Final Post: Our Relationship With Technology

Technology has undoubtedly transformed the way we live, work, and communicate; it is ingrained in our daily lives. It has become almost impossible to imagine life without it. However, with the benefits of technology come drawbacks, and our relationship with technology has increasingly become a topic of debate. 

Technology has revolutionized the way we access information, learn, and communicate. We can now connect with people from all over the world through various platforms and apps. This has made it easier to maintain long-distance relationships, collaborate with people across borders, and expand our knowledge. It has simplified our lives by providing us with tools that save time and energy. For example, we can use apps such as Uber and DoorDash to instantly order and deliver food, book a car, pay, and even monitor our health. Additionally, technology has facilitated the growth of various industries, including healthcare, finance, and education, by providing innovative solutions and cutting-edge tools.

While technology has many benefits, it also has many drawbacks that affect our lives in significant ways. One of the most significant drawbacks is the impact of technology on our mental health. Social media platforms and instant messaging apps have made it easier to stay connected, but they have also set unrealistic standards and expectations. This can lead to anxiety, stress, and burnout, affecting our overall mental health.

We tend to talk about relationships often, which are an important part of life for us. Though we should consider the relationship in which we spend most of our time. Our devices, or in general technology, are with us constantly. According to the BBC, people spend nearly five hours on their mobile phones daily. This can begin to consume an individual, leading them to spend more time on their device than with loved ones. 

Nowadays companies provide tools that help us track and limit how much time we are spending on our devices. These features also track what apps you are spending the most time on. When I first used the time limit feature, I realized that I was spending over five hours a day on my phone, though the majority of this was just streaming music. 

I try to keep my online presence professional, appropriate, and classy. When Googling myself, you will find my LinkedIn profile, which is accessible and convenient for employers. You will also find my past photoshoots as I was previously a model. I currently work on social media platforms as an influencer, therefore, my content creations are also present. My overall image is very transparent and reflects who I am as a person. 

Technology has undoubtedly made our lives easier, but we need to be mindful of its impact on our physical and mental health. We need to understand our relationship with technology. Why do we feel the need to pick up our phones and check social media first thing in the morning? If we observe these feelings right before we pick up the phone then we have the power to change the cycle. We need to develop healthy habits with technology and be aware of the addictive nature of technology. Technology already controls us, but we can still redefine the relationship.

EOTO Reflection: Gatekeeping

 

Gatekeeping refers to restricting, limiting, or controlling the information that is readily available to the public. This was first introduced in 1943 by social psychologist Kurt Lewin. 

Gatekeeping is similar to censorship which completely goes against our First Amendment free speech. This also affects the idea of inequality due to filtering the information. Gatekeeping can dictate the narrative in which our society lives due to holding the power to decide what news is shared, what news is hidden from public view, and what news is considered important. 

For example, the increased amount of recent UFO sightings has not headlined the news, though other stories are being pushed in the media. This can even cross over to the idea of agenda-setting, which is when the media sets the agenda of public discourse. This generally has little to no benefits, though having access to all information in the media would incite public panic and chaos across our nation. 

The media continues to shape and challenge our shared beliefs as a society. Gatekeeping can be very dangerous as it shifts the focus away from important things to create a narrative that is then pushed through the media. As media consumers, and even just citizens of the United States, we need to ensure that we are utilizing all of the resources available by diversifying our news sources, fact-checking, and challenging censorship. 

Age of Ai

One statement from the video that truly stood out to me the most was, "We were searching Google, but we had no idea that Google was searching us." This was stated within the first five minutes of viewing the video, and this resonated with me until the end of the video. 

The common perception of technological advancement appears to be that artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually taking over. Though this is accurate because manufacturers and companies are mostly run by machines, not people. Jobs are gradually being replaced with AI. For example, cashier positions. If you were to walk into a McDonald's, the likelihood that you are to order on a screen yourself versus ordering with a person at the register is super high. 

This idea of surveillance capitalism is on the rise in China and is now even screening individuals on the streets who may seem prone to terrorism. Individuals are screened, patted down, and have photos taken of them daily. Their phones are even being traced for any suspicious activity. This is a form of extreme surveillance. Officials are specifically targeting Turkic Muslims, who have immigrated to China, as part of their efforts to prevent political resentment. The Turks are being detained and toured at remote camps, and many of these incidents have been fatal. Though this has not been the headliner for many news outlets, it is important to bring awareness to this as this is using AI for the collective punishment of an ethnic group.

In terms of privacy online, the state of California recently passed a law that states that people have the right to know exactly what information large tech corporations have and the right to say no to selling their information. As AI advances, individuals should be informed of what information is being collected and stored. 

Kai-fu Lee is a great representation of what the future of AI should look like. He explains how we as a society should take advantage of this technology for the good, as this will promote the new age of enlightenment. 

EOTO: Five Eyes

At the end of World War II, five nations were united in their attempts to defeat the Soviet Union. Part of this was to eliminate the threat of Soviet spies and to better handle global threats, including the Soviet Union.

The Five Eyes alliance was created in 1946 and serves as an intelligence-sharing agency agreement between five English-speaking countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States; hence why it is referred to as "Five Eyes." These countries are part of the bilateral UK/USA Agreement (the United Kingdom-United States Communication Intelligence Act), which is a treaty for cooperation in sharing surveillance information. Abbreviated as FVEY by the government, this network monitors the electronic communication of citizens and foreign governments. 

This group works to reveal surveillance activities to corporations without limiting their access to classified information, contributing to the privatization of spying. Though, this brings attention to the fact that this form of spying is supposedly not in any way violating our fourth amendment rights as United States citizens, which states that “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized (US Constitution).” Five Eyes has configured a way to get around the issue of privacy invasion issues by allowing for unlawful intrusions, which bypass legal limitations on state surveillance. There is currently no existing legislation controlling intelligence-sharing or surveillance. 

Each of the Five Eyes states conducts interception, collection, acquisition, analysis, and decryption activities. The members then share all the information that they obtained with the other members. This is how the agreement continues to remain secretive. 

Five Eyes now has integrated programs, staff, and bases. The intelligence-sharing pact has expanded beyond the five core countries to occasionally include other states such as Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the allied coalition of Afghanistan. 

Total Information Awareness is a mass detection program developed by the United States Information Awareness Office but is currently run by the Department of Defense. This program operated under this name from February to May 2003 before officially being renamed Terrorism Information Awareness. TIA’s foundation works to collect as much information as possible, on as many people as possible, to enter into a large database. The information that the program obtains is available to the government to sort through to identify terrorist or potential terrorist efforts. They use a human identification system to detect, recognize, and identify humans from great distances for crime prevention and homeland security purposes. The goal is to be able to collect surveillance on individuals, even if they are out of range, to eventually use a facial recognition system to identify them. Though protection is the highest value, this completely invades the privacy of people, violating our fourth amendment rights. 

EOTO Reflection: The New York Times

The New York Times newspaper was first published in 1851 by The New York Company. Henry J. Raymond and George Jones were the co-founders of the publishing company. Its' purpose was to serve as a daily news source for residents of New York City that was objective, and the company continues to uphold this value today. 

In the early stages when the company was first developed, producers set the cost of the paper to a single penny; equivalent to around $0.31 in today's monetary value. Adolph Simon Ochs bought the company in 1896, in which he infamously developed it into an international success. Now, the newspaper has a global readership and spreads stories to audiences around the world on a subscription basis. The company has migrated beyond its borders to bring its publications to websites and social media but still offers mail and delivery services. 

The New York Times has received many Pulitzer Prizes for its extraordinary reporting and publishing. One of the most iconic moments from the brands' history is when they published the Pentagon Papers, winning them another Pulitzer Prize in 1972. During the rise of suspicions, The New York Times released information that revealed the development and origins of the Vietnam war. The United States government had secretly been working behind the scenes, but this became public once the papers were published. The Supreme Court ruled that The New York Times had the right to publish the Pentagon Papers, which led to the creation of a White House unit that was able to leak information to journalists. 

Diffusion of Innovations: The iPhone

The Diffusion of Innovation Theory was developed by E.M. Rogers in 1962. It explains how an idea or product gains popularity and diffuses throughout society over time. This results in the adoption of a new idea or product as part of a social system; meaning that the person perceives this diffusion as innovative, therefore adopting it as part of their lives. A great example of this is the establishment and development of the cell phone within our society; specifically, the iPhone designed by Apple. This diffusion forever changed how we communicate. 

As the cell phone was integrated into our society over time, it has impacted our daily lives. The majority of people in society have a cell phone now, and even more specifically, an iPhone which has dominated the technology industry since its' first release in 2007. It had touchscreen capabilities but was priced higher than other competitors. Steve Jobs heavily emphasized the revolutionary technology of the iPhone, which could be a reason why it was adopted by early adopters and then followed by the early majority. 

The iPhone is the most popular phone model and brand. Today, it's even frowned upon if you do not have iPhone, and if you have an Android, you may want to refrain from sharing this with anyone to prevent being ridiculed. Before the iPhone's fame, the top manufacturers in the cell phone industry were Motorola and Nokia. Now, these brands are non-existent within the market. 

The widespread adoption of the iPhone embodies the diffusion of innovation. The spread and influence of ideas and information lead to the late majority eventually adopting the innovation. Though the iPhone wasn't adopted overnight, it was a breakthrough in the phone industry, proving to be a worldwide success. This high rate of adoption in a diverse network environment suggests that there is a low threshold, which is relevant to the speed and effectiveness of diffusion. 

iPhones revolutionized society, in the same way that Facebook changed social media and Amazon changed the business market's model. 

Roaring 20's - The Progressive Era

At first glance, Antiwar.com and TheAmericanConservative.com do not appear to be very visually appealing and I was unfamiliar with the site, which could be a factor as to why their content is not mainstream. Though, this does not take away from the fact the website is being silenced for just simply disagreeing with the government. This completely violates our first amendment right as United States citizens, which is Freedom of Speech; specifically the right to petition the government. In a democracy, typically, the government is run by the people of that nation. This also includes protecting your right to speak out against the government and its agenda if you disagree. 

It appears that the current government officials are controlling the media, specifically those voices which go against their ideology and plans. As the intense stage of the world continues to build, the Biden administration seems to push for war, which could potentially be a reason why people have to seek out media to hear strong anti-war voices. 

Large corporations such as Twitter and Facebook have been under fire recently for controlling their platforms for their own personal vendetta. These social media platforms have been known to censor and deactivate accounts to promote and push other ideas that the government wants citizens to see. This has also created a term known as shadow-banning, which is when a user is partially blocked on a platform, therefore their content has limited visibility and is sometimes even blocked.