Post #10: In the Age of AI

After watching the videos regarding AI, it raised some interesting points such as jobs being threatened by AI through automation, social media and Google collecting our data, and Google home and Alexa listening in on our daily conversations. Besides these points, it made me reflect on other notable questions as well.

Complex AI and machine learning offers benefits in jobs like increased productivity, improved decision-making, and customized customer experiences, but also drive innovation. Technologies like these can automate repetitive tasks and allow us to focus on higher-value work while reducing the cost in many industries. 

Privacy with AI technology comes with both pros and cons. 

Looking at it through a positive lens, it can potentially enhance privacy by lowering the need for human access to raw data, minimizing the risk of breaches, and enables personalized and privacy consent devices. 

On the negative side, AI introduces privacy risks such as data breaches, unauthorized access to personal information, and the possibility of algorithmic bias and discrimination. 

AI can also be a tool and a threat for national security. 

AI can analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and threats that could be missed by human beings, ultimately strengthening national security. It can also be used to detect and prevent cyberattacks and boost the security of military systems. 

Through a threat perspective, AI technology is used to develop new weapons that raise ethical concerns. It can also be used for surveillance and mass monitoring that cause privacy issues. 

Lastly, AI can be used for identify theft through algorithms used to create realistic but fake pictures and videos which enable people to impersonate others. This also allows people to generate fake profiles on social media platforms for scams. 

It is very important to learn how to protect yourself from AI threats. The most crucial things to do is to use strong passwords for all accounts, secure your devices, report any suspicious activity, avoid clicking on links from unknown senders, and limit personal information put into AI tools. If you suspect you are a part of an AI scam, reach out to your family and friends and inform them to be careful too. 

Post #12: Final Post (Society's Relationship with Technology)

Bill Gates once said, "We're changing the world with technology." But is this change good or bad?

To answer this question, there are key factors to consider. While reflecting on my own technology usage, I found that I spend on average eight hours a day on my phone according to the screen time feature in settings. This number is shocking to me considering this is an excessive amount made up of time spent on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and even Messages. This leads me to wonder: is technology taking up too much time in my life and many other individuals without even realizing it?

We see in both Gen Z and Gen Alpha, mainly Gen Alpha, that technology and social media has begun to consume their lives. Statistics show that 43% of Gen Alpha has a tablet before the age of six and 58% has a phone before the age of ten (The Annie E. Casey Foundation). Having grown up into a world full of technology, there is no doubt that Gen Z and Gen Alpha will suffer immense negative effects on their mental health. In most cases, some kids and teens are even to the point of being addicted and dependent on their electronics at all times. 

Gen Alpha is predicted to be the highest generation who relies completely on social media for news. 

The article says, "Kids born dur­ing or around the COVID-19 pan­dem­ic are already show­ing delays in social and emo­tion­al devel­op­ment." Since everyone had to quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, kids and teens were left to rely on technology in order to communicate with their friends and family.

Coming out of quarantine, adolescents became so used to talking via texting or calling that their in-person communication abilities are drastically weakened. Many choose to hide behind their phones now instead of socializing with others because they don't know how to interact with people due to the increase of isolation and depression during COVID-19. 

As far as behavioral development goes, technology has ruined the way Gen Alpha treats fellow classmates, friends, and even family. My boyfriend, who works at a daycare and is surrounded by kids everyday, recalls an instance where he had to confiscate a tablet from two kids because they were fighting over it, resulting in both of them getting angry. 

A common term said in today's society is "brain rot" and is derived from TikTok. The slang term refers to, "the supposed negative psychological or cognitive effects caused by consuming low quality or excessive amounts of online content" (Wikipedia). A few of the most popular examples include, "gyatt," (buttocks) "rizz," (having strong charisma) and "big back" (someone overweight). 

Most kids will constantly repeat these words to others without knowing the meaning behind them and how some of them could be offensive. The idea of "brain rot" is a never ending cycle as one person sees a video of an influencer saying it and immediately think that it is an acceptable term to say in everyday talk. This begins the spread of negative conversation between kids without even truly knowing they are saying hurtful things. 

It is clear that technology has put a strain on Gen Alpha's relationships and behavior, but what about Gen Z?

Technology has become so advanced that it has made it to where Gen Z can earn a college degree completely virtual. Just thinking about this statement is crazy given that Gen X didn't have anywhere near the complex technology as we have today and had to do everything in-person, making it way easier for young adults today to get college credits online without having to work as hard. 

Moving to the darker side of technology, social media apps in young adults, specifically Snapchat and dating platforms, can be dangerous. In June 2024, a man named Evan Blankenship used the shared Snapchat location settings to track down a victim, attempting to kidnap her. Ensuring the location settings are turned off on all apps is extremely important as shown in this case and allows for a more safer experience on social media. 

Going along with the decline of human interaction mentioned earlier, technology is changing our love lives. According to Walden University, "Now, 33% of couples have met online, and thats expected to rise by 70% by 2040" (Walden University). The famous dating app, Tinder, is the modern version of how blind dates used to be in older generations, except blind dates are set up by already existing connections. Tinder or any other form of meeting strangers online can be very unsafe as many use it as a kind of "catfishing" by creating fake profiles to get your money and information. 

Circling back to the question asked in the very beginning, technology may enhance our communication, allow us to have access to resources, and stay in touch with friends, but it definitely comes with its negative effects too. In the end, there is no right or wrong answer because like anything else, technology comes with the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

After viewing my screen time, it has made me realize the huge amount of time I spend on my phone each day and to remind myself to find a balance in my use of technology. 

Post #11: EOTO #2 Reaction

In the second group's presentation, it discussed the general subject of the media sphere. 

When breaking this topic down, the counterparts that stuck out to me are mainstream media, whistleblowing, and online influencers.

Mainstream Media

To begin, mainstream media are forms of media, especially traditional forms, that influences larger audiences and are likely to represent accepted opinions/beliefs. The presentation gave the example of the "Big Boys" in the US which consists of CNN, Fox, ABC, New York Times, CBS, NBC, and more. Legacy media relates to more older forms of media that dominated prior to the internet like print, film studios, music studios, and radio broadcasting. This includes companies such as Disney, Warner Media, and ViacomCBS. The impact of mainstream media is being able to share public opinion, political influence, agenda setting, and global awareness.

Whistleblowers

A whistleblower is, "someone who reports waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, or dangers to public health and safety to someone who is in a position to rectify the wrongdoing." In other words, "they promote transparency by promoting wrongdoing."  

An example of a case of whistleblowing was in 2013 when Edward Snowden created the hugest intelligence leak in the National Security Agency's history. Snowden ended up uncovering various worldwide surveillance strategies. Another instance of whistleblowing was when an emergency room physician in the state of Washington, Dr. Ming Lin, posted on social media how hospitals around the world were lacking in resources and how dangerous COVID-19 was in the emergency room.

Although whistleblowing is thought to be a bad thing, it can be good because it helps expose wrongdoing, protect people, and promote fairness and accountability, especially in cases of fraud, abuse, or safety violations.

Online Influencers

Online influencers are people that are popular on social media, have a numerous amount of followers, and can influence people through what they post online. They can have an impact on politics because they connect with younger voters, share political messages or posts and make conversation about the issues. Online influencers literally "influence" how people view political candidates and encourage them to get involved in the elections. 

Even though they can shape public opinion, mainly with younger voters, it can lead to misinformation because online influencers want more followers to make a lot of money through their views and content. 

Post #8: Diffusion of Innovations

Diffusion of innovations is, "a theory that seeks to explain how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spread." The theory first became known by Everett Rogers in his book, Diffusion of Innovations in 1962. He says that, "diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the participants in a social system."

In order to understand the theory, it can be applied to new, present innovations such as autonomous vehicles. Also known as self-driving cars, autonomous vehicles are capable of navigating and operating with minimal or no human input. The invention became more popular because of factors such as technological advancements, potential safety benefits, and the increase in convenience and efficiency. The use of AI in self-driving cars have allowed for more complex and reliable systems.

On the contrary, some people may be late adopters or not adopters at all because of the safety and reliability concerns, high cost, and the continuous development of the technology. Another reason as to why not everyone uses self-driving cars is because people may prefer having complete control over their car and the experience of driving for themselves, while others worry about the impact on the economy and jobs if they become widespread. 

Along the same lines, there are several downsides to the technology. First, the range on self-driving cars, such Teslas, is less than that of a regular, gas car. Second, it can take awhile, anywhere from fifteen minutes to several hours, to charge a Tesla whereas it only takes a few minutes to get gas. Also, if you don't have a home charger and charge at a charging station, it ends up being a higher cost than gas. 

The positives of owning a Tesla, such as its performance and cost-effectiveness can outweigh the negatives like higher initial purchase price and the limited charging. Not only this, but Teslas are extremely environmental friendly. Since they are electric, they produce no tailpipe emissions which contributes to cleaner air and reduced carbon footprints. 

Post #7: The Progressive Era

The start of anti-war movements date all the way back to America's birth. Almost every war that has ever occurred in the United States has brought with it some type of anti-war movement. 

The Anti-Vietnam War Movement at the University of Michigan, 1965-1972. 

Probably one of the most well-known and significant anti-war movements was the Revolutionary War, when a small minority of American colonists were in favor of the British crown. Approximately 500,000 colonists were Loyalists and 19,000 made up the arms against the patriots. A numerous amount of Loyalists took off to Canada and other parts of the British empire after the revolution. Quakers wanted no part in the war even though they were at risk for persecution by the patriots and the Loyalists. 

Along with this, they even refused to pay taxes or use paper money that was issued by the Second Continental Congress. Later on, there would be movements for the War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, and more. 

Nowadays, unfamiliar websites like Antiwar.com and The American Conservative are used by people who have strong anti-war voices and are not usually heard in the mainstream news. This is potentially due to economy not being as stimulated now like it was during WWII. During WWII, the economy went through a "boom," meaning there was an expansion in industrial productions, job creations, and a rise in consumer spending. 

I think we have to seek out obscure websites in order to hear strong anti-war voices because it is a dissenting view point to the mainstream. Neither the Democrats nor Republicans are anti-war, but instead they are both eager to boost military spending and deepen American commitments abroad. 

This chart shows the decline in the anti-war movement with the Democratic Party because of Partisanship.

Anti-war movements are very important in our world as they challenge the authority of governments to wage war and even promote alternative solutions to conflict resolutions. To add to this, they raise awareness about the human cost of war, trauma, and even loss of life. They then can lead to policy changes like the removal of troops from a conflicted war zone. 

Post #9: EOTO #2 (Confirmation Bias)

 What is it?

Confirmation bias is a form of cognitive bias. It is described as "the tendency to process information by looking for or interpreting information that aligns with our existing beliefs."

This bias is something that we as humans we are unaware of as it is a natural response when watching or reading news. When we are watching or reading the news, we are much more likely to agree with information that matches we want to be true and less likely to agree with information that confirms our beliefs. This starts the trend of “fake news” in the world today. We may begin to spread misinformation to our friends and family of news topics that we really want to believe are true but aren’t.

Signs

There are many signs of ways in which confirmation bias can come into play according to VeryWellMind:

1. Not seeking our objective facts

2. Interpreting information to support existing beliefs

3. Only remembering details that uphold your beliefs

4. Ignoring information that doesn't challenge your beliefs

Types

To break down confirmation bias, there are three different types of categories: biased attention, biased interpretation, and biased memory. Biased attention is when we selectively center our attention on information that confirms our views while dismissing data that doesn’t. Biased interpretation is when we consciously interpret information in a certain way that confirms our beliefs. Biased memory is when we selectively remember information that supports our views while ignoring information that doesn’t.

Most people who go through confirmation bias are close minded as they only want to look for information that doesn’t challenge their opinions and beliefs. The first step to do when coming to terms with your confirmation bias is to tackle it head on and openly realize you have it. The next thing is to guard yourself against confirmation bias and try to be more open minded to credible sources with information on topics that will help you be able to get the full picture of an issue instead of only seeing one side. Seek out different perspectives from those who hold opposing views than yours and consider all of the evidence available. 

In order to fully understand the concept of confirmation bias, let's cover several examples of how confirmation bias comes to play in several aspects of our everyday lives.

For example, if we support a certain political candidate, then we are most likely to believe news stories that shed a positive light on them but ignore the stories that are critical and may show them in a more negative light. Confirmation bias is even present in our relationships. For instance, we may befriend someone who shares the same beliefs and values as us and not be open to befriending someone who doesn’t. As a result, this can lead to an echo chamber effect, a concept the previous group mentioned, because we only are able to hear information that confirms our views and never have our opinions altered. In addition, confirmation bias can oftentimes lead to bad decision making. The source, VeryWellMind gives the example of if you are set on getting a job at a particular company, then you may not consider the other opportunities that are awaiting you and may be better fit.

All things considered, confirmation bias has a great impact in our everyday lives and being able to avoid it isn’t possible. While it is mostly viewed as bad, it gives us a source of confidence and certainty to be firm in our beliefs.

Post #6: EOTO #1 Reaction

After listening to all of the presentations for EOTO #1, the group that stuck out to me the most was the one which discussed the history of cassette tapes, carrier pigeons, printing press, and social media. 

Casette Tapes

Cassette tapes were first invented by Lou Ottens for Philips Company in Belgium in 1962. It was used for analog media and diction, but later was converted for music coverage. Cassette tapes became popular due to the convenience and portability of them along with the help of Sony Walkmans and Boomboxes. They were arguably the first technology that allowed people to share music, recordings on a larger scale. 

The first cassette tape created by deceased, Lou Ottens.

Later on, piracy started to become a big issue because of how easy it was to get access to them, resulting in sale drops of vinyl records. Along with vinyl records, cassettes became to common back then that they were killing the vinyl sales. To end this, music companies came out with exclusive music on vinyls and cassettes. 

However, the introduction of CD's started to hurt both cassettes and vinyl sales because of the similar benefits of a cassette and better audio quality. 

Carrier Pigeons or "Messengers"

Carrier pigeons were first used in ancient times in Egypt by the Greeks and Romans, being the first source of communication. They then spread to journalists in the 1860's for reporting news from far cities during both World Wars. 

The most well-known pigeons include: Cher Ami who was awarded for bravery on the battlefield in the Croix De Guerre, GI Joe who was awarded the Dickin Medal, and Commando who was also awarded the Dickin Medal. 

Printing Press

The oldest printed book was around 868 AD and block printing was around 600-900 AD. By the 1000's, a moveable type of printing was invented. Johannes Gutenberg designed the very first printing press in the mid 1400's, but was replaced by the rotary press in the 1800's. 

The printing press impacted the news industry, making it more accessible to the public. Information then began to spread and reached the scientific community. By famous works being printed, it strengthened the renaissance.

Social Media

Facebook was founded in 2004 by Zuckerberg, Saverin, Moskovitz, and Hughes. The original version called Facemash in 2003 let Harvard students rate female attractiveness, but soon got shut down and turned into what we now know as Facebook. It then expanded to Yale, Stanford, and similar universities. By June 2004, more than 250,000 students from 34 schools had joined.

In addition, Instagram launched in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. It was created to share photos and experiences more easily. The "influencers trend" began on Instagram and from there influencers built large followings and promoted products/services. 

Although it has its perks, social media definitely has its downsides. Facebook brought privacy concerns, cyberbullying, and misinformation. Instagram brought harmful effects on teens mental health such as depression and anxiety by promoting unrealistic body images. 

Perhaps I found these topics interesting because they have shaped the world of communication into what we know today. They have all played a role in different ways in society whether it be scrolling on social media and keeping in touch with friends or allowing us to get our news more quickly because of the printing press.