BLOG #7

 Antiwar

This is one of the many topics that make me incredibly grateful for my protection of my first amendment right. Learning that people could be thrown in jail for simply stating their opinion, is terrifying. However, this did cause me to think about the lack of antiwar coverage on local media.

It's not something I ever gave much thought to, but after being prompted to do so, I cannot recall a time I

heard of antiwar postings in mainstream media. It's not that it doesn't exist: there seem to be not a single thing every US citizen agrees on, and especially something as radical as war. The sheer volume of posts on ANTIWAR.COM has spoke volumes to how little coverage this receives. Even at my first initial glance, there are so many different stories on this website, the whole thing feels congested. So this has definitely made me wonder;  Is my first amendment right as protected as I assumed it was?

This came to me as an important reminder of a lesson I have learned time and time again: the media is a great way to stay caught up in the world, but it is important to remember, it doesn't always share the whole story and may only focus on one side. 

BLOG #10

 The Age of AI

The implementation of AI has made my life a whole lot easier, especially as a student. Even right now, AI powered tools are helping me as I never truly felt the need to excel at spelling, the red squiggle that appears under every misspelled word is something my academic career wouldn't have been successful without. I use AI in situations from helping enhance my academic writing to the social aspects of my life. I use it to prompt emails and text messages, weather it is from a professional stand point, to just adding humor to text my roommates, AI has made instant messaging an even easier process.  

Even though I have extremely benefitted from the positives, I still fear the negative impacts it starts to have on the world as it continues to break into human spaces, such as effecting the job market. 

As I am about to graduate from college, I have fears about the job I choose and weather or not it will still exist in a few years due to the rise of AI. I always felt confident that I majored in the right thing to avoid this: hospitality. No matter how far advanced AI becomes, I thought it could never truly mimic human

interaction. The service industry felt like a safe space as there will always be a need for human contact, however, this article on Wired is my big fear, come to life. It talks about a hotel and Japan that is fully staffed by robots. I understand the positives, lower labor costs, connivence, lower liabilities, and higher accuracy, however, it still lacks a personal level of service and connection one can only make with a living human.  

BLOG # 8

 Diffusion: Instant Messaging 

To think that there was a time that instant messaging didn't exists seems like such a foreign concept to me. To be able to instantly get in contact with anyone, anywhere, at anytime is a part of my life that I have definitely taken for granted, but couldn't live without. But just like every innovation and technological advancement, there was a time before this existed. 

The Spread 

In the early stages of instant messaging, it costs money per message sent. The spread of instant messaging became big as smart phones started to appear. Now, there are multiple channels and platforms in which instant messaging takes place. This has become a part of everyday life, this article not only list just a small

percent of the unimaginable amount of instant messaging platforms, but also counts the number of users on them. These numbers are in the hundreds of millions, and some, even reach a billion. That is a huge percentage of the worlds population. Clearly, the spread of instant messaging was successful, but there was still push back. 

The Downside 

With every new innovation, there are negatives that led to some push back. While I have never considered the negatives that have come from this, as this article explores, I don't remember a time in life that instant messaging didn't exist. For those who lives in a time before instant messaging had experienced a more personal way of interaction, one that takes form of physically and oral contact, where expressions and feelings are explored far beyond words. It is shown through body language and tone of voice, something that instant messaging is lacking. The rise of instant messaging also increases distractions and has shorten attention spans. New innovations offer an instant gratification that not all aspects of life can guarantee. This has caused younger generations to have less patience and shorter attention spans. The rise of popularity, has also caused a rise in misuse, people using these communication channels to spread hate and harm. 

Just as with any new form of technology, there are positives and negatives. In the case of instant messaging, I feel the convince of communication alone out-way the downsides. However, I do think it is important to stay aware of the harm it may cause. 

FINAL BLOG POST

 My Relationship with Technology 

Just like most people in my generation, I have a complicated relationship with technology. While it has, in so many ways, enhanced my life and made it easier, it has also had negative lasting impacts. 

The Good 

In so many ways, technology has added convenience to my life through academics, communication, and even my health. 

This week, I wrapped up my senior capstone project, which was a 50 page research paper. Throughout this process, I gathered information from a number of sources that I was able to access all from the internet. Without this technology, gathering these sources would've needed to be done physically and would have required me to go to a library and search for hours for the information that I needed, while not being able to have access to as much information that I was able to find from the comfort of my own bed.

In terms of communication, technology has made it easier than ever to keep in contact with those I may not have a chance to see on a frequent basis. I have siblings who live in a different country and between us, there is a language barrier. Not only am I able to keep in contact with them from hundred miles away, with innovations such as WhatsApp, but technologies such as online translators, like Google Translate, help us easily communicate, even when we are in face to face situations. 

As a broke and busy college student, I do not have the time and resources to go see a doctor every time I experience a little symptom regarding my health, and with the lifestyle of a college student, I experience a lot of symptoms. The internet, and innovations such as AI's ChatGPT, have been a resource to me when I need to figure out what I need to do to be healthy and how to stay healthy. BUT at the same time, the internet is NOT a doctor and does not have the same qualifications as a licensed medical professional with access to my past medical history and the ability to do a physical examination, and is certainly NOT qualified to diagnosis me with a heart attack I've convinced myself I'm having for the fifth time this month. 

The Bad 

Even though technology has created convenient, it has also created complications in life. 

In terms of social media, I have always been against it. I feel that as a society, we tend to make judgments and assumptions on people based off what they post on social media. This is something that I have found myself guilty of. Because of this, I have chosen to not post on my social media accounts, however, I do still have them. My mindset has always been: I'd rather someone judge me for my character and my values rather than how I choose to portray my life on social media. Interestingly enough, I have found that people will still judge me based off the fact that I don't have any post. This is become an unavoidable, new standard, for the way society forms judgments on each other. 

I am not the only person in my generation who feels this way about social media. In this article, 14-year-old Sonia, talks about how her life has been documented on social media before she herself ever posted anything, violating her privacy without her knowledge. She has decided to take her own steps in controlling her privacy by deleting social media. It is a good reminder that no matter how small of a digital footprint you have made yourself, there is no escaping it. Through companies tracking what we search for, to other people posting about you, so much of our own privacy is out of our control. 

EOTO #2

What Is Net Neutrality?

Net neutrality is the principle that all internet traffic should be treated equally. This means that all websites and online services should be treated the same by internet providers. It stops companies from making some websites faster while slowing others down or charging extra to access certain content. It keeps the internet fair and open for everyone.

Why is it important? 

 Without it, internet providers could slow down certain websites, block others, or make you pay extra to use popular sites. It also helps small businesses and new companies compete with bigger ones because everyone gets the same access to users. Plus, it protects free speech, making sure all voices can be heard, no matter how much money they have. However, some people are opposed to it.

Big internet companies don’t like net neutrality because they want more control over their networks. They argue that government rules interfere too much and that they should be able to charge websites for faster speeds. They also claim that without extra money from these fees, they won’t be able to invest in better internet service. Some believe getting rid of net neutrality would make the internet like cable TV, where people have to pay more for different levels of access.

The above graphic explain uses a road analogy to make it easier to understand: On the left side, all cars, which represent websites, have equal access to all lanes. However, on the right side, companies have the ability to pay more to make access to their lanes "fast lanes". This often times is unfair as it will but smaller ones at a disadvantage. Net Neutrality gives equal access so that internet providers cannot choose what to slow down and what to speed up. 

 The impacts of net neutrality includes: Ensuring affordable and equal access to online services, encouraging competition, allowing small companies to thrive, supporting technological advancements without barriers, and allowing all voices to be heard, preventing censorship.

Net neutrality keeps the internet open and fair, allowing new ideas, businesses, and conversations to grow. It stops big companies from controlling what we see, how we connect, or how much we have to pay. Whether we notice it or not, net neutrality affects how we use the internet every day.

BLOG #6

EOTO Reaction

One of the presentations was about drones, and I never thought about the effect it has had one the media. Drones are a an aerial vehicle that is unmanned. From this presentation, I learned that they were first created in World War I efforts and called the aerial target. While drones today look a lot different as they are smaller, they do have a positive impact on the media.

When I think of modern day technology, I normally think about the medium that it is received on. I think of it in terms of the invention and creation of new social media platforms, or physical technology that is used to view media such as smart phones and televisions. However, I don't normally think about the technology used to create media. 

While they were created to help the military quickly gather information, they are now used to collect media in places were humans cannot easily access and can help with problems like medical emergencies, wildlife and the environment. Drones are also now useful in situation outside of media such as
surveillance and can be used as a safety tool. 

This was just one of the technologies talked about during these presentations that I have realized I have taken for granted. All of these technologies have contributed to an easier and more convenient way of life for myself. It seems that in such a short amount of time, technological advancements have greatly impacted my life and I am interested to see the technologies that come about in the future. To think there was a time without internet shocks me and I can't belive there was a time people were able to live without it. And one day, the future generation will have a technology that they won't be able to believe I ever lived without. 

BLOG #5

Privacy in Todays Digital Age 

Privacy, or the lack there of, is a basic human principal that seems to be taken advantage of in todays modern world.

Personally, before exploring and learning about what privacy has come to look like, I have felt that I kept my life online, very private. However, this is not the case.

The way Juan Enriquez talks about it is very powerful. I would never get a tattoo, but never think twice about electronic tattoos. Posting online has become so easy, it requires a minimal amount of effort and has led to a minimum amount of thought. When he says they live online longer than our bodies, this stuck with me. While I may think now that I won't regret something I post online, I think about the things I posted ten years ago and how that is not something that properly represent who I am today. 

In terms of what the government should do, they should set strict age restrictions, and enforce them, for social media sites. Putting it terms of a tattoo is really eye opening, since we would never give a thirteen-year-old a tattoo gun and let them make a permanent decision, but we allow children of this young age to have and post on social media accounts.