Final Blog Post

 

Final Blog Post: Impact Of Tech

                                

Technology and Social media has become a huge part of people’s daily lives. People have built a relationship with technology, which can be deeply personal, yet also a shared experience through all. I often ask myself whether my own connection with technology is healthy. On the surface of it, I receive news instantly through updates and receive messages from friends and family. But on the other side I find myself mindlessly scrolling, checking updates and notifications compulsively. This habit has left me to question whether I am the one controlling technology or is technology controlling me. In addition to this, is technology keeping tabs on everything I view? “Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master”(Christian Lange). It’s scary to think how much technology has evolved and how it will continue to grow in the near future. 

    

    Time management is a huge issue that I face, along with many other individuals. Especially in today's world, it's very easy to get distracted from completing important tasks in daily life. Numerous hours spent on a screen, between work, social media, and entertainment quickly add up if you are not paying attention. While most of the time you are entertaining yourself using whatever device, it's easy to lose track of time on less meaningful things while you could be doing something important. I find myself distracted easily, especially when I scroll on Instagram Reels, I get side tracked from my work to watch short clips. “Our attention spans have been reduced by the immediate gratification provided by smartphones and social media”(Katherine Ryan). This quote demonstrates the negatives effects technology and social media has on people. It distracts us from reality, drains our energy, and makes us look for the next thing to satisfy or distract our minds. 

On the bright side, technology keeps me informed and educates me. It brings knowledge to my fingertips and exposes me to different perspectives on what is happening around me. Getting information on something is the easiest thing to do nowadays, all you have to do is search the information you're looking for on a search engine, and in an instance you can view everything you were looking for. On the other hand, technology has the capacity to mislead us. The rise of misinformation online has taught me to be careful as to what I look at and listen to. “When fake news is repeated, it becomes difficult for the public to discern what’s real”(Jimmy Gomez). It's critical to cross check facts and seek credible information by searching for information on government or university certified websites. The tension between gaining wisdom and encountering falsehoods in an ongoing problem society faces today. I do worry about these issues, but I also recognize that they are intrinsic to the world we live in. Technology is going nowhere, it's going to continue to evolve and impact our lives, so learning how to coexist with technology is a better option than rejecting it. 

My online footprint is another area of reflection. While searching myself on the web reveals a clean presence, including professional profiles, social media accounts, and a few public pictures or links. While this is reassuring to me, it's a reminder of how much our digital presence defines us. If I were to apply for a job today, I’d feel confident that my online image portrays a responsible and engaged individual. However, I realized the importance of having a good presence on the web. I wouldn’t want anything to resurface that could affect me in the working force, especially stupid pictures or videos. Ultimately, our relationship with technology is a double edged sword. Technology is a powerful tool that enhances people's daily lives, but demands careful navigation to prevent distractions from our well being. The key for me is balance, in maintaining a conscious balance. As our society continues to advance and evolve, this balance will remain a critical conversation, one that each of us must engage thoughtfully and proactively in.  

                Blog Post #9: Mainstream Media

Many people rely on Mainstream media to inform them on what is occurring in their country and around the globe. A large majority of information can be spread from friends, family, television networks, and so on. News is a dominant force in shaping an individual's opinion and how a person consumes information. For example, someone whose ideology is more on the left side will watch CNN to get their news and FOX News for more right wingers. These networks provide news that the individual wants to hear to keep them watching and entertained. Mainstream media has far reaching implications, some may be beneficial and others can be concerning, which leads to backlash, affecting individuals and society as a whole.      

There are many positive effects that Mainstream media has, which includes reaching a wide range of audience relaying important information to millions to inform them. “Before mass media, you could live your entire life knowing nothing about the world outside of your village. Now, we are all connected.” People also use news stations to learn about emergencies such as incoming natural disasters or public health concerns in food or diseases. Mainstream media provides instant updates around the clock which can lead to lives being saved. Another important effect is how people can get information on political coverage, global issues and also having democratic engagement to the audience. Another important benefit is investigative journalism, where journalists are incentivized to dig up dirt on people or things, such as corruption in government or corporate malpractice.

There are many positives to mainstream media, however this comes with negative effects. Despite its advantages, MSM has many drawbacks and downsides networks don’t want the viewer to see. One primary issue is how biased certain networks are that support one group's ideas entirely. Which leads to people having completely different ideologies on societies and certain topics, which leads to division throughout a country. Today, people can’t even sit down to listen to one another without getting into one's face and screaming. Personally I feel news networks do this on purpose to brainwash and control people’s thoughts and ideas on the matter. The media can lie to one's face, that is why I don’t trust the media entirely, due to the fact networks do this on purpose to help people get more votes or tarnish one's name to destroy an individual's career.

Gender, sexuality, and ethnicity also shape how people experience media. “The problem isn’t specific factual errors, either. The central problem is that the mainstream media’s standard operating standard is to use selective presentation to spread absurd views about practically everything that matters.” Over the years Mainstream media has perpetuated stereotypes of certain communities of people. By marginalizing minorities and LGBTQ+ communities, there have been progressive acts towards inclusivity, there are still challenges to be faced. One example is how women are still underrepresented in positions of power in the media, and there are portrayals often reinforcing gender norms. There is a sense of exclusion among these groups in the media today but there is a change rising up. 

Personally I don’t care about mainstream media. I tend not to watch any network. I believe that news platforms all lie to persuade their audience to agree with their ideology. They try to brainwash your ideas, its both sides, left and right. There is so much misleading information these days, you don’t even know if what you're listening to is the truth. This has shifted our country into two sides. Everyone is now completely divided, there is no in-between these days. While older individuals tend to trust long established newspapers and younger adults lean towards streaming platforms and social media, such as instagram, twitter, or even youtube. 

    

Ultimately mainstream media is a double edged sword, as an indispensable tool for information and a tool for progress when wielded responsibly. Mainstream media also is a force of division and misinformation when misused. I believe the media will never change, even in another century it will be the same way. It's how you go by your day and use what information you receive. “As much as mass media can connect us with people all over the world, it can disconnect us from the people right in front of us.” Never trust the media, it will try to manipulate your thoughts and ideas. The media will try to control you and make you hear what you want to hear, so it is imperative that you find sources you can trust and always stay informed.

Blog Post 6

 Blog Post #6: First Camera Phone

The first camera phone was invented by Philippe Kahn in 1997. Kahn revolutionized photography tremendously with his new invention. By merging two important technologies a large majority of the population uses daily, he transformed people's everyday life. This new invention allowed individuals to share with friends and family instantly by sending pictures to one another to capture memories. This breakthrough was the origin of mobile photography, and what started as a personal innovation for Kahn. This invention impacted billions of lives in the last two decades. 

Now, people are able to share everything, shaping the distribution of news, from media to journalism. Kahn's creation sparked a new era of connectivity where sharing images became immediate. The invention of the camera roll has had significant effects on the spread of news in the United States. As a large majority of political news is spread via phone cameras, whether being on social media or the internet, this has a significant impact on the way citizens may perceive politicians, and leaders in the US. The camera phone has allowed for individuals to remain informed and updated about what’s going on in places across the world, with other individuals they’ll never meet. The first camera phone has come a very long way, and almost every individual, of all ages, has some kind of phone with a camera. The development of the phone camera transformed communication and photography. From incorporating simple camera technology into cell phones, mobile phones have advanced to the point where they can now take images equal to professional cameras.

 Blog Post #10: In The Age Of AI

It is scary to think about how fast technology has advanced in recent years. To AI solving difficult problems, to self driving cars and factories depending on robots to do manual labor. After watching the video I learned how quickly AI is becoming more integrated into our lives. AI and machine learning have enormous potential to improve efficiency, make better decisions based on patterns humans might miss, and personalize our experiences in healthcare, education, and more. 

    It's amazing how AI has changed everything around us. There are many positive aspects to AI which includes new technology which allows doctors to spot diseases quicker, from healthcare advancements to automation in logistics. AI's ability to analyze large mounts of datasets in real time is revolutionizing fields. Such as finance, climate science and medicine. Another exciting takeaway is how AI is being used in research. Machine learning can simulate experiments and also predict outcomes very quickly, faster than traditional methods. But there are also many negatives about AI advancements. AI introduces new kind of threats, which some call the new arms race. Where autonomous weapons, and AI run systems that could lead to faster and more destructive forms of warfare. While watching the documentary, it mentions Global powers like the US and China invest alot of money into AI research to see who would reach dominance first in that area.

      It is amazing how far technology has evolved in recent years, but it leaves us with massive concerns we should worry about. There are many risks humanity will be eventually facing in the upcoming years, such as jobs being taken away due to new AI taking over, data breaches, and military advancements. Humanity should take safe guards and harness AI's power for good, to prevent abuse. There will be on going debates for years about the future of AI and im excited to see where society ends up in the near future. 

    

History Of Twitter

 Blog Post #4: History Of Twitter

Twitter, invented in 2005, by a team of developers at a dying podcasting company called Odeo. Led by Jack Dorsey along with Evan Williams, Biz Stone and Noah Glass the idea for Twitter originated during a brainstorming session about how to pivot the company when podcasting faced stiff competition from Apple. Dorsey envisioned a platform where users could share short status updates messages in real-time with a small group, similar to text messaging but on a broader scale. This idea developed into what we know today as Twitter.

                                                                                                                            

Jack Dorsey’s team was trying to develop a way for people to stay connected and communicate with groups of people instantly. Twitter’s platform allowed users to stay connected with each other in a new way. Traditional blogging platforms were long and lengthy posts, while Twitter was the complete opposite, it was shorter and faster to reach an audience quicker on the web. This solved the problem of microblogging, which allowed people to share their thoughts and news instantly. Which was 140 characters or less each time someone tweeted. 

                                                    

                                       

Twitter had a huge impact and influence on the world, it transformed communication, helped with social, political discourse, journalism, and celebrity engagement. When Twitter became popular users would microblog to each other, with real time messaging people could tweet to their followers sharing thoughts, updates on their lives and reactions to news events around the globe. This helped foster a new culture of instant sharing in society from people's personal updates to breaking news. Another impact Twitter has had is with social movements and politics. For example in June 2009, protestors used Twitter to coordinate a political movement, which is known as the Green Movement. Protesters used Twitter to organize and communicate when traditional media was censored or unavailable to the public. Twitter delayed planned server maintenance, not to disrupt the flow of information pouring in. The platform has been used to spark debates, raise awareness, and excite communities around causes. Lastly, the amount of attention Twitter got from celebrities and how big the name grew over a short amount of time. In 2011, President Barack Obama became the first president to have a Twitter account, Obama answered questions from constituents. Companies and celebrities have used Twitter to connect directly with their audience. This bypassed traditional media, allowing brands to build their own narratives and customers to provide feedback instantly.

    

                                                            
                                         

                                        

                                        

There are many positives and amazing impacts Twitter has had, however several problems were bound to occur. Twitter has a problem of spreading misinformation, toxicity/harassment to users and mental health concerns. One big problem Twitter has was censoring people’s opinions, especially Donald Trump's account. Trump's account was permanently banned on January 8th, 2021. When Elon Musk became CEO of twitter he reinstated Trump's account. Musk stated that Twitter's ban of Trump was a "morally bad decision" and "foolish in the extreme,". No matter what someone says it's their freedom of speech, even if you agree or disagree it's unacceptable to control people’s thoughts. Another issue Twitter has on people is how distracting the platform can be. It can throw people off their daily tasks giving up long periods of time scrolling or tweeting. Lastly there's always going to be cyber bullying going on, on each platform. Bullying has changed significantly with technology advancements, now people can be targeted by others and harassed not even in the same room as the one making fun of them. Bullying will never go away but the easiest thing to do is delete the app or just simply ignore the message or post. 

                                        
                                        

Twitter will have an ever lasting effect on people, it changed social media forever. Allowing people to spread news and thoughts instantly across the globe. Twitter revolutionized how we share information, engage in conversations, and organize movements. While it has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on communication and activism. Its negative effects on misinformation, mental health, and social dynamics are serious concerns that continue to shape public discourse around social media today. Twitter will always be used to obtain information, and in following generations. 

Blog Post #5: Privacy Ted Talk

It is alarming to think about how every time an individual posts something online, uses apps, and even browse the web, their data is collected. This not only effects just individuals but also their families, which creates a web of personal information that could be misused. Nowadays individual's personal details, financial information, and even health data can be compromised. Once your information is leaked, its virtually impossible to undo the damages made. How would you feel to find out that the government, and cooperations are keeping tabs on you. How can you even feel safe or comfortable anymore, there are no secrets that can be hidden anymore especially if they are the web. Eventually things you want to be kept hidden will surface. It is notable that telephone companies built surveillance features into their networks initially for the purpose of monitoring it's users. The use of encryption that has become more popular over the past few years has become helpful in keeping texts and phone calls private, and much more difficult to hack into.

                                            

After viewing these videos, I learned a lot of valuable information about how the government tracks you in almost every aspect. One important concept from the video that I learned was that the government can track their citizens through their cars. The video explained that when you drive your car to a location, the government can gain a detailed report about how private citizens interact. Local police departments are able to make assumptions and build cases for individuals. The government uses automatic license plate readers, that capture images of car that convert the license plate into machine readable text to track where individuals go. A large majority of the information that is collected from citizens is kept by police departments, in the case that it is ever needed. 

  

Blog Post #2: The Supreme Court

Blog Post #2: The Supreme Court

Throughout my years in school, I remember discussing the different branches of the US government. As I know the Supreme Court is the highest court in the country, and is the last resort for many looking for justice, I was interested to understand exactly how Supreme Court judges rule cases out. 

The most important take away from this video is that the Supreme Court plays an essential role in ensuring that each branch of government recognizes the limits of its own power. After viewing the video, I learned a lot of new information regarding the Supreme Court. I found in interesting that daily, the Supreme Court gets around 100 cases, and yearly about 7000 cases. The Supreme Court receives a majority of it's cases through written arguments that attempt to persuade this court that a lower court ruling was incorrect, the Supreme Court accepts very few of the arguments for full consideration, only about 100 per year. 

I learned that the Supreme Court interprets a 200 year old constitution when going through each case.  This video changed my perspective of the Supreme Court as it was noted that each individual Supreme Court Justice separately goes through each case, with the assistance of a small staff of law clerks and secretaries. Prior to this video I was unaware of who could submit cases to the Supreme Court, and I found it interesting that any US citizen has the ability to submit a petition to the Supreme Court. I had no idea that each individual judge is appointed by the President, and oftentimes, serve much longer terms, affecting countless generations of US citizens. 

After viewing this video, I learned a lot of valuable information regarding the Supreme Court and the complex process that goes into the jurisdiction of the cases that are submitted.