Final Blog Post

Our Relationship with Technology, and Technology's Relationship with Us

Everyday Technology

When the word "technology" is said, what comes to the minds of many people are high-tech things such as mechanical robots, the internet, and digital softwares. In reality, technology, as explained by Oxford Languages, is "the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry." This means that technology is anything that humans have created and use, in order to work and continue to expand their knowledge.

Types of Technology

I use technology throughout my life, day-to-day; from making coffee in the morning, to completing my school work on my computer, to talking to my family on the phone. In the age of technology that we live in today, there is a big concern about the amount that individuals (especially the younger generation) utilize online technologies, such as iPhones. Thankfully, I can say that I have a decent relationship with technology. For example, in my free time I'd rather be spending time outside or reading, instead of staring at a screen. I have my parents to thank for this: they limited the amount of time that I was allowed to use electronic devices when I was younger, and they had explained to me at a young age the importance of not leaning on technology for entertainment or communication.

Graphic Representing Technology and Humans Working Together

With all of this being said, the endless use of technology is inevitable - it has been woven into almost every single aspect of human life. There have been so many benefits that have come from the improvement of technology, and there will continue to be positive outcomes. The continuous growth of technology has allowed for information to be created and spread with more ease, at a quicker rate. Anyone can create an account on a social media platform, such as Instagram or Twitter, or create their own blog/website, such as Blogger, and present their ideas, opinions, and thoughts to a very wide, diverse audience. This has not only kept people informed on different events around the world, but it has also allowed for people's creativity to flourish. Furthermore, so many different work industries have grown by a landslide from the incorporation of different mechanical technologies and Artificial Intelligence.

Graphic Representing Humans Relying on Technology to Communicate

Along with all of these perks that come with the development of technology, however, also comes downfalls. Technology reaches deeper into the lives of individuals than most realize. For example, online footprints are clouds that hang over the heads of users of the internet and different social media apps. The data trail that users leave behind may seem insignificant to them, though to big technology companies, such as Apple and Facebook, the data is gold, and something to take advantage of.

Child Addicted to Technology

Shifting focus, individuals' ability to effectively and adequately communicate with others in-person has greatly diminished. The more that the younger generations are sucked into their TV shows and games on their iPads, the less that they are practicing the necessary skills, and fostering the building blocks, for efficient and thorough communication. 

Technology Being Used More Than Humans in a Factory

Furthermore, not only is technology stripping away people's ability to connect in person, but it is taking away job positions, as well. With Artificial Intelligence's continuous learning ability and growth, jobs are being given to technological mechanisms over humans. This is mainly seen in positions offered in factories and HR departments. With Artificial Intelligence completing the labor, companies no longer need to pay employees for their time and work, and more production gets completed in a shorter amount of time.

Graphic Representing Humans' Dependence on Technology Everywhere

Technology will forever be growing, changing, and developing. While it is inevitable that the way in which we live, work, and interact will continue to be redefined by technology, my hope is that technology will be used responsibly and with good intentions, as the power and ability that it holds is great. Ideally, the more that people understand technology, the more that it can be used to better society. Technology, especially in the worlds of health care and agriculture, is allowing for people to do amazing things that individuals 100 years ago only dreamed of. With all of the positives and negatives that can come from the advancement of technology, it's crucial for society to approach these types of innovations with careful consideration and ethical principles in mind, in order to ensure that the benefits are maximized, while the harm is minimized.

Blog Post #10

 Mainstream Media

Examples of Mainstream Media Today

Mainstream media, according to Cambridge Dictionary, are "forms of the media, especially traditional forms such as newspapers, television, and radio rather than the internet, that influence large numbers of people and are likely to represent generally accepted beliefs and opinions." Mainstream media has historically been associated with traditional platforms, such as television, radio, and print, but in recent years, online mediums such as websites, social media, and streaming services have also been deemed as forms of mainstream media.

Mainstream Media Worries

I wasn't greatly informed or aware of mainstream media, and its positives and negatives, until the EOTO presentation given on this topic. Mainstream media is subject to criticism, just as any other source of communication and information. Much of mainstream media, however, can and will hold bias. Even with this being a known fact, many citizens continue to go straight to different mainstream media sources for information on specific news, over independent news sources.

Online News Sources

A majority of Americans, as seen in a Pew Research Center article, agree that major cable TV sources and large newspapers, such as ABC News, CNN, New York Times, MSNBC, and Fox News, are a part of mainstream media. Furthermore, it is explained in the article that "Americans who rely on an outlet for news are more likely to see it as part of the mainstream news media." This is understandable, as many of these news outlets are big and influential enough to the point that they do reach a wide audience of consumers. To add on to this idea, many of the news sites that are greatly known echo already-popular beliefs, as well. Contrastingly, it is the smaller, independent news sources (not labeled as mainstream media) that go against the grain, and elaborate on their differing opinions. Utilizing these smaller, lesser-known sources is important, so that different sides and viewpoints are heard and comprehended - whether or not they are agreed with.

Negative Effect of Overconsumption of Mainstream Media

Looking at using mainstream media as an informant from a positive stance, these sources are able to quickly inform the public, promote awareness, and facilitate conversation and debate. While all of these beneficial reasons are fair, I go back to the negatives of mainstream media. In my opinion, the negatives outweigh the positives by a large amount. Before the EOTO presentation was given about mainstream media, I didn't truly understand nor conceive how many downsides there are from the sole use of mainstream media. A few of the biggest and most impactful flaws of mainstream media include bias, corporate influence, polarization, misinformation and fake news, lack of representation, and echo chambers.

Graphic of Examples of Mainstream Media Today

Mainstream media plays a central role in society; shaping public discourse, informing individuals about different happenings all over the world, holding institutions and public figures accountable, etc.. What needs to be kept in mind with mainstream media, however, is that there are biases that are very prevalent throughout every source. This is why it is so important to use multiple different sources to learn about news events and information; to ensure that the facts are being heard and consumed, instead of solely opinions.

Blog Post #9

 In the Age of A.I.

Artificial Intelligence Graphic

It could be said that Artificial Intelligence is just as prevalent in the world that we live in today as gas stations - it is everywhere. Artificial Intelligence "makes it possible for machines to learn from experience, adjust to new inputs and perform human-like tasks." Artificial Intelligence, or A.I., can be seen in technological inventions such as virtual assistance (Alexa, Siri, Google Home, etc.), self-driving cars, and facial recognition. The term Artificial Intelligence was coined in the 1950s, and its use and popularity has only grown since then. There has been a technology race ever since in order to be one of the top Artificial Intelligence powerhouses. As the video In the Age of AI states, "in the age of A.I., where data is the new oil, China is the new Saudi Arabia." This has only led other countries, such as the United States, to become even more determined to come up with the next best Artificial Intelligence technology.

Ke Jie playing Go against AlphaGo

Google created an AI system called AlphaGo, which battled the Go game master, Ke Jie, in 2016. Ke Jie was known as the world's best player of Go - a complex board game with millions of possibilities of moves. This game, held in Seoul, South Korea, was televised and streamed massively. The game was watched by tens of millions of people, and was so important because it would offer an answer to a new, ever-growing question: can machines overtake human intelligence? Ke Jie was confident before the match, stating that he believed "that human intuition is still too advanced for A.I. to have caught up." Google's AlphaGo is a computer program that was fed the rules of Go, and a database of historical games of Go. From here, the technology was designed to teach itself. This is a form of Artificial Intelligence is called deep learning - the program mimics the neural networks of the human brain. These games were so eye-opening, and a little frightening, because it showed that A.I. could produce moves that were so creative and unfathomable to the human brain. Ke Jie won 1/5 of the games against AlphaGo.

Graphic of A.I. Taking Over Jobs

The video In the Age of AI states that people believe "about 50% of jobs will be somewhat or extremely threatened by A.I. in the next 15 years or so." Machines with Artificial Intelligence that can completes tasks such as reading reports and learning routines are becoming more and more prevalent in stores, factories, and offices. Job positions that follow routines, and are based around the transferring of data, will slowly be taken over by Artificial Intelligence technologies, and automation. Examples of these jobs include cashier, payroll, finance, and HR department positions. Interestingly, Molly Kinder stated in the video that "women disproportionally hold the jobs that today are at highest risk of automation." Companies are so drawn to the utilization of A.I. and automation to complete jobs over people because it is more cost-effective. Consequently, this leaves a great percent of people (many of those people being women) without jobs. A.I. will continue to weasel its way into every single industry, and this will only worsen the increase in inequality that the U.S. has seen for over 44 years now.

Graphic Representing Big Tech Companies and A.I.

As Shoshana Zuboff explained in the video, In the Age of AI; "We thought that we were searching Google. We had no idea that Google was searching us." Google is just one example of a big technology company that utilizes their algorithms to intelligently and subtly process, save, and take advantage of data from its users. The video explained how "A.I. is a set of tools that helps you maximize an objective function, and that objective function initially will simply be make more money."

Facebook is another example of a company that abuses their power of user data and information. Facebook uses this data to shape what advertisements users are receiving, which in-turn creates a great amount of revenue for the company. To take it a step further, however, Facebook has done a couple of "social contagion" experiments. One of these experiments was in 2010, when they influenced 340,000 more people to vote in the midterm elections, through online messaging on the app. Click here for more information. The fact that Facebook can influence their to vote, without the users' knowledge of this even happening, is astonishing. Another example, which is even more drastic in my opinion, was when Facebook adjusted certain feeds in order to make their users happy/sad - this was seen as a success when learned that they could, in fact, alter people's emotions. To learn more about this experiment, click here.

Surveillance

Privacy isn't just being invaded through the use of different online apps or websites, but throughout our every day lives. China, for example, "is on its way to building a total surveillance state" (In the Age of AI). With this, comes the issues of identity theft - especially within the world of facial recognition. As we've seen throughout all of these various examples, Artificial Intelligence has opened a whole new world of technological possibilities, and with this comes many pros and cons. While A.I. is quick and productive, it also offers a lot of power to the people behind the scenes controlling it - the big technology companies. A.I. will never diminish, but instead it will continue to grow. With this being said, it is vital that people keep in mind their privacy rights while utilizing different online platforms.

Blog Post #8

EOTO #2 - Disinformation

Graphic Representing Awareness

Awareness is having knowledge or an understanding of something that is happening or exists. People can become informed on different events or facts so quickly within the time in the world that we live in today: the age of technology. With mediums that allow for easily-spread messages, however, comes the issue of wrong information being dispersed and interpreted. Three types of wrong information include disinformation, malformation, and misinformation. The two main differences between these types of information is intent and impact.

False Information Graphic

Disinformation is "deliberately misleading or biased information; manipulated narrative or facts; propaganda". To be put more plainly, disinformation is information spread that has an intentional change of facts, and is used mainly to discredit a person or organization. Disinformation is greatly used politically, socially, or economically, in order to reach a certain goal. This false type of information can be used to sway, shape, confuse, and influence people's understanding of a person or event. Examples of disinformation can be seen through propaganda, financial scams, and scandals.

Fake News Graphic

Misinformation is "false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead". As odd as it seems, the spread of misinformation happens every single day. This may sound very negative, although because misinformation is any kind of false or wrong information, this could simply be giving someone the wrong directions. Examples of the spread of misinformation can be seen through conspiracy theories, cultural and social beliefs, product marketing, clickbait, and accidental sharing.

Fact vs. Fake Information Graphic

Malinformation is "based on fact, but used out of context to mislead, harm, or manipulate". Malformation, while based on facts, is exaggerated. This type of information is prevalent within criminal activities, cyber attacks, and the assassination of one's character. Arguably, maliformation is one of the worst types of false information, and can cause significant challenges to society; whether that be to democratic processes, social cohesion, or to an individual's well-being.

Human Brain Graphic

While false information has many clear negative implications, there is actually a psychological benefit of it. There are many studies, such as one done in the journal Psychological Science, that claims that fake news may benefit memory. An article from Forbes explains that "thinking back on a time you encountered false information or 'false news' may prime your brain to better recall truthful memories. People who receive reminders of past misinformation may form new factual memories with greater fidelity." The more that a person encounters false information, the more awareness that person gains of false information being as prevalent as it is. In another study explained in the Forbes article, it is said that "results showed that misinformation reminders increased the participants' recall of facts and belief accuracy."

Fake News Graphic

An article published on NBC News' website states that a "World Economic Forum survey named misinformation and disinformation from AI as the top global risk over the next two years - ahead of climate change and war." Within the age of technology that we live in today, false information and fake news can easily be created and diffused. The question arises, however; will the continuous growth of technology add to the amount of false information that is circulated, or will it fight back and reduce the extent to which it is produced and consumed? There is a large gap between the two opinions: some believe that it is within human nature to fix problems and come together with others to do so, while others believe that fake news stems from the instinctive impulses of human nature. In reality, fake information will always be spread, with or without technology. Due to this fact, one needs to be able to consume messages from different mediums, and from there be able to determine whether the information is true or not. This is why looking to multiple sources for information about any topic is so important: to ensure that the correct facts, without people's opinions and bias', are translated to the brain.

Blog Post #7

Privacy Within the Age of Technology

Graphic Representing Lack of Privacy Online

The term "digital footprint" refers to the trail of information and data that an individual leaves behind on the internet. This is a concept that people should be greatly aware of, as it arguably relates to every person - though many individuals are not cognizant of it. People give up bits and pieces of information about themselves without knowledge of even doing so. This can happen while interacting on social media, while doing research on various websites, while shopping online, while sending emails, etc. - almost any time that an online, technological resource is used, data about the user is being recorded and stored.

Facial Recognition

"Your online life, permanent as a tattoo", the title of a 2013 Ted Talk given by Juan Enriquez, is the perfect simile to describe one's online presence. Enriquez relates online platforms, including "Facebook, Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, cell phones, GPS, Foursquare, Yelp, Travel Advisor" and more, as types of electronic tattoos. The more that a person uses online resources, the more that person's online identity is shaped, and the better that technology companies and artificial intelligence can predetermine what that person's next online moves will be, what mood they're in that day, how they're feeling, etc..

Graphic of Digital Footprint

Facial recognition has become prevalent within the world of technology as well, which has led to a whole new world of information that is now available to technology companies and AI. In his Ted Talk, Juan Enriquez mentioned facial recognition when talking about the company Face.com, which has "about 18 billion faces online". Face.com, in June of 2012, sold their company to Facebook. This offered Facebook, which was already a powerhouse technology company, just a fraction of the personal information and data that they have access to. In another Ted Talk, "How to avoid surveillance ... with the phone in your pocket", the very first piece of information that the speaker, Christopher Soghoian, offers is that "for more than 100 years, the telephone companies have provided wire-tapping to governments...Our telephones and the networks that carry our calls were wired for surveillance first." Soghoian continues to explain that our government, another country's government, a hacker, or a criminal could, consequently, be listening to any of our phone calls. This goes to show that it isn't just while utilizing the internet or different social media apps that our information is continuously being extracted and "stolen", but from the simple action of talking to someone on the telephone too.

Graphic of Digital Fingerprint

The U.S. Government Accountability Office's website states that "there is no overarching federal privacy law that governs the collection and sale of personal information among private-sector companies. There is also no federal statute that gives consumers the right to learn what information is held about them for marketing purposes and who holds it." It is a necessity at this point in the age of technology that the government creates and sets into place regulations and policies regarding rights that technology companies do and do not have with users' information. In turn, it would be mature and appropriate for big technology companies to create regulations of their own to follow, and to be straight-forward, open, and honest with their users regarding how their information is used, and the amount of information about each user that they really have. Unfortunately, these companies profit greatly by selling user information to various companies. This explains the reason why so many of these companies are so secretive about the amount of user information that they truly have access to, and what they then do with that information.

Online Security and Data

Taking proactive steps towards protecting ourselves from invasions of privacy online is extremely important, and should be top of mind while utilizing any online platform. Creating strong passwords, making social media accounts private, securing wireless networks, and avoiding oversharing on social media are simple preventative steps towards keeping our information private. More complicated, yet protective ways of securing our private information that many people don't think of includes using a VPN or private web browsing, installing software updates, setting up multi-factor authentication, and adjusting privacy settings.

Blog Post #6

Antiwar Voices - Why Do We Never Hear Them?

The U.S. Supreme Court

Dissent is "the expression or holding of opinions at variance with those previously, commonly, or officially held." Within the law, dissent is so utterly important, and pertains to an opinion that goes against an already-prevailing idea. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects the right to dissent, as it "protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference." The U.S. Supreme Court has had dissenting opinions in the past themselves, which have consequently changed the way that following court cases are looked at and decided. When the Supreme Court Justices come to a new common interpretation of a certain part of the Constitution, and change the way in which a case would have originally been decided, they are going against the precedent.

Protest in Front of the Supreme Court

One of the most influential and important dissenting opinions in U.S. history was in Yates v. United States (1957). Prior, in 1951, the Supreme Court decided on the case Dennis v. United States. In this decision, the Supreme Court supported the convictions of 11 members of the American Communist Party, including Eugene Dennis, for violating the Smith Act. The Smith Act, also known as the Alien Registration Act, made it illegal to advocate for the violent overthrow of the government, or to organize or be a part of an organization that was devoted to such. The Supreme Court found in Dennis v. United States that, in a 6-to-2 decision, the Smith Act did not violate the First Amendment. Just 6 years later, in the case Yates v. United States, the Supreme Court negated and reversed the ruling from Dennis v. United States, stating that the only instances of speech that are unconstitutional and illegal are those that pose a "clear and present danger". This doctrine, to be put simply, determines what kinds of speech, press, and assemblies can be limited by the First Amendment, and consequently, the government.

A Speech in Front of the U. S. Capital

There are many online websites that act as a place for people to freely write and post their opinions that go against the norm, the majority, or the government. Two examples of such websites are Antiwar.com and The American Conservative. Antiwar.com's description is "Your best source for antiwar news, viewpoints, and activities". The description for The American Conservative is that it "exists to advance a 'Main Street' conservatism that opposes unchecked power in government and business...and embraces realism and restraint in foreign affairs based on America's vital national interests." The opinions that are presented on these websites are very strong - yet they aren't as widely publicized or shown throughout other sources of media. This is all due to the content and the messages that are published and posted. On websites such as these, there's deep analysis and emotional commentary on events and happenings around the nation and the world. On mainstream media, however, there's well thought-out and carefully worded responses to these same events. Mainstream media sources are more concerned about presenting the information to their audiences, and in-return receiving money for their presentations of the affairs. Mainstream media sources think about how different audiences will react to the material that they put out, whether that be right versus left-leaning groups, the government, etc., while sources such as Antiwar.com and The American Conservative act as a place for people to openly speak/write about what they want and how they feel without the worry or focus of backlash from sharing their true opinions.

Free Speech Art

The freedom of speech does include the right to not speak, to use offensive words to convey political messages, and to engage in symbolic speech. The freedom of speech does not, however, include the right to incite imminent lawless action, or to make/distribute obscene materials, as can be seen on the Judicial Branch of the U.S. Government's website. It is so utterly important for United States citizens to know and understand their rights under the Constitution of the United States, and with that, to exercise the very rights that are granted to them.

Blog Post #5

The Invention of the Radio

Radios

When thinking about technologies of today, the radio isn't one of the inventions that would initially come to my mind. After listening to EOTO presentations this past week, however, I was reminded of the great importance and influence of the radio. It is said that there are many fathers of the radio - from the scientists that recognized the correct frequencies to use and invented the Tesla coils that would be used inside of the radio, to the businessmen that had the patents for the materials and mechanisms needed to create the radios. It is agreed by most, however, that an Italian inventor by the name of Guglielmo Marconi was the very first person to develop the idea of the radio, back in the 1890s. Marconi had been set on finding a mode of communication that didn't need to utilize wires in order to send information back and forth from one location to another. In 1895, then, Marconi began to experiment with the idea of wireless communication, and respectively became successful in sending these types of signals over a distance of one and a half miles. From here, in 1896, Marconi decided to travel to England in order to seek a patent for his findings.

Guglielmo Marconi

Before the radio, people relied on telegraphs to send information across a large span of space. Morse Code was the "language" that people used to communicate through telegraphs, and it was from Morse Code that Marconi's idea for the radio originated from. A telegraph is a device or system in which long-distance messages can be transmitted through wires by electrical signals. These electrical signals are interpreted and understood through the dots and dashes that correspond to certain letters of the alphabet. Marconi dreamed up a telegraph that was wireless - which is what the radio became. I have taken advantage of wireless communication my entire life, and the presentation given in class about the radio reminded me of how fortunate we are to be able to communicate with others so easily over such a great distance.

With World War 1 just on the horizon at this time, there were many individuals and businesses (such as General Electric, and American Telephone and Telegraph) that were looking to develop the telegraph, in order to communicate more complicated and sophisticated messages than the simple dots and dashes that were being used at that time.

Radio Broadcasting

With all of this being said, the invention of the radio took off. Radios were greatly used in wartime by the military, though they were also used as a mechanism for entertainment, news, and advertisement. Radios helped to bring people together, which was proven to be greatly important during the times of the First World War and the Great Depression. Not only were individuals brought closer to one-another, but they felt closer to the government as well. "By 1922 there were 576 licensed radio broadcasters and the publication Radio Broadcast was launched, breathlessly accounting that in the age of radio, 'government will be a living thing to its citizens instead of an abstract and unseen force.'" An example of this were Roosevelt's fireside chats - a series of radio addresses that the 32nd President held, in order to provide support and hope for American citizens.

Radio Waves

Radios utilize electromagnetic waves in order to transmit and receive messages. To be more specific, electrons in the transmitters of radios vibrate, which consequently emits radio waves. These radio waves travel through the air (at the speed of light), and once they hit a receiver they cause the electrons in there to vibrate inside - recreating the original variation of movements of the electrons, and consequently, the same sound. This is electromagnetic waves being converted into mechanical vibrations. In order to pick and choose which transmissions a radio receives, the frequency of the oscillator in the radio must be adjusted.

Radios

Radios have since continued to develop, becoming more accessible and convenient - such as being built into cars, and being built smaller and more portable. The idea of wireless communication has grown as well, from which came inventions such as the telephone. The radio has proven to be a crucial piece of technology for over one hundred years, and will continue to be utilized and influenced by different advances in technology today.