Blog #12: Final Post

My relationship with technology has been nothing but toxic and unhealthy. And I’m well overdue for a breakup. 

Our connection started off very innocent and platonic, but it soon became very obsessive. I was hooked, but worst of all, I was codependent. 

It took years for me to break free from the chains technology placed around me, but still, from time to time, I feel myself sinking back in.

I know I am not alone in this, either. The rise of technology has plagued society ever since I can remember.

Social media use is at an all time high right now. In 2022, it was reported that 95% of teenagers use Youtube, 67% watch Tiktok, 62% browse Instagram, and 59% use Snapchat. 

In high school, I was completely and utterly consumed by my phone. If I was not texting or FaceTiming my friends, I was scrolling through social media. I never missed a beat.

I did not realize it at first, but my online engagement really affected my overall demeanor.  

I allowed my mood to be determined by the amount of likes and comments I received on my posts, and I let my self-worth be dictated by social media stars who did not even know I existed. I gave social media power over me. 

As an impressionable teenage girl, it is easy to get lured into the seemingly perfect lifestyle that social media advertises. From the polished wardrobes to the flawless appearances to the picture-perfect relationships, it is no wonder why so many teenagers feel a sense of adequacy when using social media sites.

The Pew Research Center confirmed this in their 2022 survey by sharing that 40% of teenagers are reluctant to post on social media due to a fear of “embarrassment.” Young people might be more likely to post online if it were not for the unrealistic standards set by influencers.

It is no secret that the fear of judgment dictates the decisions of most young adults. But on the topic of social media, that is the least of their concerns because one of the most prevalent issues that teenagers face with technology is mental health. 

Specifically, a 2019 study conducted on over 6,500 12-15 year olds found that those who use social media for over three hours a day may be more susceptible to developing mental health issues. This can be narrowed down to the posts they view and the comments they read. Although the internet can be a source of knowledge and positivity at times, many of the posts and comments made on social media can be deemed as fake or hateful. 

To further drive home this point, a 2015 study discovered a link between depressive symptoms and social comparison through social media usage. The age of adolescence is a very important developmental phase for young people, and social media is severely impacting that by lowering self-esteem, encouraging online validation, and triggering mental illnesses.

Social media was created with the intent to give users an outlet to express themselves through posts, reconnect with old friends, and interact with people of diverse backgrounds. It is sad to see the turn it has taken since then.

Blog #11: EOTO Reaction

The EOTO that stood out to me most was the one about confirmation bias. Although we never really discuss it, it is something we all do. And it stems from the human tendency to want to be right all the time. 

Confirmation bias is defined as “people’s tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with their existing beliefs.” In other words, confirmation bias makes people less inclined to interact with information that rejects their views. 

Confirmation bias occurs when people knowingly disregard information that contradicts their preconceived notions. Rather than attempting to become well-versed on the issue, those who fall victim to confirmation bias tend to only accept what they want to hear. That is because people do not like being told that they are wrong. 

In general, confirmation bias is associated with a negative connotation. This is due to the fact that it can cause people to disregard important facts which directly correlates to the spread of misinformation. 

While it is not good for anyone to engage in confirmation bias, it is especially harmful to those who work in the journalism field. When writing and reporting, it is essential to obtain all facts and assess all viewpoints before coming to any sort of conclusion. This ensures that the information being shared is impartial and accurate.

News should be neutral. But just because something should be, does not mean it is. That is why it is crucial to be able to recognize and question confirmation bias. 

In an effort to preserve objectivity and condemn confirmation bias, it is necessary to keep an open mind. No one likes being wrong, but it is important to learn how to accept it. 

Confirmation bias can be prevented by reading a variety of news sources, listening to a range of perspectives, and challenging assumptions. In doing this, we are limiting the spread of misinformation. 

It is easy to sometimes get wrapped up in our own thoughts and ideas, but it is important to recognize the difference between confirmation bias and truth. And it all comes down to being self-aware.

Blog #10: Living in the Age of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a double edged sword. It presents both exciting opportunities and troubling drawbacks. 

Sometimes it works in our favor, and other times it works against us. But regardless of that concerning reality, it is all around us, from online chatbots to digital home assistants to food ordering devices at select restaurants.

It is something we cannot escape, and it is growing at a rapid rate. 

So, where does this leave us?

Well, the 2019 PBS Documentary “In the Age of AI” provides an in-depth overview on the concept of AI and how it is shaping our everyday routine.

On the bright side, artificial intelligence has transformed various industries and operations such as automation, customer service, and data analysis. AI has pushed the bounds of what was previously possible for computers, and thereby enhancing efficiency and productivity within workplace environments. 

Having said that, integrating AI into our daily lives comes with a number of concerns. These disadvantages range from job displacement to privacy issues to social surveillance. 

Specifically, Molly Kinders who studies the future of work at a Washington think tank shared in the documentary that “women disproportionately hold the jobs that today are at highest risk of automation.”

Take Mcdonald’s for example. Mcdonald’s Corp., along with many other fast-food chains, are beginning to steer away from in-person cashiers and instead towards mobile ordering screens. The intention behind doing this is to minimize human error and maximize revenue, but the fact of the matter is that this shift towards AI is eliminating jobs.

In addition to the fear of job displacement, artificial intelligence also brings up concerns regarding online privacy and social surveillance. These issues are a direct threat to our online security. When we adopt artificial intelligence in our lives, we limit our freedom.

As a matter of fact, Shoshana Zuboff highlighted in the PBS documentary that whenever we search or browse, we leave behind digital traces of our behavior. These traces are known as digital exhaust. 

Companies quickly realized how valuable these traces were for interaction and revenue. For this reason, they started applying machine learning algorithms to them to predict users’ interests. They then created data logs to come up with predictions of what people would click and what ads would be most fitting for each consumer. 

This means that everything we search is being monitored and later used against us. It seems like nothing is truly private nowadays. There is always a third party involved, profiting off of your actions.

Blog #9: News Deserts

As defined by the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, a news desert is a “community, either rural or urban, with limited access to the sort of credible and comprehensive news and information that feeds democracy at the grassroots level.” 

In simpler terms, a news desert is an area that receives little to no information from local news sources. These communities are left in the dark about a variety of important topics as a result of this issue. 

News deserts do the public an extreme disservice, as it prevents people from obtaining vital information about their local politics, businesses, and events. News deserts always almost lead to uninformed and unengaged communities. 

News deserts promote negative societal impacts such as the spread of misinformation and the decline of journalism. UNC even went as far as to say that “many newspapers have become ghosts of their former selves, both in terms of quality and quantity of their editorial content and the reach of their readership.”

Misinformation runs rampant in news deserts because people often turn to social media and other untrustworthy sources due to an inability to obtain reliable information regarding their hometowns. As a result of this, rumors and false information begin to take the place of truth and honesty. 

Ever since the rise of the digital age, print journalism has been on the decline. This is due to the fact that many people nowadays rely on broadcast or online news, thus eliminating the need for printed works. The demand for newspapers is slim, and this in turn results in a loss of quality and quantity.

The industry is not the same as it used to be, and neither is the market. News deserts are growing at a rapid rate in today’s day-in-age for a number of reasons.

The first and most common cause of news deserts is financial constraints. Many of the local, independent sources of news across the country have suffered greatly due to online readership. They no longer have the audience they used to, which essentially leads to a loss in subscriptions and revenue. 

Another issue that has ultimately led to a number of news deserts is investment entities and big corporations. According to Penelope Muse Abernathy, Knight Chair in Journalism at UNC, a third of all newspapers, including two-thirds of the 1,200 daily newspapers in the nation, are owned by the top 25 newspaper companies. 

The problem is that when these large newspaper chains take over smaller publications, it restricts the types of stories that are written and reduces the quality of the work being produced. Many rely on local papers to report on essential matters and provide truthful insights, and these big corporations often remove this aspect from local news.

News deserts can take place anywhere, but they are most found in low-income areas. In Tom Stite’s analysis of the previously mentioned UNC research, he mentioned that “rural areas, as well as minority neighborhoods in big cities, have long been cited as particularly arid news deserts.” 

To further emphasize the severity of this rising issue, half of the counties in this country only have one weekly newspaper that is used to cram everything together. And even worse, there are about 200 counties that do not even have a newspaper at all.

As time goes on, this issue grows more and more severe due to financial limitations, investment entities, and online readership. Rather than enabling this threat to our democracy, it is crucial that we support local stations and make an effort to diminish these risks before it is too late.

No news is bad news. And it is our duty to recognize this issue and fight to resolve it.

Blog #8: Privacy, Online & Off

While technology has enriched our lives in a multitude of ways, it has also exposed us to a number of threats to our privacy. 

The development of technology has completely altered the way we live, work, and communicate, and although these benefits are undeniable, the harmful impacts are often unavoidable. 

Technology has made the problem of privacy more complicated and dynamic. And we are the ones to blame.

Our digital footprints will follow us for the rest of our lives, and as Juan Enriquez mentioned in his TedTalk, our online lives are just as permanent as a tattoo.

This is a reality that many seem to forget. What is posted online will remain there forever, even if it is deleted.

Aside from the personal issues of posting and permanency, many of the search engines, websites, and social media platforms we use on a daily basis collect and analyze our personal data. And it is often done without the individual’s explicit consent.

Think about it. How many times have you agreed to the terms and conditions of an app without actually reading it? How many times have you pressed the “accept all cookies” button when visiting a new website for the first time? How many times have you entered a phone number or email into a web page to “unlock” some sort of benefit such as a discount code or giveaway?

In the moment, accepting these terms or releasing these small tidbits of information may not seem important, but it all contributes to a greater plan in the end. 

Have you ever shopped online for a specific item and then later discovered advertisements for that same product on a different platform? That is not a coincidence. Our information is being stored and sold to companies for a number of reasons.

Our personal information is being used behind our backs for advertisements, research, and surveillance. By turning a blind eye to these privacy violations, we enable further infringement. 

That is why it is so crucial that we read policies before blindly accepting and limit the information we choose to share. These privacy issues are not going to go away overnight, so we need to do our part in protecting ourselves. 

So, next time you go to enter an email address into a website, I hope you use a fake one. And next time you go to check off that you agree to the terms and conditions, I hope you thoroughly read it.

Blog #7: Diffusion of Innovation

All inventions go through a series of phases before they inevitably fail or prosper. This process begins in the launch phase, when the initial idea or product is introduced to the world.

If the product survives this crucial time, then it carries over into the uptake phase where early adopters claim it. After this, a tipping point is reached, and the early majority accepts the invention.

Once the tipping point subsides, a maturation phase occurs, and the late majority follows in the footsteps of those who adopted the product earlier. The final phase of this process is the saturation phase when the laggards finally join in with the rest of the consumers.

The saturation phase is what most inventors fear because it is at this time that the product reaches a stagnant point. Most people have already bought or invested in the product at this point, so there is not much more room for growth. For this very reason, many products go through constant changes to compete with other companies and boost their overall sales.

When reviewing the invention phases, there is one company in particular that stands out to me. This company is known as Tesla, Inc. Whether you love it or hate it, everyone knows the name. 

When Tesla, Inc. produced their first electric vehicle, many people doubted the safety and the reliability of it. There were very few people who trusted the invention.

However, as time progressed and sales increased, the idea of electric vehicles became more normalized, and people were no longer opposed to the idea. It took numerous models, adjustments, and changes, but the end goal was eventually met. 

Tesla, Inc. is now a household name due to the strides they made in the automotive industry. Although they have certainly come very far from their humble beginnings, the company still continues to release new and exciting features in an effort to avoid the saturation phase.

In order for an invention to succeed, there must be brave pioneers to test the waters and give the product a chance. From there, more and more people will give in to curiosity and participate in the trend. 

Blog #6: The Progressive Era

The United States was founded on the ideologies of freedom and liberty, and in a perfect world, these principles would remain true today. But we don’t live in a perfect world. 

The fact of the matter is that we don’t have as much freedom as we would like to think we have. They say we have the right to dissent, to disagree, to criticize, but where are these representations in the media?

They are few and far between. Large, well-funded news sources favor government opinions, slyly swaying readers to hold those same viewpoints, even if the language used is not outwardly biased. 

The primary duty of the media is to inform readers, but most mainstream sources fail to do this. It seems as if the only strong voices and unpopular opinions are being shared by small, independent outlets.

Specifically, anti-war voices are constantly being silenced, and it is not a coincidence. The government rejects anyone and any publication that they find threatening or damaging to their reputation. They would rather have an uninformed population than one that holds different viewpoints.

Although the government will never admit it, they like being in war. It gives them more power over the public. It gives them the ability to silence people without being questioned because it can easily be blamed as a security threat.  

Since the beginning of United States history, anti-war voices have been either shut down or punished, and it is no different today. The Anti-war website mentions headlines that would never be shared in mainstream media because they try to cover up the harsh realities of war to prevent dissent. 

One title in particular caught my eye. It was titled “I was the Only US Official Imprisoned Over Torture Program - Because I Opposed It.” That headline alone not only confirms my suspicions, but it emphasizes my point that anti-war voices are being shoved under the rug.

John Kiriakou’s post explains how he initially joined the CIA in hopes of serving his country, but he later realized the true corruption that lay within. He criticized the government for its inhumane torture, unwillingness to reveal the truth, and its refusal to take accountability for their crimes. This resulted in Kiriakou being charged with five felonies and serving 23 months in a federal prison. 

Accounts such as the one from John Kiriahou highlight the government’s intolerance to opposition. The government claims to guarantee dissent rights, yet they still choose to attack those who wish to exercise it. 

The government uses a multitude of tactics such as censorship, intimidation, and propaganda to silence anti-war voices. Censorship is typically used by the government to control media outlets. When accounts post opinions that differ from their stance, they often shadow-ban the account and prevent the post from getting any exposure. 

Similarly, the government uses intimidation techniques to discourage people from criticizing them or to persuade them to retract their negative remarks. But the most common yet damaging tactic is propaganda. The government uses propaganda to shape public opinion by sharing misleading information to promote their stance and villainize those who wish to oppose. 

In suppressing these voices, the government violates the public’s right to dissent, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. This leaves the public uninformed, unheard, and unprotected.