to be controversial may be more negatively impacted by the TIA. The fact that people are being monitored or tracked may cause them to feel uncomfortable leading to an effect on free speech and expression. Which people want to be able to express what they want without feeling like they have to watch what they say due to TIA. 

How does this affect me? My generation? 

After learning about Total Information Awareness this certain topic could have affected me by making me feel uncomfortable about being tracked and looked at being able not to say things freely would have had an effect on me but now that this program is no longer in use I feel very free to be able to talk about what I want without feeling like im being watched or tracked by the government just for them to be able to see if I was a terrorist or not. I see the potential of this program but the way they could have gone about it could have been different and then maybe people would have liked the program more and actually wanted it to be a thing that the government used more frequently. I like the thought of security from terrorists and criminals doing bad things but there definitely could be a different security technology to use than this. Privacy is a big thing that people want and shouldn't be afraid to do certain things due to the government watching our every move my generation would hate the thought of this program due to invasion of privacy and would not go for it at all. My generation likes to do things without thinking and if this program was still a thing I would sadly say there would be problems and lots of debates so im glad in 2003 this program died. 

Blog #9- Diffusion Of Innovations- The VCR

                                                    Diffusion Of Innovations- The VCR

The VCR was invented by Charles Paulson Ginsburg in 1956. Charles Paulson Ginsburg was known as the "father of the video cassette recorder". He was born in 1920 in San Francisco.

  The VCR Idea-

The idea behind the VCR was a way for people to. record, store, and playback television programs on television. The earliest devices were massive and they cost thousands of dollars to have they were the size of a piano, by the Ampex Company. VCR is rectangular in shape and silver, black, or gray in color. The videotapes used in VCRs are much smaller, but also rectangular and usually black. Outside of major television studios and broadcast centers, they were unheard of. People caught on to this new invention due to wanting to watch whatever they wanted whenever they wanted they wanted a way to rewatch something they'd already seen. People became early adopters because they heard of how big this new invention was everyone was talking about a VCR and how beneficial it was then going out and spending money on a movie people thought this would save them money and satisfy them by watching what they wanted from home. Other people became late adopters because the VCR was the cheapest thing ever invented in fact the VCR was an expensive thing to own once it first came out now in today's time it's about 40 dollars to own one because no one really needs one anymore in today society. The idea of the VCR was in fact a good idea the vision was there but only lasted a decade and people just sort of forgot about it since DVD came out. 

Downsides and Negative Consequences

The downside to the VCR was that it was an expensive thing to own back in the day and if your home had one you were considered rich. Lots of people wanted one but just couldn't afford it. Another downside to the VCR was copyright this played a big part in the downside of VCR. People were sharing and recording certain videos and sharing them with others then a law was then passed that it is illegal to record or share videos from a tape without permission from the producer of the film. Then there were main downsides like poor quality of video and picture, trouble with the tape getting messed up, having to rewind taking forever to use, and overall it was just a bulky piece of technology to have and wasn't the cutest looking thing invented but it did the job at the time of it being an actual thing people used. But it did have many positives not trying to diss
the VCR but people just got bored with it not quickly but once something new came along people were quick to buy the new invention rather than keeping their VCR at home.

Would the Positive Outweigh to Negative? 

Yes the VCR had a positive impact on communication technology and the way we communicate being able to watch things from home without having to go anywhere and rewatch your favorite shows and the fact you could record and keep tapes of your favorite movies, shows, and important events you may want to keep in the future. But if im being honest that's about all the VCR did and people realized it wasn't that popular after a while and wasn't that crazy of an invention and was way overpriced to be that poor of a product for people to constantly used. So people decided to ditch the VCR which is when the positive turned into a negative when people were overusing it and found something way cooler and less expensive to use which was the DVD which had way better quality than the VCR and wasn't as bulky and ugly looking as the VCR. The death of the VCR will never be forgotten but will honestly never be used again unless your grandparents saved you one to use.

Blog #8- Com Tech Reflection

                                                             Com Tech Reflection

   When listening to people present their communication technology they researched the ones that were very interesting and that stuck out to me were the invention of the United States postal service, the radio, and the invention of the lightbulb. Both are used to this day and have had such an impact on our world. I could say that all three of these inventions had such an impact on communication and changed the way we could communicate in such a positive way. 

United States Postal Service 

When listening to the presentation about the United States Postal Service I learned that it was appointed by Benjamin Franklin and he became the first postmaster general in 1775. The U.S. Postal Service played a big role in the growth and development of the U.S. It helped connect people through the mail instead of having to travel to talk to them. The only communication between the American colonies was mail being transported by riding a horse. The postal service helped to facilitate the westward expansion. During the civil war the U.S.  postal service played a major role in keeping up with communication between soldiers and families from all over the responsibility to have those letters be sent was major. The kind of death of United States Postal Service will mail technically die when digital communication became popular people just sent emails rather than sending letters but people still use mail today just not as much as they did back in the day. What is really popular today including the United States Postal Service is packages that people order online are majorly popular today and magazines are still somewhat popular but those as well can be read digitally.

The Lightbulb

The lightbulb I found interesting was because I learned that the first electric lightbulb was created by Humphry Davy in 1802. This then led to Edison's model of the lightbulb which I never knew a guy before Edison created a different type of lightbulb, was mind blown, to be honest. Many people played such a big role n paving the way for Edison to create the first lightbulb. I learned that in 1879 Joesph Wilson Swan enclosed a glass lightbulb with no air, lead wires, and a light-emitting carbon element part but the light in that bulb didn't last very long. From hearing all of the information about the process of the lightbulb it makes me truly think about all the time it took to make the lightbulb and how many people had to get involved to create such an invention. Another thing is how it took a while for people to figure out what makes a good bulb and what needs to go into it to make the light last which I can see how hard that could be with all of the elements needing to be involved in the equation had to be perfect and that is exactly what Edison did he made the perfect lightbulb for people to use back in the day. The end of the old lightbulb made by Edison was taken over by LED lightbulbs which these lightbulbs lasted such a long time without going out you rarely needed to replace them which put the old lightbulbs to waste but greater technology was invented to create such an amazing LED lightbulb. The lightbulb was obviously necessary so people didn't have to use candles for light and other methods of light this way people could just turn on a light and be fine without any complications the lightbulb is a must-have in today's world and will forever be used. 

The Radio

I learned that the Radio was invented in 1895 by an Italian investor names Guglielmo Marconi who sent and received the first-ever radio signal. The first ever signal received was in 1902. The importance of the radio was to have people's voices heard not just from on TV but on something you listen to every day either driving to work or just chilling in your home. Lots of people had radios they were extremely popular due to the popularity of music back in those days everyone wanted to own a radio so they could listen to music nonstop without having to go and actually be there to see the person perform. In today's society, we don't really use the radio but it is surely still a thing people use to mainly listen to the radio but now with such advanced technology we have music on our phones with just a click we can hear whatever music we wanted instead of having to wait for a certain song to come on. 

Blog #7- Age Of A.I

                                                                            Age Of A.I

After watching "In the Age of A.I.", I learned lots of new information I never knew before about A.I.  One thing I didn't know but now know is that A.I. was a computer-generated coded software that pulls information from the entire internet and uses that code to pick information based on what you want to know and translate it to a human form of language.  A.I. just got introduced to me and I still am confused about why we have it and what it is capable of which is scary to think about, but I also think it's a great source to use if needing help. 

             

                                                                                      The part in the documentary that stood out to me was when this amazing Go player who won lots of championships where he was from game to this event where he had to go against an A.I. The A.I. was made by Google and they wanted to test if an A.I. could beat a professional Go player. In the end, the score was 1-3 the A.I. defeated the professional Go player. What was really scary about this was that everyone now knew that computers were smarter than human in the game Go and this made people question how much does an A.I. actually know. This also questioned how an A.I. knows what to do and for it to think for itself how does it know what to do and how to do it. It's beyond crazy to me how smart A.I. is and is scary to think about what is to come in the future.

What frightens me about the use of A.I. is how it knows all of the information you ask it. It's like Google or Alexa but knows way more and is so much more advanced. When using A.I. help when asking a question the feedback you get to your question is insane and makes people understand it more than just reading it off of Google, it changes up the words for you to understand it better. Another reason A.I. scares me so much that is it is such a strong source to use to find out certain information quickly. People aren't really needed for their jobs if A.I. knows the answer to everything years of research could just be looked up and figured out within seconds with the use of A.I. which is even scarier to think about how much power A.I. has on the world. 

    I have so many questions about A.I. and what it exactly is, I recently just found out about this new A.I. website that everyone is talking about and making such a big deal about. This website is called Chatgpt and is used to get information fast without having to look it up. Convenient yes but in school not really Chatgpt is so advanced in the information if gives you back you could ask it absolutely anything and it could tell you which is insane it's better than Google and smarter. But recently teens have been misusing Chatgpt on homework and paper getting caught cheating which is why teachers are making such a big deal about the new uses of A.I. technology yes, in my opinion, I wouldn't want kids to just cheat on the work but actually try and do it. I still love the idea of Chatgpt but I honestly think teens are just going to use it to cheat which is why teens are so into A.I. right now not because of its design of it but what it actually offers to us teens and what we can use from it. 

My last thought about A.I. is the security side of it and my concerns foe where the information we look upon an A.I. or using an A.I. does. When using websites like Chatgpt O happen to wonder if people can ever see what I look up and what if I were to look up something life-threatening to the world what would happen yes national security might bust through my door but do people ever wonder where information goes when using A.I. "However, the use of generative AI raises significant privacy concerns, as companies that develop these tools may collect and analyze the data entered by users as prompts. Users may enter a wide range of information as prompts, including personal information, images, and other sensitive data".

Overall the privacy concern is a big controversial thing and will still be continued to be talked about. The use of A.I. I see is a smart choice in having but who knows what will come in the future. 

Blog #6 AntiWar

                                                                        Anti-War

When looking at the websites listed in the blog prompt, I noticed I'd never seen them before or knew such websites existed for people to read.  When reading through these websites the articles listed are based on what's happening n the world that no one really talks about or doesn't want other people to read or find out information about which is an example of censorship. 

What is censorship?

Censorship is when the government blocks out certain things for people to see, like news, books, and even movies. Censorship, the suppression of words, images, or ideas that are "offensive," happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal political or moral values on others. Censorship is used daily to censor ourselves from actually talking about what's really going on in the world which is really frustrating at times when you just want straight-up news. I've also seen censorship in youtube videos where some creators get their videos taken down for talking about their beliefs and opinions on certain topics which I personally think that's really messed up. The thing about censorship is that the people controlling it generally think that it is protecting us from reality which in reality is just making us more scared and eager to find out what's going on. 

AntiWar.com and The American Conservative

When visiting this website I found it very interesting that on the AntiWar page, you can read articles from all over the world knowing what's going on in their country which is super interesting and I don't think I've ever seen this before. In our mainstream news today we don't really talk about other countries as much unless it affects the United States in any way or form so I think it's really cool that we can read straight-up articles about other countries. Another interesting thing about these websites is that the writers are very straight up and say what they which I enjoyed reading because it taught me a lot about what's actually going on and things, I never knew about even after watching the mainstream news. 

Reasons Why I've Never Seen Websites Like These

The main reason is definitely censorship but thinking about why I have to dig so much to hear strong anti-war voices is a tough one because it really shouldn't be that hard to get good straight up information but in today's world it is and that's so frustrating to not actually know what's going on and I truly think websites like these should be explored more and talked about, or because I genuinely enjoyed reading them and learned so much from them that I healthier super useful. I know these websites won't be praised due to censorship but I wish more people knew about them to fully get educated on certain topics.