Final Blog post

My relationship with technology

I think my relationship with technology is unhealthy. I believe this type of relationship is similar to most people in the United States. Like most others, I tend to spend many hours in the day scrolling on social media, texting, and calling others. Even though this is not uncommon for my generation, this relationship with technology is not great for us. I think too much time spent on social media causes less actual communion in the real world and can lead to depression and a false sense of reality. This may cause people to stay inside more. 

Technology has pulled me away from being outdoors countless times during the winter. I spend less time on social media and technology in the summer because I spend most of my time outdoors. I am consumed by technology in the winter because of the lack of activities to do in the cold. Spending time on the couch with technology is much easier than venturing outside in winter. This can also be said for the people around me. 

My friends spend a considerable amount of time on technology, just like I do, so they could be better role models when using technology. I have been worrying about people relying on technology for a while now. I am a huge believer in the theory that technology and AI will someday take over the world and end humans. However, technology has strengthened our relationships, making it easier to communicate. On the other hand, my family does not believe that technology is a good thing. My parents are tremendous ambassadors of no phones at the dinner table and other technology breaks. 

My social media, LinkedIn, and lacrosse recruiting profiles come up when I Google myself. This paints the image that I have an online presence. The lacrosse profiles show that I can work hard to achieve a goal, and my LinkedIn profile shows all my achievements. 

My social media profile provides potential employers with much insight about me. One of the biggest things my social media profile shows potential employers is that I am very diverse. On the one hand, my profile shows my accomplishments in lacrosse and school, but my profile also shows videos of me skimboarding and surfing. My profile shows employers that I am committed to working hard to get good at something. My profile also shows me with many different people. Based on what I have seen in other people's online presence, I would not change a thing about my presence online. 

Overall, technology is making me lazier. Before high school, I didn't have as much access to technology and, therefore, had to spend time looking up information. Now, I have all the information I need at my fingertips. People need to spend the time to check their information. All they care about is the speed at which they get their information. I believe we must learn to live and adapt without certain technologies. To conclude, technology has largely affected the world. It is now up to us to use it wisely.

Diffusion Theory

The growth of AI platforms like Chat GPT have greatly affected many aspects of the society we live in today. A theory called the diffusion theory is portrayed in this state by society reacting in a variety of ways. Many people were bought into the software although many were opposed to it. The simplicity of AI generated work allows for efficient produced writing with not a lot of difficulty. This grabs the attention of the masses that do not want to spend time doing research on any given topic. Chat GPT displays facts and information that would take longer to find if done normally. Many people started to quickly use AI because of these reasons. 

On the other hand, a lot people did not resort to using Chat GPT because of  the moral implications it contains. Some found it to be cheating the proper way of gathering information and writing a research report/ paper. Society suggests that an individual must be knowledgeable and study the topic of desire. With AI it is now possible for anybody to look like they are an expert on any topic when they really are not. Now because of the advances in tech, there is an obvious divide between opinions on how someone could gather and distribute information. 

The expansion of AI, such as platforms like Chat GPT, has created an enormous debate in public opinion. It has delivered to the forefront questions on the ethics of the usage of technology to expedite responsibilities that have been as soon as considered arduous and the effect of these gear on the conventional values related to acquiring knowledge and expertise. This debate of opinions shows the evolving view of facts and distribution in the context of technological advancements. 

Ultimately, the development of AI platforms such as  Chat GPT have spared many different views of societal reactions, which reflect on the diffusion theory. While many have taken the performance and convenience to their advantage, others have opened up and spoke out upon issues concerning the ethical implications and values related to information acquisition and material. This continuous debate highlights the need for a balanced and fair method to the upcoming rise of AI technology in our society moving forward. 

Reflection on EOTO2

The second  EOTO project/ presentation that I am summering by Maddie Marshal is about the  use and  presence of propaganda used in history, brining back its origins to ancient Athens and its growth over time from there. Even though the term "propaganda" was not discovered  until 1622, the practice of influencing public opinions has dated back many years and has deep roots in history. In ancient Greece, many people used methods like theater, gatherings , and festivals to spread political and religious ideas that definitely conflicted many peoples interests in those fields . 

The project gives examples of many  important historical moments when propaganda played a large role. For instance, during the Spanish Armada in 1588, and with the creation of The College of Propaganda. However, it wasn't until World War I that propaganda became noticeably popular in the United States. Posters, pamphlets, and newspaper images were used  to express views about the war that were conflicting .

In World War II , propaganda was used as a tool for psychological warfare. Many countries used its power to influence both soldiers and civilians. This presentation displays many times  that propaganda has had a large impact on shaping societies into what they are today. 

In todays society, we still face many forms of  propaganda daily. This propaganda influences our lives which adds to the intensity of debates in society . An example of this today, are billboards on topics like pro-life or pro-choice. These billboards serve as modern-day uses of propaganda, spreading one side of a debate to a large audience. The project also explains  how propaganda has affected minority groups in history, often making the point of how many extremists on both political sides have lead to extreme consequences. 

To sum up, this project uses many examples to show that propaganda is not an idea of the past but a very relevant use of the higher ups power. It reminds us of the power of spreading information and its role in shaping public opinion throughout history and in the present day.After watching this presentation, I learned many things like how Propaganda was so far rooted in history. I enjoy leaning about new topics when writing my own blog posts, but I enjoy learning new ideas from other people just as much. 

AI(frontline episode)

  In the frontline episode about AI, many questions are raised about the question is this new technology good or bad for the world .The video in question discusses  the constant evolution of AI in the modern world. It mentions multiple different pros and cons but there were a few that stood out to me. Firstly, the job loss from AI replacing jobs is astronomical. It mentions that most Americans can't cover a $400 supers charge, so there's no way they can afford to change their profession. 

Secondly, all of the identification and security systems that AI has been involved in is scary. For example, in China, the AI programs being able to know so much about you just from simply looking at your face is very alarming.The fact that this technology can already track your facial features at its beginning stage worries me. If this technology keeps advancing there is no telling what it will be able to accomplish.  When it comes to national security the fact that AI has already been able to identify people so well is a blessing and a curse. Everything that you have ever done could soon be available by a simple face scan is scary. Soon nothing will be private.The problem of identity theft has been greater than ever with peoples whole lives being displayed out to the public. 

 

Though AI is helping us in small tasks today at the rate that it is currently growing and becoming more and more complex is alarming to say the least. On the positive side the fact that AI can desert so much about any of us from the just an image of our face will make identity theft much harder. This is one of the pros that comes out of the positive aspects of evolution of AI. Soon many advanced tasks will no longer require humans to be completed.Many people will find themselves jobless. After watching this video all I could think about is the movie terminator. In this movie, an AI like force takes over all of the military assets in the world and uses them to wipe out humans for good. AI might be our friend for now, but very soon it will be our enemy. 

Media Consolidation

Media Consolidation -  “Media consolidation is the concentration of ownership of our news sources into the hands of fewer and fewer corporations”(Stanford business). For us, this means less and less ways to get news from different sources. 

Sinclair Broadcast Group-   Many news sources today, are owned by monopolies. An example of a monopoly who owns a large portion of our news is the Sinclair Broadcast Group, The Sinclair Broadcast Group is a company whose “primary business is to engage consumers on multiple platforms with relevant and compelling news, entertainment and sports content”(Sinclair). The Sinclair Broadcast Group now owns and operates 294 stations that reach almost 40% of the U.S. population.This means a large majority of the news that we watch is owned by this one monopoly. Giving us the fact that our news really only comes from one large source. 

Pros and cons of media consolidation

There are definitely many different opinions about media consolidation, on one hand there are many strong pros but however on the other hand, the cons are shattering. A pro of Media consolidation, is that it can raise the quality and budget of local programing. This means that local channels have been expanding their content, quality and the money they have to improve their station for viewers. 

Some negative effects of media consolidation include the fact that all of our news is coming from one source that is not exactly trustworthy. This source owns many stations who are responsible for dividing many of the American people such as Fox and ABC Also because of Media consolidation people have stopped watching local news  

How does this affects society - Because of this monopoly of news sources it is said by a Gallup poll that only 20% of Americans have confidence in the television, news and newspapers this means that many Americans have nowhere to go for news because they do not trust the news  sources that are available to them.

Local news- For a society who use to focus more on local news it is said that national news controls the people viewership today more than ever. Local news stations are now focusing on national stories more than local stories.  

Sherman Antitrust Act-the Sherman Antitrust Act connects to Media Consolidation because its goal is to prevent monopolistic practices in the media industry which is relevant to what the Idea of Media Consolidation is because media consolidation is being caused by these monopolistic practices. 

How this affects us.  -I believe that media consolidation effects me, people around me, and my generation  negatively. If the news is only coming from a couple large monopolies, it is impossible to know if the stories and facts portrayed on the news are even true. It is almost like the news has become a dictatorship.

Conclusion - In conclusion, media consolidation negatively affects people and communities.  It can lead to people not trusting news sources like they once did. Because of very few companies owning all of the news stations, in the future this might break down the credibility of journalism and news itself. The focus on national news instead of  local stories can cut off the connection between people and the communities that they are part of . It is very important for us as a society to make sure our news becomes credible again. 

Privacy Online And Off

1.  How do these issues affect you? You friends and family?

These issues are very relevant to me and the people who are around me because we all use technology very heavily. Not only that but all of our personal information and everything we have mostly ever said has been picked up by these devices we use. We must learn to mute the microphones on our devices and not say anything that could ever be incriminating in front of any electronic device. It is not ok for the government to be snooping on anybody's private lives. Privacy has become a thing of the past and we must find a way to restore it. 

2. What should the government be doing about these issues?

The government should be breaking bonds with these big companies like Apple, Microsoft  and any other big tech companies. They should also stop using license plate readers and stick to police only using speed guns. Law enforcement should be protecting citizens and enforcing laws, not snooping in on our private lives without a cause or warrant. There is definitely a bigger plan in play that the government has for people. They want more a more information to help them control us even more than they do already. 

3. What can we do to protect ourselves from invasions of our privacy? 

A couple ideas of what we can do to protect ourselves from these invasions of our privacy are to turn off our microphones in settings so anybody listening is not able to hear your private conversations. Also I would recommend taping up the cameras on your laptop so anybody watching cannot see. Turning off your location setting is definitely another way to protect yourself from invasions of your private life. We must learn to stand up to these companies together. 

Antiwar Voices

After looking into these two websites, I believe that using different and diverse sources can be crucial to finding different viewpoints and different information. This means checking out lesser-known sources  and websites  to access what might be considered unbiased facts not influenced by the control of the corrupt government. Because  mainstream media can be tampered with  by the government to a certain degree it is very  important to check out the smaller sources that are untouched.

In this society that is democratic, free speech and free press is very important for holding the government accountable. However, not all mainstream media outlets are equally affected by government pressure. Therefore, it's our responsibility as consumers of news and information  to find out the difference between news sources that are very reliable and news sources that are not. 

The sources that I checked out for this blog are ANTIWAR.COM and the American Conservative, smaller sources that are not tampered with by the government and often provide different viewpoints than mainstream news sources . However, just because these sources are not touched by the government does not mean the content on them is entirely true.Many small sites sometimes contain conspiracy theory's that are very far fetched.  However, after looking at both these sources I do believe that they are very reliable. 

In today's digital age, where information is very easy to access , we must look into  the credibility and motivations of these sources we get information from.The public is definitely  better off with true information. With true information from news sources , in my opinion can stop the problem of our country being so divided. The internet allows many different  voices, including those on less popular websites, to be heard.  this is valuable for finding different points of view.  

In conclusion as a country who takes in so much information everyday, we should start to look into fact checking sources to make sure they are showing  the truth . Whether we rely on mainstream media or lesser-known websites, the key is to critically look at all sources. In a world  with so much information out there, we are responsible for figuring out what is true and what is not 

A summery of a presentation one of my peers created on Facebook

One piece of technology that I found very interesting when watching the presentations from the other day was the presentation of Facebook. I found it very interesting that Facebook was started by in college by a young Mark Zuckerberg while he was at Harvard. Mark has originally started Facebook as a smaller internet program called face smash. Face smash was used to compare pictures of girls that went to hard Harvard that mark got while using the Harvard student database. Face Smash was a hit  with many guys on Campus using it. Mark eventually expanded the program to other schools to gain popularity. 

With this success, Mark expanded the app to "The Facebook". This app eventually expanded further  to the App we know and love today. Even though Facebook is mostly used today by moms, it is expanding into new products such as the Metaverce which is slowly gaining steam today. Mark has expanded his company into a monopoly by buying Instagram and many other popular social media apps. I think I found this presentation so interesting because of the origin story. There is even a movie created about the creation of Facebook that was referenced in the presentation.  I think I have to watch this movie at this point because the creation of this global phenomenon intrigues me. 

TikTok Blog

(photo from https://techcrunch.com)

TikTok and its history

In today's digital world, TikTok has become a very popular app on social media.  This blog dives deep into the history of  Tik Tok, from its beginning stages as Musical.ly to becoming a sensation globally. This blog will also go into the Pros and Cons of the app. Before TikTok, there was Musical.ly. Musical.ly  started in 2014,  created by two friends,  Alex Zu and Luyu Yang. Musical.ly was a lot like today's TikTok, just a less updated version of the TikTok we know and love today. It was  used to make short videos lip syncing  with music in the background. However, in 2017, a  large  Chinese company called ByteDance bought Musical.ly for a large sum of $800 million. ByteDance transformed it into the TikTok we know now, mixing short videos and music, this grew Tik Tok to greater heights than Musical.ly had ever seen. TikTok is not just the future of social media, it's a global sensation with about 1.6 billion users worldwide. This makes it a great  place for influencers and businesses to gain fame and reach a larger audience than they would be able to on any other social media  app . The format of TikTok allows people to showcase their talents, products, and ideas in videos that can be as short as 15 seconds or as long as 3 minutes. It's an app where creativity and wittiness thrive more than any other social media app. 

Pros of TikTok

Business Opportunities: TikTok is a great place for influencers and businesses to gain light . Whether you're a makeup artist, comedian, or have a small business, TikTok lets you show off your skills and products and if you are lucky and your content hits the for you page,  it can be shown to a lot of people. 

Bringing communities together : TikTok's location services help connect people that are nearby . You can find  content created by others in your community which makes you feel like you belong to a bigger group and brings people who live close very much together. 

Advertising Opportunities : Businesses find it easy to advertise there products on TikTok. The social media platform's interactive and engaging style allows them to make ads that are attention grabbing . This means many  people see their content in video fashion , and hopefully, buy their products.

Cons of TikTok 

Privacy : Since  TikTok is owned by the Chinese company BiteDance, many people  are worried about their personal information and data . They are afraid  that their personal information might not be safe and  secure from the Chinese government.

Mental Health : TikTok can be super addictive. Its algorithm shows you stuff you like, which is cool, but it can make you spend too much time on the app. This can mess with your attention span and even make you feel down sometimes.

In conclusion,  TikTok is a very powerful force in the world of social media. Tiktok offers exciting opportunities for creators and businesses that cannot be found on any other app. If you use the app just be aware that your privacy might be at risk to the chinese government. Also be sure to not spend too much time on the app, you might just scroll your life away. As TikTok keeps growing and changing , it reflects the evolving world of social media and  today's younger generation

https://medium.com/makingithappened/the-dark-side-of-tiktok-why-its-bad-for-mental-health-society-and-teens-6fcbacab66bc

https://www.britannica.com/topic/TikTok#:~:text=In%202016%20ByteDance%20released%20the,content%20from%20their%20cell%20phones.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/12/09/why-businesses-benefit-from-being-on-tiktok/?sh=4fe049a46430

https://www.demandsage.com/tiktok-user-statistics/#:~:text=TikTok%20has%20over%201.677%20billion,active%20users%20as%20of%202023.

Supreme Court Questions

(photo by Joe Ravi )

What did you learn about the Supreme Court that you didn't already know?

One thing that I learned about the Supreme Court that I did not know already is that they have a ton of power. They have the ability to overturn laws that are deemed unconstitutional. These members of the Supreme Court are hand picked by the president. Before doing this assignment my knowledge of the Supreme Court was next to nothing. I am glad this video was assigned because I can tell that we are going to be focusing on issues related to the Supreme Court in this class. 

What is the most important take-away point about the Supreme Court?

An important take away that I found about the  Supreme Court of the United States is that it is a very important  institution. The Supreme Court clarifies the nation's primary laws, aids in balancing the power of the government, and has a large impact on American society in general.The Supreme Court is a very large mediator of many disputes related to laws. 

What was the most surprising thing you learned?

The most surprising thing I learned about the Supreme Court is that most people on the court have been working on it for more than 60 years. In the video it was said that it really takes three years to get into the flow of the job. This shows how difficult and time consuming this job of being on the Supreme Court really is. This also connects the dots to realizing why everybody on the Supreme Court is so old. 

How did the video change the way you thought of the Supreme Court?

I did not realize being part of the Supreme Court is such an important honor to have. People on the Supreme Court are part of a long legacy of people that are on similar status to the president. Before watching this video I was not aware of the gravity of the position of being on the Supreme Court or much about the Supreme Court at all. 

Blog Post 4

The Eight Values of Free expression 

As referenced above in the eight values of free expression, "Our system is not supposed to be one of mob rule." I believe recently we have strayed away from this value. I feel as if our society is slowly turning into a dictatorship. Many peoples lives have been effected negatively at the hands of the government. From taking a vaccine that you don't need or want to take, to getting taken off the internet from saying the truth about something, our society is slowly changing for the worse.

On social media, it should be considered free speech to say what you want. But recently, people have been getting their accounts and posts taken down for saying true statements about the government. The government basically takes down everything that they think could get them in trouble or that shows them in a bad light. I believe that this is very wrong. As one of the eight values of free expression states, "Our system is not supposed to be one of mob rule. The First Amendment protects minority views, no matter how unpopular. You have a strongly protected right to disagree with the government — and everyone else. In fact, it is your patriotic duty to criticize the government". I believe that this means that anybody should be able to have the ability to say, write, post or think what they believe without the government censoring it. No matter how mean or false your accusation may be it is still your right as an American to express that thought about the government. 

    Typically I am a very easy going guy, but this is a topic that angers me. As somebody that is not vaccinated I believe that the government has been putting peoples lives at risk just to make money off this unhealthy vaccine. Anybody that has spoken up about this issue to the government or has tried to spread truth or share their opinion about it has been silenced. My parents are also big into this pro free speech issues and because of this they have resulted to getting their media on a secure website where the government can't access it. 

An example of somebody who has left the press because of free speech is Tucker Carlson. Tucker Carlson was a very well known Fox News anchor who was recently fired from Fox for speaking his mind about the January 6th Incident and saying that Trump was not responsible for the break in at the Capital. Now Tucker Carlson has to broadcast his own views on Twitter another private site that the government cannot reach.As time goes on I hope we as a society can band together to get our rights to free speech back. We must return to our original values of America being a free country where you have the right to say, think, and write what you want. I believe that all eight values of free expression are very powerful but today, I decided to key into the eighth.

My Top 5 Favorite Sources Of News And Information

 1. Fox News

Fox News, One of the most popular news sources leaning towards the conservative side. This is definitely my top favorite news source. However I am a little bias because me myself lean a little right with my political views. I would recommend  Fox News, because it gives the straight up truth about what is going on in the world. However the stock of Fox News with me went down after one of their top anchors, Tucker Carlson was fired for broadcasting something that the media did not want people to see. Other than this example, Fox is a solid trustworthy news source however I always look at many sources to make sure I am getting the straight up facts. 

https://www.foxnews.com

2. TicTock 

Even though it is not the most trust worthy source, this is where I somehow end up getting most of my news. Because Ticktock customizes its "For You Page" to what you are interested in I usually get news that I find engaging. When looking at news on TicTock you must be carful to make sure the sources that you get your news from are credible because anybody has the ability to post on the app. I recommend this news source to anybody in my generation with a short attention span. No matter your political views Ticktock will customize itself to fit to your liking. I however believe this app is dividing the country by showing people what they want to see. 

https://www.tiktok.com/en

3. The Wall Street Journal 

The Wall Street Journal is a great news source if you are looking for a broad range of news on everything. There is a tab for World News, Business, Sports, and many more. On top of these tabs the Wall Street Journal has stock tickers on the top of the page. I recommend this source to anybody who likes a broad range of neutral news. This source is  trustworthy and has been around since 1889. 

https://www.wsj.com

4. Youtube 

YouTube, believe it or not is where I get a lot of my news. Because of my short attention span like most people today, I would much rather watch a video of something than read about it. I also intake information better by seeing and hearing at the same time rather than just reading.Youtube news also has many videos from many different news sources in one place. I highly recommend this source to anybody who is a visual learner.  

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYfdidRxbB8Qhf0Nx7ioOYw

5. Instagram 

Instagram, an app that I spend a lot of time on. On instagram, I follow all of my friends as well as many news sources. This is a quick way to get news from sources that I can follow once and see content from that source everyday, which is pretty much like being subscribed to that news source for free. I recommend this news source for anybody who spends a lot of time on social media. 

https://www.instagram.com