Blog #11 Final Post

Technology: the OG influencer

As this semester comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the various discussions we've had about technology, social media, data-tracking, and the ways in which our lives have been changed forever due to each. I've also been prompted to think about how these topics personally affect me, and the relationship that I've built with my electronic devices as well as the social media apps they give me unlimited access to. 

What is my relationship with technology? 

My dependency on technology has significantly increased since beginning college. Nowadays, if I am not typing on my laptop or scrolling on my phone, something feels off. That wasn't always the case. When I was little, I didn't like watching TV all that much (which is still mostly true). Instead, I always had a pencil or paintbrush in my hand, because I LOVED creating art. While I still have an appreciation for art, I couldn't tell you the last time I painted something just for the fun of it. What changed? Life is so much busier now, and what seems like a less time-consuming activity is picking up my phone to scroll on Tiktok for a few minutes until I move on to the next thing on my to-do list. However, in all honesty, I have become addicted to Tiktok. I don't care all that much about Snapchat, or Instagram, but Tiktok has my full attention. I can stay there easily for an hour or more and suddenly I've completely lost track of time. I use it as a mindless distraction from my day. If I deleted Tiktok right now, would I use my new free time to get back to making art? Probably not, and I think that's a problem. Technology has caused me to forget about the things that I used to enjoy before it was such a central part of my life. It has taken on such a primary role in our society that if the WiFi goes out, or our data is working too slowly, we feel a sense of panic. 

If tomorrow morning we were to wake up and all forms of technology had suddenly disappeared, how would we even function? Remote employees would be unable to work, influencers would be forced to just live life without anyone watching, and worst of all, we would have no way to online shop during class- not that I have ever done that! 

However, I am able to provide myself a false sense of comfort knowing that I am not alone in my dependency on technology, because most people today unfortunately are addicted to their screens to some degree. Even my grandparents enjoy spending time on their iPads now, even though growing up they had no concept of how technology would invade their world later on in life. This demonstrates how powerful technology is, and how quickly it infiltrates our society. If used responsibly, it's great, but of course there are concerns related to how it will continue to impact our society. 

The amount of time we waste using media is not the only problem, but also the content we are exposing ourselves to. The reason I titled this post "Technology: the OG influencer" is because before we attached the term influencer to a certain person, the platform itself was already influencing and shaping the way we think. Push notifications were designed to grab our attention and direct it back to the app that we had just closed. Slowly but surely, technology has found ways to manipulate us and control our behaviors without us even realizing it. Then we get into the issue of actual content: impossible beauty standards that make women of all ages feel inadequate, horrific cyberbullying and harassment that is driving teen suicide rates, and overall "comparison culture" that causes us to compare our normal lives to the exciting, perfect, and highly edited version of someone else's life...which is actually just another normal life made to look perfect. For all of these reasons, we should be mindful of what we allow ourselves to view on social media, and even more so how we allow it to make us feel. Social media itself is not the enemy, but the culture we are allowing to be built through the various platforms, most certainly is a dangerous threat to our society.

Ignorance is Bliss...Right?

I find the story of middle schooler, Sonia Bokhari, fascinating, but not at all shocking. Moms love oversharing on facebook, especially when it comes to their kids- have you seen the HPU Parents Facebook page? We know they have good intentions, and so did Sonia's mom in wanting to document her little girl's childhood. However, I really admire the awareness Sonia had at such a young age that those silly photos and stories of her as a young child could follow her into her adult life as well. Would an employer pass on hiring her because of the tooth fairy letter...well no, but she would probably not want her mom's facebook posts to be the most prominent results for a google search of her name. For a teenager, she has a well-formed concept of responsible media usage, as demonstrated by her decision to make all of her accounts private. She understands that limiting others' access to your information is the best way to control who can know what about you. I think her feelings were absolutely valid, and I'm glad her mom and sister listened and respected her boundaries moving forward. I can definitely relate to this article as well because I have no clue what my mother has posted about me on her Facebook page...maybe I should ask, but frankly, I am a little scared to do so. 

My Blog Post Experience

Lastly, I want to talk about my journey in creating content through my blog posts. While I was always behind in writing my posts, once I got to them, I did thoroughly enjoy responding to the prompts because it caused me to think about topics that aren't typically at the forefront of my mind. Specifically, government surveillance, the power and dangers of AI, and how technology advanced over the years. However, in searching for supporting articles to link in my posts,  I was able to learn a little more about these topics and gain a better understanding of not only how I am impacted, but also society as a whole. I was especially surprised to find out that license plate reading technology is not just used for those actively breaking the law, but for everyone. Additionally, I found it rather disturbing that Alexa and other smart home systems are essentially building a profile for you and your family, learning every detail down to the changes in pitch of your voice. That, to me, is terrifying! In thinking about ways in which the government can limit access to this kind of data, I think they should. I understand that certain data is important for certain industries like advertising, in order to appropriately target marketing plans for specific audiences, but some data should be kept private. In general, I enjoyed forming my own responses to these topics and educating myself further through reading others' blog posts as well. I can confidently say that I am leaving this class more informed about technology, the government, and first amendment rights. 

Blog #10 Antiwar

I'm not entirely sure that I'm appropriately responding to the original blog prompt, but I read this incredibly interesting article on antiwar.com that is worth talking about, and extremely relevant to our discussions of media influence. Essentially, the court system in Romania, for the first time ever, annulled the first round results of its presidential election- and they've called for a do over. Why? Tiktok. 

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As The Associated Press claims, "The Constitutional Court’s unprecedented decision — which is final — came after President Klaus Iohannis declassified intelligence on Wednesday that alleged Russia organized thousands of social media accounts to promote Calin Georgescu across platforms such as TikTok and Telegram." Of course, major concerns are being raised that Russia is interfering with the election process of Romania. However, other sources are claiming that the rumors are just part of a scheme to prevent Georgescu from becoming President. If that is the case, it would appear to be working since things have escalated tot he point where the court has overturned the first-round election results. The red flags that are being raised are due to his claim of no campaign spending whatsoever, and the shocking results of the first round that put him out on top- after the featured Tiktok videos gained millions of views. As the article explains, Georgescu is a far right candidate, and the majority of the Romanian population is also ultra-conservative, so I'm not quite sure why the results were so quickly called into question. It would seem that these accusations have been made out of paranoia, and have been overwhelmingly denied. However, a re-vote will take place and hopefully they can prevent Russian interference and feel satisfied with the results.

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Briefly, I'll discuss my thoughts on antiwar voices and why we don't hear as much from them in mainstream media. I think the media thrives on fear-mongering and keeping the public on the edge of their seat. It's an industry that relies on high-arousal emotions (learned that in my publicity methods class this semester!) Also, most of the content is outspokenly against what the government is doing. For example, another article on this antiwar website discussed the almost $1 billion of dollars in weapons that was sent to Ukraine by the Biden Administration, furthering the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The media's bias becomes so clear when you read the articles on here and that of The American Conservative. They are purposefully trying to sweep these things under the rug by not sharing them in mainstream media. I find a lot of these articles to be new information for me, and eye-opening in terms of what our government is doing behind the scenes. It's disturbing in all honesty, and I hope more people find and educate themselves on these topics. 

Blog #9 EOTO 2: Reaction

A concept I had never heard of before this second round of presentations was The Five Eyes Alliance. I have linked the same article as the presenter originally included because I went back to read more about this topic, and found it very helpful in understanding the who, what, where, when, and how of this specialized group. Essentially, five countries, the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand formed an agreement, or alliance, in response to the events of World War II that has continuously monitored issues of terrorism, cyber attacks, and other threats to international security since. ___________________________________________________

Originally, it began as an agreement between just the UK and the USA that was signed in 1946 with the purpose of tracking military operations of the Axis Powers in the second World War. Later on, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand would join the party as well. Once all 5 countries were in, they built a network and system of intelligence-sharing that allowed them to monitor potential security threats across the globe. 

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However, even though this group is majorly concerned with matters of international security, we as citizens, of course have the right to be concerned about the risks of this level of government surveillance to our right to privacy. One of the videos assigned in another blog prompt mentioned that the phones used by law-abiding citizens are the same phones used by terrorists; the technology is the same and the surveillance capabilities are the same as well. This means that anything the government wants to know about you, even if you're not the bad guy they are after, they can and will use their ability to do so. 

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This presentation highlighted the importance of balancing security with privacy and made me contemplate bigger questions like how much access to data the government should have as our relationship with technology as a society grows. The government should have limits to how much information they can gather, but on the other hand we want them to be able to protect us from cyberattacks that are becoming an increasingly common problem. 

Blog #8 EOTO 2: Citizen Journalism

Hello everyone, for my presentation today I will be discussing citizen journalism, which has become such an important part of our culture with the advancements of modern day technology and social media. It sounds fairly self-explanatory, but basically citizen journalism is just news captured and shared by those that are not paid professionals in journalism- just everyday folks like you and me.

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Nowadays, everybody has a cell phone in their hands pretty much at all times. Imagine that later today, I am sitting in the cafe enjoying the highly anticipated Friendsgiving meal when all of a sudden a fight breaks out because there’s no more mashed potatoes. Almost certainly, multiple phones would start recording and then it would go to barstoolHPU and we all know how that story ends. That is a prime example of citizen journalism. 

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Apart from that silly example, a real historical occurrence of citizen journalism took place on the day that Former President JFK was assassinated. Of course, technology was not as advanced as it is today, but Abraham Zapruder was able to capture, with an amateur film camera, key moments of this tragic incident that would later aid in the secret service investigation. Had it not been for his ability to record the events of that day, crucial information would have gone unseen, and parts of history would perhaps still be missing. 

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As I mentioned earlier, by definition citizen journalism is "journalism that is conducted by people who are not professional journalists, but who disseminate information using websites, blogs, and social media." I want to emphasize the element of social media and the reach that is possible for citizen journalism now with how accessible those platforms are to us today. You no longer have to turn on the TV and flip to the news channel, or read about an event in the paper the next day. Chances are when a newsworthy event occurs, and regular people are on the scene witnessing it, there is at least one smartphone recording and shortly after a video will be posted for all to view and share with their network(s). Citizen journalists are an even better source of journalism that professionalism because they aren't operating with a hidden agenda or thinking about a paycheck, they are simply acting as vessels of information. 

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Of course, now that everyone has a recording device on them at all times, risks to privacy are at an all time high. No one wants to be recorded without their consent, but it happens all the time. We also have digital footprints to consider, as everything we post can be connected to our name and identity almost instantly and content can follow us. Additionally, it is easier than ever for misinformation to spread, for something to be clipped or taken out of its original context, and shared with meaning other than was originally intended. 

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It's important as consumers of citizen journalism, and as potential citizen journalists, that we consider the risks associated with this type if information sharing, and keep in mind the responsibility it requires. With that said, as a society we are connected more than ever before, and that’s certainly better than being uninformed- thank you!

Blog #7 EOTO 1: Reaction

Emojis. We all use them, and they have quickly become an integral part of texting culture. Without them, how could we convey sarcasm, or humor, or let someone know that we aren't being serious in the message we just sent? It is so easy for misunderstandings to occur in our world of online communication, and the invention of emoticons has made a significant impact in translating emotions and meaning to the messages we send each and every day. 

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Blog #6 EOTO 1: First Newspaper

The first time the world ever saw something that resembled a newspaper was in 59BC, at the request of Julius Caesar, in order to inform citizens about important events, politics, and military affairs. However, the actual invention of the newspaper is more commonly attributed to Johann Carolus, a German author and publisher, who pioneered this form of weekly news media in 1605 with the help of Gutenburg's printing press. Carolus' work was titled, "Relations: Aller Furnemmen."

 

Another prominent figure in publishing at this time was Lucas Schulte, and his work was titles, "Aviso Relations over Zeitung." Both Carolus (pictured right) and Schulte (not pictured) demonstrated extreme bravery with their participation in publishing during a time of intense government persecution. Censorship was the norm, and freedom of the press was simply not a thing. (Side note: Censorship became an interesting topic to me in high school while reading Fahrenheit 451 *highly recommend*, and this article outlines how censorship has existed over the centuries- extra little reading if you are interested!)
These publications operated under very tight regulations put in place by the government and could only publish information that was deemed acceptable by the ones in power.

Due to the presence of censorship, these papers mostly discussed foreign affairs, like matters of war, but they could not report on local news and events. This changed in response to a paper written in 1641 that focused on more “domestic news” and sparked discussions that would eventually lead John Milton to author his famous work, Aeropagitica, that majorly contributed to the establishment of freedom of the press.In this new wave of freedom, publications were able to operate on bi-weekly, weekly and even daily schedules, making information more accessible than ever before. They were also allowed to publish more relevant info than what had been allowed in the past.

This expanded into other fields such as business, investing, and advertising. While this was absolutely considered a step in the right direction, the negative aspect of this was that these occupations became more and more dependent on publications to get the word out for them, and if there was any shift in publication their livelihoods were affected. Over time this has developed into the craziness that we know journalism to be today, which is a highly competitive race to be the next big story. We also know that bias comes into play and forms of censorship that we may not even be aware of at times.


Freedom of the press is absolutely essential to the world of newspaper publishing, but as the world moves away from print media and expands more into digital media, freedom of the press and speech overall will be more crucial to maintain than ever before. We have the opportunity to be the most informed generation, but of course with that comes the risks of misinformation and internet trolling, so we have the added responsibility of investigating what we are reading and caring whether or not we are being fed propaganda or accurate information. 

Sources: 

https://open.lib.umn.edu/mediaandculture/chapter/4-2-history-of-newspapers/   

https://www.britannica.com/topic/publishing/The-first-newspapers

 

Blog #5 Age of AI

Not too long ago, when someone said "AI" in a sentence, my mind would immediately create an image of a robot apocalyptic takeover. However, AI is such a casual term we use practically everyday now with its features on popular search engines, Snapchat, ChatGPT etc. It very quickly went from an advanced term to part of our everyday slang. 

The corresponding documentary for this post, which can be found here, highlights some growing concerns with the integration of artificial intelligence into our world. 

As a college student, hoping to graduate and find a job in the near future, AI in the workplace is absolutely a relevant topic for me, and one the video discusses as well. There is already economic instability, caused by "disruptive technology" and AI is increasingly becoming a part of the problem. In search of more efficiency, and with the prioritization of "capital over labor,"companies are relying on AI and machines to reduce the number of workers needed to operate. It's a major moral consideration to prioritize "employing" machines over real people with families to provide for. 

Additionally, inequalities already exist and will only be made worse by AI interference. The wealthy will become wealthier, and the poor will become poorer. This isn't caused by AI, but it is certainly perpetuated by it and will lead to a nightmare of a problem if we aren't able to make adjustments soon to its level of impact on existing inequality. 

Artificial intelligence is changing our world without us even realizing it. The algorithms are getting smarter and smarter, gradually adapting the world to us- which sounds great in theory, but is so quickly and easily turning into a powerful tool of manipulation for companies. Surveillance tactics can pick up on the fact that you like to wear black dresses, and suddenly every other ad you see is of a black dress. No coincidences there. 

A phrase that I noted from the documentary that I found especially impactful was, "We thought we were using social media, but it was using us...we thought we were searching google, but google was searching us." It really flips the narrative and makes you think about the issues of data collection and AI use and just how dangerous the two can become when combined. 

AI is an exciting topic to think about, and it most certainly does have potential to provide a new wave of efficiency to our lives, but as someone who feels so uninformed still about the extent to which it is capable of changing the world around me, it is just as frightening, if not more so, than it is exciting. 

 

Blog #4 Privacy

"Sorry, I didn't catch that. Try again."

Surely, we've all heard this above phrase come from our iPhone a time or two by mistake. If Siri was already listening enough to think you were trying to talk to her, it makes you wonder how often and how closely she is listening into your everyday conversations. 

In our modern society, technology has creeped its way into virtually every aspect of life, from smart phones, smart refrigerators, and Alexa systems that can lock doors and turn off lights. While these features are certainly convenient and provide a new level of efficiency to our daily lives, it does not come without risks to our privacy and a heightened concern for digital surveillance. 

In the corresponding TED Talk videos, which can be accessed here, under Week 3: Day 2, several speakers give insight into various topics that are a growing concern for those of us living in the digital age. 

Juan Enriquez uses the visual of tattoos on our bodies as storytelling elements similar to that of social media. Everything we choose to publish about ourselves adds to this story and image of who we are, and it's out there forever, for anyone to see. We have created "electronic tattoos," and now there is a record of our online presence that can be accessed by someone to form an opinion about us before they've ever spoken a word to us. He also mentions the idea of "immortality" in that this presence and image will live on far past our physical body.

Catherine Crump highlights police surveillance, and how it is not limited to those guilty of wrongdoing, but massive amounts of data are being collected on everyone at all times. By knowing the location of our car and having an image of our license plate, these watchful eyes are able to know if we go to church, which grocery store is our favorite, and other information that may not seem all that risky to know but adds to the bigger picture of just how much information is collected on us- even the small trivial things. 

Other TED talk speakers discussed how phones were intentionally designed to be surveillance tools, and not for the more commonly thought use: basic communication. We all use the same devices, and if one phone can be monitored to take down a hacker, the same phone can be monitored in the same way even though it's in the hands of a law-abiding citizen using it for average purposes. Everyone is vulnerable to this level of surveillance. 

All of these topics are concerning to me because I have a phone, I drive a car, and I am a user of social media. There is plenty of information that I willingly share with the internet, but knowing that even the information I would like to stay private may find its way out there anyway is of course bothersome. The government and online platforms should be candid about the data they are collecting, especially sites that are selling this information, so that users understand what is at risk for them. As consumers though, we should be conscious of what we're clicking, what cookies we're accepting, and doing what we can to educate ourselves on protecting our own privacy.