Blog 12: Final Blog Post

 

    Technology has come a long way over the years. Depending on peoples' perspectives and technology use, it can be beneficial or harmful.

    The first video we watched in class of the Futurama ride showed a positive perspective of technology. It predicted many beneficial uses of technology that have advanced the USA. For example, it predicted that technology would be
able to get a man on the moon, submarines, filtered ocean water, movable walkways, better highways and electric vehicles as well as many other advancements. These advancements helped
America greatly and made life easier.

   However, there is a downside to technology. The Mad World video takes a different approach and shows how much of a distraction technology is and prevents us from viewing the world around us.

     This video also shows people acting happy for their phones but actually sad in real life and I believe that a lot of influencers or even everyday people that post do this. My generation wants to look happy even though we are all dealing with stuff behind closed doors. If I scroll on Instagram, everyone looks their best and happy. 

  

 However, there are some influencers that do talk about the hard times and mental health openly, which is good because then my generation can relate to them and connect with them. For example, Tiktoker Nessa Barrett is very open about her borderline personality disorder and her eating disorder along with the struggles that come with it. This allows other people
with similar conditions to feel heard and normal.  

     The Mad World video also portrays people as zombies and not caring about others around them. I sadly can relate to this because whenever I walk around campus I'm almost always on my phone texting or Snapchatting. To our generation, it fills the void of having to walk without entertainment and prevents us from having to have awkward eye contact with people walking by. 

    I also believe that Generation Z spends way too much time on our phones and other technologies. For example, I do all of my homework and most of my notes on my laptop. This means that my laptop is always open for every class and I am always looking at the screen. I also use my laptop to watch videos, which takes up some more hours of the day. My laptop screen time averages about 5 hours a day. 

     Additionally, I am always scrolling on my phone when there is nothing else to do. It has become a habit that whenever I stop doing something, I immediately pick up my phone and start watching TikTok. So, my screen time on my phone is averaged at 5 hours a day. 

    This means that I spend about 10 hours of my day looking at technology, which is insane. I am on technology more than I sleep and it is not okay, but it is how my generation functions. 

     Digital footprint is the trail of data that you leave behind when using the internet. I believe that my
digital footprint is okay compared to many others. A digital footprint is super important because if you want to get a serious job then the employers will look at what you have posted and judge if it is how they want to be represented. If you use explicit language in your posts or post with alcohol while underaged or even drugs then the company will most likely not hire you. 

    You may think that you can just take down the posts, however, once your digital footprint is online, it can't be deleted. When Generation Z went to school we were never taught about a digital footprint and so many people posted things that they would probably regret in the future. 

    An easy example of digital footprints having consequences is influencers getting canceled for things that they posted in the past. For example, Shane Dawson was canceled because he posted blackface and other offensive things in his old videos. This led to him apologizing and leaving the internet for a while.

    

Blog 11: EOTO Presentations Reflection

    Today I learned a lot from many of the other groups that presented their EOTO presentations.

    One topic that specifically caught my attention was the social credit score presentation by my fellow classmate. It is crazy to me that China is actually using the social credit score method. I had heard some things about the social credit score in China prior to listening to her presentation, but part of me wanted to believe that it wasn't true. 

    The Chinese government is literally using the social credit score to control its population and no one can stop them. There is so much lack of privacy because the Chinese people are under constant surveillance according to the classmate that presented this topic. 

    According to Wired, you achieve a low credit score for things like getting caught jaywalking, not paying a court bill, and playing music too loudly on a train. In America, jaywalking is not even a very relevant crime. In North Carolina specifically, it is not illegal to jaywalk. 

    The presenter gave an example of how if you have a low credit score then they can prevent you from traveling and how if you have a high credit score you get perks like being able to get priority choice for your children's schooling. This shows that if you have low social credit you lose certain rights, which is unfair to people. 

As the presenter talked about, this would be terrible if someone had a sick family member that lived far away and they would not be able to see them because their social credits are too low. 

    The way that China is doing this reminds me of Big Brother from the book 1984. Big Brother was a "government" that would have telescreens that were always watching the citizens. No one was safe and if they ever thought about doubting Big Brother then they would be convicted of "thoughtcrime". Both the Chinese and Big Brother system limits the privacy and freedom of the citizens. This is scary because 1984 is supposed to just be a dystopian novel, but China is making it real life.

    I understand that they want to make sure their citizens are doing the right thing but these measures are way too extreme. 

Blog 9: EOTO Alternative Media

    Many rely on Fox, CNN, or other prominent news sources, however, there are alternative media to find news that the mainstream media does not provide. Alternative media is not owned by a business operation, syndicate, or government agency. Alternative media could include news sources like small websites, movies, e-magazines, social media, citizen journalism, etc. Something unique to alternative media is that it provides "underground" information. The mainstream media often avoid certain topics and the alternative media shines a light on them. 

    For example, in class, we had an assignment where we looked at anti-war websites. I had never previously heard a voice on anti-war because the mainstream media rarely (if ever) mentions an anti-war perspective. An alternative media, Liberation News states that the mainstream media is silencing anti-war voices. Why is this? The most probable reason is capitalism and the fact that the government wants the people to agree with and support their choices. The government only cares about money and status when it comes down to it. Alternative media exposes the government for this and shares anti-war voices. 

    A big subcategory of alternative media is citizen journalism. Citizen journalists are those that are not professional journalists but they use social media, blogs, and websites to spread information. So, writing this blog about alternative media could be considered an example of citizen journalism. As someone in Generation Z, I rely heavily on citizen journalism on social media for learning about what is going on in the world. 

      There are pros and cons to alternative media. One pro is that alternative media provides the opportunity for people to have freedom of speech. This is good because everyone can share their own perspectives without censorship or being controlled. Alternative media is also a positive because it allows people to be creative and express themselves. 

    However, there are some cons to alternative media. One con is that there is a bias and misinformation because alternative media does not have checks and balances the way that mainstream media does. This can lead to fake news and conspiracy theories which can harm the public. For example, the alternative media spread information that the 2020 election was rigged and that Trump should've won. This led a group of rioters to storm the capitol building, which lead to a lot of damage and multiple deaths. 

    Alternative media also has questionable sources so it is not very reliable for information. People can say whatever they want without regulation so it is difficult to decide if the information is true or not. 

 

   For example, I watched a YouTuber called Shane Dawson who could be considered a source of alternative media. He spreads conspiracy theories through his videos that can be very logical, however, he is not a reliable source because he does not have any credentials. 

    The most recent video I watched by him was mind-blowing. He claimed that the off-brand products are manufactured by the same people that create the on-brand products. He backed up his conclusion by stating that when the on-brand product gets recalled so does the off-brand product. One example he provided was that when the Jif peanut butter got recalled for salmonella so did the Peter Pan peanut butter.  He also bought off-brand and on-brand products and said that they tasted and looked the same even though one is much cheaper than the other. He claimed that companies do this to prevent competition with other companies. 

    Another claim he made in his video is that chain restaurants like Red Robin create fake local restaurants on Doordash and Postmates so that consumer is convinced that they are trying a new place. Dawson tested this theory by mobile ordering the same thing from three restaurants named "Red Robin," "Chicken Sammy's" and "Fresh Set." They all shared the same address and were delivered by the same guy. All the food looked the exact same and came in the same packaging. He also claimed that Chuck E. Cheese does this so that adults think they are ordering from a fancy pizza place, however, they receive Chuck E. Cheese pizza.

    Shane Dawson spreads new information to many people, but like all alternative media, it is difficult to know what is real and what is misinformation. 

Blog 8: Diffusion Theory

    Rogers' Diffusion Theory is used for inventions and ideas. The process starts with the pioneers or the people that start the idea or invention. Then there are early adopters that test the product. Next is the early majority that gets won over by the product or idea. Then there are the late adopters that find a use for the invention or idea late. Lastly, there are the laggards that come to the idea or invention after avoiding it or not knowing about it for a long amount of time. For example, Professor Smith would be a laggard if he joined Facebook because he has avoided it for a long period of time. Then the product or idea becomes "dead" but is still in use by few, which is called the long tail. 

    The invention I researched, the iPod was a great hit pioneered by Tony Fadell. It was early adopted by Apple because they saw potential in the invention. The iPod became a huge success for Apple. Tons of people started using the iPod because it was a new and improved MP3 player. iTunes provided an abundance of music to choose from and the iPod contained a lot of storage space. The iPod itself upgraded over the years, which would restart the diffusion theory. Restarting the diffusion theory makes a business successful because it captures the attention of people over and over again. People always want what is new and upgraded.

   

    However, Apple contributed to the "death" of the iPod. They came out with the new iPhone and it had iTunes as well as other improvements like a touch screen and front-facing camera. Many people replaced their iPods with an iPhone and iPod sales declined. 

  

    This chart shows that iPod sales peaked in 2008 but then slowly declined. The iPod would never be fully replaced because there is someone out there that still owns an iPod and is passionate about it. This is similar to an example I learned in class where not everyone will believe that women have the right to vote so the long tail would never hit 0. There is always an outlier that doesn't go with the majority when it comes to the diffusion theory graph.  

Blog 10: AI

     Artificial intelligence has taken over the United States. Firstly, many people have lost jobs to artificial intelligence. For example, factory workers have been replaced by automation. People that get their income from working in a factory are getting booted out and left with nothing because artificial intelligence is taking their place. Artificial intelligence is good for companies because it is a one-time investment (unless it breaks and needs to be fixed) and more efficient, however, this leaves people jobless.         

    Another example is that cashiers are being replaced by AI. Instead of ordering from a human, people can now order on a device themselves. This leaves even more people without income. AI is a driver for increased inequality because there are fewer labor jobs due to artificial intelligence replacing them. Women are especially replaced by automation. Women already have inequality when it comes to jobs so it is sad that even more jobs are being taken away from them



.

     As a criminal justice major, I am very familiar with the intergenerational theory that states that the generations in a family are a cycle. It is very difficult for people to get out of poverty once born into it. America is supposed to be a place of opportunity, however, it is hard to advance in this country because it is hard to pay for education and have time for it when constantly working.

    Something that is terrifying in this country is that large companies care more about money than citizens' well-being. Everything you do is being tracked and you are flowing out data for the large companies. For example, the companies know that I am writing this post and it shows them that I am against AI. Have you ever been talking to your friend about something specific and then you get an ad for it on Facebook? This is not a coincidence, the company just took that data to recommend you an ad that you would be interested in. This is good that the ads are personalized to you specifically, however, this means that nothing is ever truly private. 

    I found this specific video interesting because someone said that instead of us using social media, it is using us and instead of us searching on Google, Google is searching us. These words brought me chills. Whenever I use Google or social media, I don't think much about it. I am never aware that they are watching my every move, but this video made me more aware. These large companies are power-hungry and they are succeeding. 

    

Blog 7: EOTO Technology presentations

     In class today, everyone presented the history of different technologies and their impact on society. One thing that I found especially fascinating is how each individual technology progressed within itself. For example, the television went from being big and boxy to now being flat-screened. It's also crazy to think about how much technology has progressed. Seeing the presentation of the light bulb reminded me that the invention meant so much back then but now we barely think about turning on a light, it is just part of our everyday lives. This is true for many other technologies like paper or printing. 

    One presentation that caught my eye was the one on Netflix. I learned that Netflix wasn't always a streaming service. The presenter, Abby Holmes, described how Netflix used to sell and rent DVDs by mail. This was very interesting to me because as long as I can remember Netflix has been a streaming service and so I assumed that it always has been, however, the streaming service didn't come out until 2007 and Netflix was founded in 1997 according to Holmes. Netflix's streaming service really has changed the world as Holmes said. In today's society, hardly anyone buys DVDs or watches TV on cable. Everyone I know uses Disney+, Netflix, Paramount, Hulu, and HBO max to watch movies and television shows. 

    Another presentation that resonated with me was the one on YouTube created by my group member Amaris. I personally use YouTube every day. It is so easy to get lost in videos of other people in order to forget about the world and life around you. It is also much shorter to watch a YouTube video than to watch a movie or episodes of a show. This makes it easier to catch the attention span of people in this generation because it has gotten shorter and shorter over the years due to technology. Something new I learned because of Amaris' presentation is that YouTube was originally created for people to introduce themselves and share what they are interested in. YouTube has evolved so much since that original concept because there are many videos out there for so many different audiences. It is crazy that people can make a career out of recording what they enjoy doing whether it's their daily lives, playing video games, trying new food, exploring, etc. 

Technology has truly changed the world. 

Blog 6: Anti-War

    I had never realized that I have never heard anti-war in the news until writing this blog. The government has been censoring criticisms of the government and war for a long time. The espionage act of 1917 punished government employees that criticized the government because it harmed the war. This should go against the first amendment because we are guaranteed to speak freely against the government. In 1919, four men that were communist/socialist and antiwar were thrown in jail. Instead of the court defending their first amendment, they agreed with the government because they could. How is this fair in America? America is supposed to be the land of the free but innocent people were thrown in jail for speaking against the war. America is supposed to be made by the people for the people but now there is a great boundary between the people of America and the government.

    War and violence are not the answer to compromise, so why not speak out about it? The government does not want to admit that what they are doing is wrong. The government doesn't care about what is right, rather they care about wealth and status among the people. I was unaware that America had troops still in Syria until I read an article on the website "The American Conservative." I don't understand how it is okay to kill people with no justified cause. Also, President Biden shouldn't be able to strike war without it being America defending itself from an attack, but he sent troops to Syria anyways. The government is slowly taking over our rights. 

    I feel like the government puts reasons for war out there but really does it for secret and corrupt causes like gaining power and oil. One website discusses the actual ideas behind the TikTok ban going on right now. We are meant to believe that the banning of TikTok is for our safety to prevent data leaks to China, however, our own government takes and looks at all of our data. We don't even have privacy in our own government, so why does it matter if China has our data too? The article suggests that this is a way for America to start up a Cold War with China. The government just wants to make a wedge between itself and China because they are enemies. The American government should fix its own country's data privacy issues before worrying about another country.