Final Blog Post - Relationship with Technology

The more and more technology advances, the more it consumes our everyday lives. I think my relationship with technology is healthy, but I consistently use it with being in college and as a form of communication to connect with others. In college, I am constantly on my computer completing assignments or looking up information to complete my assignments. Technology can be valuable information that can help improve your learning, but I agree it can also mislead you to the wrong information. There are so many websites with the information you are looking for, but it can be misleading because we can get lazy and use the information given to us first. Instead of doing the extra research by double-checking the website is telling the correct information. However, making sure you are using reliable sources that you know gives accurate information. 

Thinking about is technology something we should worry about and I personally do worry about it all the time. It is advancing every day and consuming people's lives. We can't go anywhere without our phones or checking social media. But it is something we just have to accept at this point and try our best to not get into an unhealthy relationship with it. Something that I always think about today, is how technology is shaping our younger generation. I babysit a lot of different families and it's interesting to see how the parents handle the technology. Some parents have screen time, where they can only go on their devices for a period of time. But the kids are just obsessed with watching TV, playing on their iPads, or even trying to go on my phone. They just find it fascinating what the technology can do. When I was younger we didn't have iPads and phones and we just played outside all day. It's hard for me to get these kids to just play outside, all they want to do is go on their iPads. So in some ways, I find technology negative because it's making people lazier and relying on technology more so than doing it themselves or getting the exercise our bodies need.

I also see technology in a positive way because we can connect with so many people and the technology behind healthcare is incredible. If it wasn't for phones or Facetime, it would be harder to connect with my family back in Pennsylvania. We can connect with family and friends right at our own fingertips. It helps keep a good relationship with my parents because I can catch up with them, or if I need something I can easily communicate with them. It also helps my relationship with my best friends who go to other colleges as well. Technology has its good and bad moments and it depends on how someone uses it. Like going back to healthcare, we can do amazing things now to help provide the care someone needs with the technology and advanced medicine we have today. If we didn't have this technology today we wouldn't be able to help people or save people's lives. There are so many other ways technology is used in a positive way, we just have to be careful because sometimes it can get scary and get out of hand. 

Blog #9 - In The Age of AI

What AI does is make money for corporate-owned companies like Google and TikTok. Companies use cookies which are data sources that stores information about your searches and things you are interested in. The companies will then sell your information to other companies and make money from your information. Companies of course have to ask for your consent before selling your information, but that is why it's called cookies. People think it is harmless and will protect your privacy, but really if you read all the terms and conditions, they are selling your privet information. The national security has concerns about what AI is doing with our data and Congress even called the owner of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg, to answer the questions of how our personal information is being used. He apologized for how out of hand the technology was getting and now Amazon started getting rid of third-hand parties that were getting our personal information as well. There are pros and cons of using AI, it helps better your experience with using Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. It can also bring people together who have the same interests. Having the same posts as some other friends comes up on your feed of Instagram.  But a con is, for example, Google and Amazon came out with a certain technology that you can put in every room in your own home. Asking the device questions or even taking a video for you. It's collecting data on what questions you are asking, what your voice sounds like today, and many more things it is trying to log in your own data. Another con is that any billionaire who can buy the equipment they need can also access your personal data as well. AI was created to perform certain tasks by a user, but if that user is using AI for the wrong reasons, it can get out of hand and people's identity and personal information are in danger.

EOTO - Learning Something New from Peers

One of my classmates in group one talked about propaganda. It was interesting learning the effects propaganda has on the community and how it is mostly viewed in a negative way. Propaganda is lots of miss leading information and that could be impacted negatively towards the community or people being targeted. This information can be spread quickly and can't control what the outcome could be towards the information. This can start disagreements and emotionally hurt others. Propaganda is not based on facts but only on the opinions of others, targeting people's emotions without thinking about the facts.  

Blog #8 - EOTO Alternative Media

Believe it or not, alternative media is all around us and we might not even realize it. If you don’t know what alternative media is, you're in luck! This blog post will discuss alternative media and how it goes beyond the definition and how it affects society as a whole. Looking at the impact of alternative media affects yourself and your family/friends. Through these different types of implications, alternative media affects society by keeping the public informed, strengthening the community attitude, and challenging gender roles. Some examples of alternative media are: Podcasts, social media apps, billboards, newsletters, and graffiti.

For those who simply don't know what alternative media is, it is a non-mainstream source of information/communication that offers perspectives, narratives, and voices outside of mainstream media. They tend to advocate the interests of those excluded from the mainstream. For example, community empowerment, media reform, cultural diversity, and social justice. The implications alternative media has on society are mostly positive. Alternative media gives less powerful people a voice to be heard. Being able to state their purpose and try to influence other people to think the same way or inform them about issues. It gives the chance to
the community to participate in media production and come together over similar conflict interests. For instance, back in 2014, three men convinced billions of people to dump ice bucket water on their heads and posted videos of them dumping the water to raise awareness for ALS. It was called the Ice Bucket Challenge, and it raised over $220 million across the world. Making ALS a major charity for donations, which is amazing because so many people suffer from this terrible disease.

The ice bucket challenge is also a good example of civic participation. Alternative media implicates the opportunity people have to communicate with others and become active participants in raising awareness for ALS. Through these different types of implications, alternative media affects society by keeping the public informed, strengthening the community attitude, and challenging gender roles. Alternative media can strengthen the community by encouraging participation and communication through the community, strengthening society's attitude towards certain issues. Alternative media also challenges gender roles by being able to share stories and provide information on different perspectives of different people's views. This could impact people with different types of religion if someone is gay, bi-sexual, or straight. Gives people the opportunity to challenge one another on their beliefs and help others understand different points of view. Helping others grow in their beliefs and keeping the public informed on what's happening with the mainstream media getting in the middle of it and only showing their side of the story. Alternative media, however, gives other people the chance to speak on topics they believe in. 

Overall, alternative media affects everyone in the world, but how it might affect myself, or my friends and family is informing us on what's happening in the world. Might bring us together through community participation and my friends wanting to be involved with the community. Alternative media can change how we view things and change our perspectives. It also allows my peers and I to share our thoughts and make a difference in the world.  

Blog #7 - Diffusion of Innovations

 Tesla Cybertrucks

 Tesla cybertrucks have just been delivered to customers in November of 2023. Tesla has a strong customer loyalty base, and the early adopters wanted to be the first to get their hands on this new truck. The customers have either had a good experience with Tesla, or the appeal of the cybertruck sparked interest in new customers to purchase. There are several reasons why people are early adopters of the Tesla cybertruck: it has an innovative design that appeals to those who are looking for attention-grabbing and something different from all other automotive cars. It stands out from traditional pickup trucks, creating more of a futuristic design appeal. Another reason is the environmental impact, early adopters tend to be more conscious of the environment and want to see electric vehicles that reduce a carbon footprint. Choosing an electric truck over a gas-powered one can contribute to sustainability efforts. Finally, early adopters are often technology enthusiasts and appreciate advanced technology features in vehicles. Tesla is known for their advanced technology features like autopilot and the potential for self-driving future capabilities.  

On the other hand, late adopters or not adopters at all might take a while to like cybertrucks because some customers like familiarity and like having a traditional truck look compared to the new futuristic sleek look. Late adopters or non-adopters may find it more expensive than more affordable options. Also, owning an all-electric powered vehicle creates limited access to electric vehicle charging stations in certain regions, which may make owning an electric vehicle like the cybertruck less practical.

In addition, there are negative consequences to owning a cybertruck like durability concerns, range anxiety, and limited avalability. Tesla claims its Cybertruck is made of 30X cold-rolled stainless steel. Still, concerns exist about its durability and resistance to real-world damage, as scratches, dents, and other damage may be more visible or difficult to repair. Then, despite advancements in electric vehicles, potential buyers still face range anxiety, as the cybertruck's range may not be sufficient for long-distance travel or heavy towing needs. Finally, with cybertrucks being a new vehicle, production and availability may be limited. Leading to long wait times for customers, causing frustration and impatience.

Overall, there are positives to purchasing a Tesla Cybertruck with the vehicle being more environmentally friendly, advanced technology and having more of a unique look vehicle compared to the traditional truck style look. But there are negatives in purchasing one like costing more than other truck brands, the anxiety in range and the limitations in finding a charging station in some geographic areas, and finally the production of avalability that may lead customers to long wait times for them to have their own cybertruck. When looking at the cost-benefit analysis you have to take into consideration the potential customer's lifestyle and see if the cybertruck is the right vehicle you them while taking into consideration as well the positives and negatives of the Tesla cybertruck.  

 

Blog #6 - Timeline

 This blog post will be going through the different timelines of the newspaper. I will be discussing the experimental phase which is the pioneers to the saturation phase, in other words, the final majority of people. All following information came from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. 

The newspaper pioneers were Johann Carolus and Lucas Schulte who printed their papers through Gutenberg Press in 1609. They were both located in Germany, however, they wouldn't say which city they were from to protect themselves from the government but you could identify it through their language.  

Over the next five years, the early adapters were the rest of central Europe in Vienna, Hamburg, Berlin, Basel, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. Despite the concern of the government and the possibility of leading to prosecution, newspapers became very popular. 

Later in 1621, England published their first paper called the "Corante", featuring weekly news from various countries including Italy, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Bohemia, and France making them the early majority. 

By 1641, the late adapters finally distributed newspapers across Europe, with the first printings occurring in France, Italy, and Spain.

Finally, the laggers in 1690, Benjamin Harris tried to bring the newspaper to the American Colonies, but unfortunately failed. It wasn't till 1704 that the next newspaper was published called "The Boston News-Letter". After that publication, the newspapers took off in America, and the long tail of people creating newspaper companies and publishing many more newspapers to come.  

EOTO - Learning Something New From Peers

 Last class, we had the opportunity to present to our fellow classmates a certain topic we picked from the Evolution Timeline of Communication Technology. Throughout my classmate's presentations, I learned so much new information and it was fascinating. 

One topic that stood out to me the most was the invention of Google. It was founded by two computer scientists named Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Google officially launched in September of 1997. Their goal was to create a search engine that is more efficient and easier to find information. Google has grown so much today with a net worth of $223 billion and about 8.5 billion searches every day by people. Google is not just a search engine but also can be used to send emails, create documents, and now has software for phones and computers. Google also plays a huge part in the stock market and has been at the top for years overpowering another search engine company called Yahoo. Overall, Google is everywhere today and is used by almost everyone.   

 

Blog #5 - Invasion of Privacy

 It is crazy how advanced technology is in today's world. How small a camera can get and how many different companies track your every move. Something that you like or are interested in is being reported and then advertised to you to hopefully purchase. There will be times when I would say I need to pick something up at the store, then a few minutes later I will look at my phone, and that product is being advertised all across my phone. Technology is so advanced and keeps getting more and more advanced as the days go on. Soon, AI will be all over the place, and people are scared that AI will be taking over people's jobs. 

While viewing the videos, I learned so much and didn't realize how much the government tracks your every move. Logging all conversations that you have with your family and friends into a cloud. Even tracking your car to make sure it wasn't stolen or if the person is wanted for something they did. These issues impact us because our personal private information is being logged by computers to make sure we are not doing anything illegal or suspect that we are planning something bad. This could also impact you by how other people view you. Everyone is using social media today, but if you were to look yourself up on Google. You might find pictures that you might have deleted or pictures that someone else posted of you, that maybe you don't like. But you can't get rid of them because they are on the internet. In one of the videos, there is a woman named Darieth Chisolm. She talks about how her ex got revenge on her by releasing inappropriate pictures of her on a website. She was terrified of having these pictures released and available for other people to see. It took months for those pictures to come off the web, and for the ex to be handled by the proper authorities. The internet can be horrible and it's hard not being able to control what is being put out under your name. 

The government should find better solutions on how to handle certain situations or find better solutions for tracking people's phones or cars. Find a way to track only the bad people and leave the innocent people alone. The government should also create more and better laws against cyberbullying. Figure out unwanted inappropriate websites faster and be able to take them down quicker and more efficiently. Lastly, we should demand more accountability for the people posting these pictures and creating websites. 

However, to protect ourselves from the invasion of privacy, we should be more cautious about what we are posting on social media. People who are hiring you for a job look at social media pages to make sure there is nothing inappropriate that could get back to their company. Because when they hire you, you are representing their company. Also, another way to protect your privacy is maybe not accepting cookies on websites. Cookies are basically the company spying on you and selling your information to other companies. TikTok is free to purchase, but they have a net worth of $50 billion. It is because they are selling your information to other companies. It's scary, and like we talked about last class, when the first party (you) voluntarily gives information to a second party (google), the first party relinquishes all control over third-party downstream uses. You don't have control over what the second party sends to the third party, and you don't know what the second party is selling. Try to stay away from cookies and Google because Google is also storing all your information in a cloud. Find safer websites to use or try staying away from social media to protect yourself, friends, and family.