My Relationship with Technology

    Technology is everywhere from our classrooms to the outdoors. Today, it is extremely hard to escape it. There are pros and cons to everything, yet the lists for technology can go on for eternity. 

    My personal relationship with technology is probably what most people would consider unhealthy. When I was younger, there wasn’t as much technology as we have today, but I remember my parents placed me in front of the TV when they needed a break. I had a LeapFrog Leapster, a Nintendo DS, and even a PlayStation 2 all before the age of 8. I'm not proud of it, but I was definitely a tablet kid who needed to have a device in front of me to keep me from boredom. I would be on a device constantly to the point where it would be considered an addiction. Now, as a freshman in college, I use technology more often than ever, but not always for enjoyment purposes. I use my laptop and my cell phone for around the same amount of time daily. Yet the purposes for both are very different.

    My laptop is 99% of the time used for schoolwork. Whether that be for typing out assignments such as my blog posts or even searching the web for hours trying to find the right research articles to use. My phone, however, is strictly for entertainment and communication. I have around 7 forms of social media apps on my phone as of right now. I don’t post on all of them, but I surely observe everyone else as I scroll through my feeds. I can use social media for staying connected with my friends and family at home and learning new things daily. On the other hand, I also get sucked in and can become addicted. Once I get drawn into watching TikTok’s, I have a hard time putting the phone down. Additionally, social media can create self-image problems. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t one of those many girls on Instagram wishing I had other people's bodies and putting myself down thinking I am not enough. I was never proud of my frequent social media usage, but it is hard to put the phone down when my getaway from life is online.

 

    Technology is great and all for connecting with others, but it can be a serious distraction in your everyday life. Being an 8-hour drive away from home, the use of technology has helped me reach my parents and siblings easier. Sending a quick text or taking time to call them is the easiest way I can have instant communication whenever and wherever. However, when I am home, the use of technology has begun to drive a wedge in my relationship with my family. As a young adult, I use my phone differently from my parents. I have more social media and tend to watch more shows at the touch of a button, but that doesn’t mean they are on their phones any less than me. This can affect their relationship with others because of the frequent use of technology. Due to technology, there is less time spent with family and more time burying ourselves within our devices. Because of these issues, I feel as though my relationship with family has grown apart with the use of social media and other online forms of communication and entertainment. 

    With today's new advances in technology, future employers have more reasons to keep you from jobs. Being online and posting content creates a trail of information that will follow you for the rest of your life. These are considered to be digital footprints. These digital footprints can have a lasting impact on your reputation and future employment opportunities. The people that say to you, “Watch what you post on the internet,” aren’t trying to be party killers, but are genuinely looking out for your best interest.

 

    My online trail of information is short when you begin searching my name on Google. I was never one to post inappropriate images and flaunt illegal activities like some people. In fact, the most embarrassing image is a very old Twitter profile I created years ago and never deleted. I now no longer have Twitter and couldn’t possibly remember my login and password. The other few images of me are my LinkedIn profile picture and a few volunteer opportunities I took advantage of during high school that was posted on Facebook and our local news sites.

    I could talk about the positives and negatives of technology all day long. I personally believe there are more negatives to the use of technology, but it isn’t going anywhere soon. The best we can do is delete what we have and enjoy what we were naturally given. Spending more time outdoors and making a pact with family and friends to set aside technology and talk one on one can be beneficial to those who just need a break from the screen.

The Positives and Negatives of Mainstream Media

    Defining mainstream media is pretty simple. It is where most people go to get their news. In the past, that would be with the use of a local newspaper, local TV news, or one of the main national broadcast channels. A few of these are CNN, Fox News, and NBC News channels. However, with new technological advances, we now have a greater variety of news sources. Mainstream media is very important to learn all about events happening within your area or even nationwide.

    When the idea of mainstream media was released, it was just based on simple newspapers and popular TV news channels. Nowadays, it has grown so much. You can now hear all about the latest events on podcasts, videos online, and even social media apps. The idea of news has changed dramatically and is now viewable through many different websites and apps all in the touch of a finger.

    This new development in technology has prompted more uncertainty than ever. There is a lot more disinformation spread about topics. This creates a lack of trust among the readers and listeners of the news. 33% of Americans now have a huge lack of trust in mass media due to false claims and fake content. Trust in any news source today is hard to come by because of the spread of fake news.

    Additionally, mass media can empower those who already have tons of power. Along with other social media content, news sources are filtered to what they want us to see and hear. This gives the higher-up positions a greater advantage because they have the money to influence their voices more than others. This is a major downside to mass media as it gives the richest an unfair benefit to take power over other sources. 

 

    On the other hand, mainstream media can help keep us all connected. In the past, without any form of easy access to communication, you would not know anything about your community and the world you live in. With the use of mass media, we now can stay connected more than ever. We can hear about any mass causality around the world within seconds. If it weren’t for sites such as Facebook, I wouldn’t have known about the recent bar in my hometown that burned down while I was away at college. Social media may not be viewed as the greatest thing imaginable, but it has undoubtedly kept us informed when others couldn’t.

    Furthermore, there are tons of unheard voices throughout the world that want to be heard and share their opinions. The use of mass media has been a revolution for giving voice to the voiceless. Every day in America alone there are people who have something to say. Those voices are not broadcasted all over the news and are nearly silenced. With the development of these new forms of media, we are able to share what we want when we want to. Those that speak up may even be heard across the world. Without the use of mass media, we wouldn't be able to have our voices heard by millions of people.

    Mass media hasn’t always had the best reputation and it still doesn’t today due to the many consequences following it. However, it has given us tons of new information we wouldn't know otherwise. I learn a ton from social media sites on a daily basis. While some of this news may be incorrect or completely fabricated, I'm grateful to have this type of technology at my fingertips and be able to listen to others who may not have a voice without mainstream media.

The Threat of Disinformation

    As a 19-year-old college student who is a user of Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and other forms of social media, I am a witness to disinformation on a daily basis. Disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation are all forms of fake news that can be found anywhere on the internet and even spread through in-person contact. Unfortunately, many people fall victim to believing in such news that is later proven to be false. Disinformation surrounds us and it is hard to tell the difference between what is true and what is false without fact-checking sources.

    Disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation all sound very similar, but what makes them different? Disinformation is when the content is false and was meant to cause harm in some way. On the other hand, misinformation is essentially user error and is when someone posts false news without realizing it isn’t true information. This shows there is no intent to harm anyone. This is most common when sharing news that isn’t true with friends and family. Lastly, malinformation is when the content being viewed is indeed true, yet it is being shared out of context and is meant to cause harm, mostly emotional harm. 

 

    A few of the most common forms of disinformation are misleading content, false connection, and fabricated content. Misleading content is when the person who posted the information leads you to believe something specific. They often do this by cropping photos, picking out specific quotes, and/or putting things in a specific order to back themselves up. Headlines and other visual images that don’t correctly back up the posted information are false connections. Specifically on Instagram, I notice posts like these often and I begin to trust the user less with providing correct statements. Lastly, fabricated content can be described as completely false information from the captions down to the images. Examples of these are deep fakes, which are digitally modified videos or audio.

    Aside from the typical definitions revolving around fake news, disinformation, for the most part, is considered dangerous to our society. It has been shown through research that disinformation can help improve memory. Most people may be thinking that is a good thing, yet it is not. The more often you see the same information over and over again, the more likely you are to remember it. That includes real and false information. When you see the same fake news time and time again you are less likely to retain the truth once told the correct information regarding the content. 

    Additionally, disinformation is shown to affect mindsets when it comes to controversial topics. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there have been tons of false claims about the vaccination and other medical procedures that have impacted what people truly believe in. Disinformation,
without fact-checking sources, can cause people to dramatically change what they have always believed in.

 

    False information is very prominent when it comes to political campaigns as well. Information is being put out as a way to push their agenda into your mind in order to receive your vote. Disinformation often directly focuses on the message being told than the messenger. For example, when a lie is being told about a president running for a future election, people are focused on the words being stated about them, not the source that provided such fake news. This happens way too often and is meant to deceive people of the truth.

    Disinformation is all over the internet, so most people believe that younger adults and teenagers are the ones to believe this false news more often, however, that is quite the opposite. Research shows that adults aged 65 and over are more likely to share fake news than the younger generations. On top of that, people who tend to be more conservative have also been more likely to share false information without realizing it. That doesn’t mean others don’t do it at all though. In fact, before college where I learned to start fact-checking my sources, I used to share information between my family and friends constantly without knowing if it was true or not. We all are guilty of sharing news every once in a while without checking if it is real or not. 

    The spread of fake news not only harms everyone individually but also within friend groups and families. Personally, I spread fake news often between my family, but not to intentionally harm them. Sometimes stating false information found online to your close relatives and friends can spark issues, especially when it comes to controversial topics that people may have different opinions about. Sharing disinformation can cause issues with the people you are closest to and may end up harming the relationship indefinitely. Disinformation, for the most part, has never been beneficial to the people it is shared with and will only cause destruction to others in the future once it is spread even further out.

 

 

Progression of the Wheel

    The invention of the wheel began as something minor and beneficial to those living in Mesopotamia around 3500 B.C. At the time, they didn’t believe that something so minor in technology would become such a huge part of our everyday lives today. E.M. Rogers created the Diffusion of Innovation Theory which describes the momentum and diffusion of a product over time. The invention of the wheel follows the pattern of events from the innovators to the laggards.

    When the wheel was first invented, it was something as simple as a potter’s wheel to help mold clay into dishes and other utensils. Not everyone used it as it wasn’t a tool most people would operate on a daily basis. From there, the invention started to go downhill and there wasn’t much of a purpose anymore until later on when they reinvented the idea.

 

    With a lack of unpaved roadways and smooth surfaces, the wheel never became a great form of transportation until further in the future. Animals were being used as a form of transportation before wheels became prominent, especially on the Silk Road as a means of trade. Horses and camels seemed to have provided more than the wheel could and they can travel over any surface without many problems.

    The earliest found use of the wheel, when it came to transportation, was the creation of the wheelbarrow in 231 A.D. by Zhuge Liang of Shu Han in China. Zhuge Liang would be an example of an innovator in the use of the wheel for transportation. The wheelbarrow was best used as a way of transporting food and supplies to the battlefields. Additionally, it was used to carry injured soldiers away from the battle. At the time of invention, these wheelbarrows were made of wood and consisted of a wheel and an axle making the wheel spin as it moved. Those who had used the wheelbarrow were what E.M. Rogers called, early adopters since they embraced the opportunity to help other soldiers.

    Eventually, the use of animals was strengthened because, in the second millennium BCE, the access of chariots was being utilized on horses and ox to carry additional cargo. Additionally, wheels were still being used for irrigation, milling, and for pottery. Those who were using the wheel often were considered to be the early majority because they found new ways to better the idea of the invention. Since the wheelbarrow only contained one wheel, the size wasn’t much of an issue. However, later on, this would be a problem when working with multiple wheels at once. Wheels had to be the same size or else the means of transportation wouldn’t work as smoothly. Furthermore, the wheel had to be aligned perfectly with the axis, or else the contraption wouldn’t work at all. Over time, once perfected, the wheel was used in many different ways that helped benefit a lot of people and their communities. 

 

    It wasn’t until August 26^th, 1791, that the wheel was patented by a man named James Macomb. He had used the invention to create the hollow water wheel to hydropower mills during the time the patent was issued. Before James Macomb patented the wheel, some people were still skeptical of the idea, these people were considered the late majority and laggards. Some may have eventually adopted the idea and others did not. Since then, the wheel has only improved more and more. It isn’t only used as a form of transportation today but as other means to make life just a little easier. For example, in the 21^st century, we have airplanes, cars, bicycles, and so much more with wheels to move us from place to place. They even have wheels on Mars to help the Curiosity rover travel around and explore the planet. Our classroom even contains wheels. There are wheels on the bottom of our chairs and in the drawers to help them open and close. We are surrounded by this invention every day and it has advanced our world in more ways than one.

    The use of wheels has been a trial-and-error process since 3500 B.C. Today, they are used constantly and all around us. Without this invention, we would not be where we are today in the sense of technology. Wheels were, and still are, a ground-breaking invention that we will continue to use and develop for eternity.

AI Technology Is Taking Over

    Artificial intelligence is not something I think about often, but it is all around us day and night. In the documentary on Frontline, About AI, I learned tons of shocking and frightening information. This shouldn’t be anything new or surprising since AI has been around for a while now, but many people should be aware of its impacts and possible destruction. 

 

    AI technology began its fame when the system known as AlphaGo beat the most influential Go player, Lee Sedol. Go is a viral and challenging game in South Korea and other countries. Lee Sedol wanted to challenge this new computer technology and, unfortunately for him and his accomplishments, he lost 1-4 to AlphaGo. Since then, AI has only become more prominent and well-known all around the world.

    One of the most controversial issues about AI technology is that it is taking away jobs from those who need them most. Especially with our economy today, it is hard to afford the things that are necessities. Not everyone holds a college degree and factory workers rely on their jobs to be able to pay for what is needed. Something I found interesting is that women hold most of the jobs in automation and that is a worse position to be in when single women need to provide for children. Most people aren’t living the lives they want within these jobs and are being let off because of this new AI technology that is taking over the automation industry.

    In the documentary, something that really made me think and realize how scary this world we live in really is was when Zuboff said that we aren’t searching Google, but Google is searching us. That is incredibly scary to think about as we scan the internet on a daily basis. I want to be able to go online when needed for college or just to search for something quickly without having my information looked at. The video also discussed digital exhaust, which is when there is a surplus of data for companies. They have begun using this data in their favor by competing with other companies and closely observing their own businesses. Along this those, they tend to use this data to make predictions about other people and what they want or need in order to be customers. While this data may help businesses grow, this is not beneficial to those whose information is available for others to look at.

 

    Observing someone's information isn’t just through the internet. Google Home and Amazon Alexa home devices are meant the be there to help, but how helpful are they really? These devices are listening in at all times as long as it is plugged in, and that is terrifying. I shouldn’t have to watch what I say when I am in the comfort of my own home. I have no doubt that all technology is listening to us and what we say and do. We should be able to have private lives and feel comforted knowing we can keep our information safe and secure.

    While this new AI technology is faster than people and can even sometimes be more reliable too, it doesn’t change the fact that it is still causing harm. In an attempt to ease some discomfort, a law was passed in California adding a “do not sell my information” button on sites. This is a step in the right direction since there will never be a time when we will be 100% private. It is scary when people do not realize what is happening and are all for it. There is so much happening with our information that we are not made aware of. It is nerve-racking knowing that some stranger knows something private about me or even has a hold of pictures of me from my social media and other family members who post me online. With the world we live in today, the ever-growing technology will never be completely private, but we can still take steps in the direction to help this issue.

History of Google

    Google, as we see it today, is so well known and often a staple in everyone’s life on a daily basis. Google has been around for a few decades but since technology has advanced so much since its release in 1998, we use it so much more than those who were around technology back then. The internet has changed drastically and nearly everyone is involved in its implications.

 

    Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin back in 1998. At the time, they were conducting this new computer technology as a research project while they were students at Stanford University. They originally named the project “Backrub” but later changed the name to something that represented their goal. Not long after their company was launched, they moved from a garage to an office in Palo Alto, California by March of 1999. This just goes to show that even the biggest businesses today started off small and that anyone can start a business if they are dedicated enough to push through until they start to see a result. It takes time to watch a business grow and, for Larry Page and Sergey Brin, it took off into one of the most used computerized technologies known to man.

 

    It wasn’t until 2004 that the company went public. Google began as a form of basic research and wasn’t like it is now. I couldn’t get online to do schoolwork or play a game of solitaire like I could today. Since then, Google has evolved and now there are Google Maps, YouTube (which is owned by Google), Google Earth, and so on and so forth. There are now billions of users and seen as one of the most valuable companies. Google has been and will nearly always be one of the most impactful companies that will be around forever and isn’t going away anytime soon.

 

    There are tons of positive and negative impacts of any online site. Some are mostly obvious such as quick access to look up things we aren’t aware of and how the internet can lead to a bunch of misinformation. Using Google often creates the argument that people are becoming less intelligent due to frequent usage instead of genuine learning. Additionally, those who search often are left in the dark because, with easy and available answers, we don’t get the big picture. On the other hand, Google has provided us with more involvement with businesses and other companies, whether that be through advertisements or general purchasing. Also, we can look into what is going on in other countries without having to watch the news. This can be seen as either a positive or negative effect. No matter how you portray the internet and Google to be, it is an undeniable fact that it has helped those with access when in need. 

    Of course, there are many downsides to Google, like most technologies have, but unfortunately for those against it, it isn’t disappearing anytime soon like they may hope it will. It is a massive, worldwide site and it’s here to stay whether we like it or not so we ought to use it for our benefit when necessary. 

Opinions Being Pushed Aside

    Though we don’t realize it, there are many websites, posts, and other ways that people tend to let their voices be heard when it comes to war. We don’t think about it often, but there is a reason why these voices aren’t being heard on the news and social media. Those in power don’t want these opinions to be shared and want to silence those who disagree with their governing. The American people are constantly being put aside when it comes to our opinions about government and that needs to stop as soon as possible because the government we have today is destroying the way we live and how we will live in years to come.

    As much as we want them to be perfect and genuinely benefit our nation, the government is far from these expectations. They want us to be shielded from the reality that is happening within, that way we don’t protest against their wrongdoings. As citizens of this country, we need to be better educated and warned about our government to keep ourselves and our future generations safe from the overwhelming power our government holds.

 

    We need people to be aware of what our government is doing because of what is going on across the ocean in other countries. The online site, Antiwar.com say they created their site for what they call “citizen experts.” Essentially, they want Americans to be aware of what the government has planned for foreign nations rather than our own. We are currently experiencing financial burdens in our country and, instead of helping their own citizens, our government gave Ukraine $115 billion since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 14^th, 2022. That is a percentage of our government spending going to another country, and it doesn’t end there. It has been found that American taxpayers, over a span of 6 years, paid foreign countries almost $300 billion in what would be considered aid. This is just one reason why we need sites to advocate for the people in the United States that aren’t fully made aware of what is going on behind closed doors.

    Why isn’t this sort of information getting out to the public? Why are those, whose opinions go against the government, being silenced? When it comes to times of war, our freedom of speech suffers. This dates back to the Revolutionary War when those who supported the British King were being silenced with laws during the time of the war. Why was that happening? Isn’t free speech supposed to be protected under the First Amendment? They are trying to keep our opinions in line with theirs to avoid any type of conflict getting in their way. The last thing they want when times are getting tough is to have people protesting and rioting against their plans. Unfortunately, this has been happening for decades. The American Conservative began their site just to discuss the issues with the Cold War, and now they have grown into a bigger site with more news stories. When people in our country go against what the government wants, it creates panic for them and all they want to do is keep the public quiet and uninformed so they can carry out their ideas without commentary from the citizens in our country.

 

    My opinions may not align with everyone else’s, and that is just fine. However, I truly believe that the more the citizens of our nation are silenced and kept in the dark, the worse it will be for this country. We as the public should have the right to know what is going on and speak our thoughts regarding the events. If I want to read about people’s opinions who don’t go along with the government, including anti-war voices, I have to seek it elsewhere because the media won't portray the pros and cons of everything that takes place in our country. We are being kept in the dark regarding how our country is run and even when something extreme happens, such as the recent Nashville school shooting, it isn’t taken seriously. These issues in the United States have risen, as I see it, dramatically, and our government isn’t helping the way it should. I think they need to do a better job listening to the public’s opinions rather than quieting them because it isn’t helping anyone in the long run.