Blog # 12 Our Relationship with Technology

When I was much younger than I am now, I used to read pages upon pages of books. I loved staying up before having to go to school, just with my mother reading books together before I would inevitably be told that I would have to go to bed. I loved reading so much then that I would have those book lights where you clip the light onto the book and it shines a light on the pages. I would hide under the covers sometimes and read for a couple more hours before falling asleep. Yes I know, I was really cool then.

I eventually got a Wii, and then a Nintendo DSI. After I got those I'll admit that the amount of page turning decreased. Then when I got a phone, the amount of page turning decreased even more. Technology is amazing and does so many great things for us as a society, but is it harming the future knowledge of our youth? Well, 45% of 17-year-olds say they only read once or twice a year, but in 1984, 64% said they read once a week or more.. I believe that while technology really is beneficial for a lot of America's youth, it has many potential downsides for them. Obviously, there is the potential for abuse.

I believe the biggest use and danger of technology comes from social media use. For example, "there has been an uptick in daily teen internet users, from 92% in 2014-15 to 97% today. In addition, the share of teens who say they are online almost constantly has roughly doubled since 2014-15 (46% now and 24% then)." This is not very surprising, however, it is a little troubling. Could kids be doing something more productive than doom-scrolling on social media? Well yes, but there is another big issue with the constant social media use.

Social media has the potential to seriously harm America's youth. Not just through addiction, but "research has shown that young adults who use social media are three times as likely to suffer from depression, putting a large portion of the population at risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors." Through social media we are able to see almost anything that exists on the internet. On X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, it is possible for a child to find pornography, videos of terrorists killings, and even videos that just damage their self-esteem. The problem is made worse as it's become increasingly difficult to cut social media out. This is because "“Social media platforms drive surges of dopamine to the brain to keep consumers coming back over and over again. The shares, likes and comments on these platforms trigger the brain’s reward center, resulting in a high similar to the one people feel when gambling or using drugs.” We can't escape social media because it has become almost like an addiction. For some, it actually has become an addiction. Obviously, the amount of time spent on social media takes time away from literature and self-betterment, but the concerning trend of increased social media use and depression along with suicidal thoughts maybe even more worrisome.

While technology has so much potential for harm in our society, I do believe that it has a lot of potential for good. When I got that Nintendo DSI I was ecstatic. I got it right before we went on a trip. I could not help but be amazed by all the new features on the thing. I was so excited that I even went up to a random lady in the hotel we were staying at and began to tell her all about how I could access the internet and look up things on the web all from my little Nintendo DSI. With technology, we have access to so many different things. The way it can be beneficial is if we use it correctly and manage our time well. I'll admit that I probably don't have the best level of self-control in terms of internet use, and I think that if I did I would be so much more productive.

A great thing that technology has done for me and I believe many others is allowed us to communicate with people that we would have never been able to twenty years ago. Obviously, communication with people over the internet has the potential for abuse, but if used responsibly it really is amazing. I used to play a lot of online games when I was younger, and I developed friendships with people my age all over the world that I still keep in contact with. I have friendships in the Netherlands, Germany, Turkey, Australia, United Kingdom, and more that all would have never been possible to have and maintain without the incredible advances in technology we have today

Technology, when used responsibly has the potential to unlock incredible ideas creations, breakthroughs, and even friendships for people. Technology when used poorly has the potential to sadly lead to many less than desirable outcomes. The experience we have when using technology is largely dependent on the way that we choose to use it, and the way that we set rules and boundaries for the children who use it. While I may spend too much time on the Internet, I believe that I have a positive relationship with technology, and I believe that anyone can have a positive relationship with it if they use it responsibly too.

Blog #11 The News Desert

Listening to the other groups present their topics, one of the subjects that really caught my attention was the idea of "News Deserts". I found it to be incredibly interesting because I had never considered before the possibility that some Americans might not have access to local or regional news. It was mind-blowing to me that some Americans may only be consuming national news, that there could be no way to find out about what's going on in your hometown or surrounding area. 

With information at the tip of our fingertips, it's not hard to simply use the internet to find out about what's going on around us. It's also not hard to find information around us that may not exactly be true. Without access to verified reporting, others may turn to less reputable or verifiable sources and begin to believe things that simply are not true. Without access to real news, there's a very real possibility of others spiraling down rabbit holes because they don't have access to quality reporting. That possibility becomes greater when looking at the fact that new deserts are growing. Increasingly across the country newspapers are having to shut down, leaving communities across the country with little to no access to verified reporting.

While this affects millions of Americans throughout the country, it greatly affects lower-income Americans. For example, the average median annual income of a home in a news desert is $15,000 less than the average U.S. household. Only 20% of adults living in news deserts have bachelor's degrees compared to 38% in the U.S. It also appears that a lack of consistent, trustworthy news has some correlation to a lack in education and income. Knowing this, we as a society should be doing everything we can to protect honest journalism and help bring back news to everywhere in America.

Blog #10 In the Age of AI

The first thought I had when the Supermarket Robots section came on was, "Why are we trusting these machines to do and have access to all of this information. These robots, or really artificial intelligence as a whole are presented with information, that unlike you or me, they never forget. That's a more long-term issue. The short-term issue, the issue that seems, at least in my mind to be rapidly approaching is automation. The scariest issue in terms of artificial intelligence in the here and now is the risk of millions of Americans and people around the world losing their jobs because a one-time purchase robot can do it for free. While this is quite good for those who can afford to pay for artificial labor, it can potentially be devastating for those who used to perform the labor. 

Another scary issue affecting us at this very moment is the way our data is being sold, stolen, and used. At this very moment, there is a good chance that you, whoever is reading this, has had your data taken and used even just five seconds ago. With artificial intelligence everything we put on the internet can be sold to someone else for a price, all to be put into an algorithm to figure out exactly who we are, what we like, and who we are planning on voting for. Our data is being used by artificial intelligence to deliver advertisements, political solicitations, or even just reinforce our worldview. The danger here is we do not know who is trying to influence us. We don't know who is trying to send us down the rabbit hole. It's not a coincidence we see advertisements for something we just looked up, or even something we just were talking about.

Our data though is not just being used by businesses and corporations though. The state has an interest in using artificial intelligence against us. It's already happening in more authoritarian states like China where China's citizens are being monitored using facial recognition and other forms of AI almost everywhere they go. They are not just being monitored, but given a "social credit" score. This is based on how "trustworthy" the Chinese Communist Party perceives them to be. With the higher social credit comes greater social privileges and whatnot, but do we really have to worry about that in the West? While we do not have to worry about our governments using AI at this level to control us yet, our governments still do use artificial surveillance to spy on us. These forms of monitoring are used by more authoritarian governments to quash dissent. Could our own governments deploy similar measures on us on the basis of "National Security"?

The answer is of course yes, if we let them. If we let the government shut down our lives and livelihoods over a novel virus then of course we'll let them monitor us; to keep us safe of course. Most of this has been focusing on the bad. Artificial intelligence is scary, even dangerous, however, it has the potential when used correctly to create some really amazing things. For example, having artificial intelligence run tests and research could lead the way to new medical breakthroughs. It's already on the verge of revolutionizing surgical care. The same goes for science and scientific breakthroughs. Artificial intelligence can be a tool for extreme good. It has the power to be one of our greatest tools if we choose not to abuse it. (All images found on this page were generated by me using artificial intelligence technology).

Blog #9 EOTO Illusory Truth Effect

 It is false but you believe it is true. It is the Illusory truth effect. The effect was found during a study at the universities of Villanova and Temple in 1977.  More specifically, studying The Illusory Truth Effect has found that, "Repeated information is often perceived as more truthful than new information. This finding is known as the illusory truth effect, and it is typically thought to occur because repetition increases processing fluency. Because fluency and truth are frequently correlated in the real world, people learn to use processing fluency as a marker for truthfulness.”. In simple terms, the more we hear something, the more likely we are to believe that it is true. The more we hear the words "Russia, Russia, Russia", "Russia did this", "Russia, did that", we are much more likely to believe that Russia Russia Russia actually did do something, even if there is little strong evidence that they did. 

The more we hear a claim, the more likely we are to buy into whatever is being sold, even if it seems outrageous. More exactly, people are almost always more likely than not to rate statements that they have viewed before as being true, no matter whether it is or is not. Even more than this though, studying a subject does not even safeguard against The Illusory Truth Effect. Even those who took 3rd-grade science class and learned that spiders have eight legs could be fooled into (or have a higher likelihood of) believing that spiders have nine legs if they are given multiple sources claiming that spiders do in fact have nine legs.

For example, during the 2016 presidential campaign, there was online posting about how Hillary Clinton was running a child abuse sex trafficking ring with her at the time campaign chief John Podesta out of a pizza restaurant named Comet Ping Pong. There was never any real merit and no real reason to believe such outlandish claims. On December 4th, 2016 a man from North Carolina went into the pizza restaurant with a rifle and revolver, and attempted to free the children he believed were being held, and in the process fired a shot inside the building.

The Illusory Truth Effect can be described simply as "Fake News". "Fake News" is sometimes a word that turns others off, but it is very real, and can also be very convincing. Fake news is incredibly prevalent in the United States, with many Americans believing, protesting, and voting based on things that never even happened. Where there is fake news there is the Illusory Truth Effect. No matter how prepared someone believes they are, the illusory truth effect can get to them. Simply seeing something that is false, even if someone knows it is false, will raise the likelihood that they believe it may be true, even if just by five percent! Fake news and the Illusory Truth Effect can become a thing of the past, but only if we step up as a society and stop publishing hyper-reactionary, clickbait, sometimes entirely false claims, only in the intent of profiting both politically and financially. Fake news and subsequently the Illusory Truth Effect can become history if we as a society put our values in truth, and not political or financial gain.

Blog #8 Big Brother

According to the TED Talk by Catherine Crump, the government as a whole is gathering information on us. This is not just at the Federal level but at the local level. At the very local level the police are monitoring and recording where we go and even sometimes who we're with. They use Stingray technology, allowing them to see whose phones are in a house, and even cell tower dumps where cell phone providers give law enforcement all the cell phone action that occurred in a certain area. The Federal level uses this information gathered by the local level to develop databases and track where and what Americans do all over the country.

Not only that, but our governments want to be able to listen to our phone calls, they want to be able to read our texts. Even though the governments may be able to more easily catch criminals, they would at the same time be listening to people who have never before committed a crime. It isn't just the government gathering information on us, however. 

We give the government and many others plenty of information about us; who we are, where we go, who we're with, our thoughts and opinions, how we decide to vote, how active we are in politics, the list goes on. The government and anyone else that wants to profit off of our information does not have to even wiretap us to find all of this out. all they have to do is look at any of our social media pages. It's all right there for them to gather. The digital footprints we leave are us voluntarily giving away many identifiable markers to big companies, governments, or anyone that is simply just curious.

Some may not care about any of this. Sometimes there's this mindset of, "I'm not doing anything wrong, why should I care.". The issues listed above should spook anyone as these issues affect all of us. With just cell tower dumps, Stingray technology, and licence plate photography we're being monitored and tracked by our government without even doing anything wrong. The government should refrain from gathering such information on its own citizens. We live in a society where the law gives us the presumption of innocence. The government should not be bulldozing our privacy, especially without any reason or cause, and they certainly should not be storing it in any database.

What can we do in order to retain and protect ourselves from an overreach into our privacy? An easy start would be to make sure what we post on social media is not something we would want governments and other actors to be interested in. Another way to safeguard against breaches in privacy, specifically wiretapping, is to make calls over facetime audio, as they have default encryption features installed. Finally as suggested by Catherine Crump in her TED Talk, we can lobby our local city councils to have their local police departments erase the databases they've developed on innocent citizens.

Blog #7 Diffusion of innovation- Vinyl Records

Vinyl records are perhaps the greatest, if not one of the greatest innovations to ever come to music. In 1930 the first long-playing vinyl record was launched as plastic discs. Then in 1948 Columbia Records began releasing Polyvinyl chloride records; which could play more music than their predecessors. They then eventually moved from 78 rpm (rotations per minute) to 33 rpm. The record was so innovative because it was the first piece of technology that allowed people to listen to the music they wanted, whenever they wanted, from anywhere they lived. Of course there was the radio, but someone would have to sit on a specific station and wait for the station to decide to play the song. With the record, anyone could listen to an entire album by an artist as many times as they chose to, and from any place in the album. 

   By looking at the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, we can see what the innovation was. The early adopters would have to be the DJs who played the records.  The early majority would probably be everyone else who followed along and bought record to listen to at home while vinyl records exploded in popularity through the 1950s-1980s.  The introduction of the cassette tape and CD player did lead to a decline in the sale of vinyl, very heavily in the 1990s.

So many people likely became early adopters because it was new, it was revolutionary, it was the brand new and only way to listen to what you want where you want. For the most part there are no real downsides to the technology, and no real reason why someone would choose to not own vinyl, unless they did not like music or choice (at least in the 1950s). Today it would be expected that vinyl would be dead, as we now have on-demand music to stream whenever-absolutely-anywhere. However, vinyl has made a comeback, as earlier this year it outsold CDs for the first time since 1987. This may relate less to the diffusion theory in relation to vinyl records, however it could relate to those who have started to reject on-demand streaming and look for a more "pure" sound.

                             

Blog#6 The Chained Down Anti-War Machine

 

Is it really any surprise that sites like ANTIWAR.COM and The American Conservative do not receive any real traction or publicity like that of Fox News or MSNBC? Is it really any surprise that one would have to go out of their way to find such sites? (It could be argued that ANTIWAR.COM's poorly optimized site could play some role) Is it really any surprise that we never hear any strong anti-war voices in the mainstream media?

I don't think that it is. After all, there is always a common denominator when there is conflict; that common denominator being the moolah, the money. There is money to be made when we are at war, and when we go to war. There are so many parties interested in war that the strongest anti-war voices often go unheard. Why though would anyone want to go to war? Well, it's both a simple and complex answer, the simple answer is that they want things. The more complex answer has to do with people in power wanting more of it, and the people with money wanting more of it also.

Those in power in this country have an interest in obtaining more of it, and those who have money have an interest in making more of it. When there is war, there are highly profitable defense contracts handed out. War makes for great television, it makes for great news. Broadcasters have no reason to want war to end. As long as there is a conflict there is money rolling in. Finally, the government has an interest in being at war. For one, the president retains war-time powers. Apart from the president, when we are at war, the government is able to violate our rights; and get away with it.

While at war, the government is allowed to restrict our civil liberties to seemingly the point of excess. There is an incentive for the government to be in a constant state of war. There is an incentive for the press to not feature strong anti-war columnists and commentators. War makes money and gives power. However, war also takes money and spends lives. Strong anti-war voices will never be a part of the mainstream in America because the most powerful industries and government profit from it. The only thing that will get us out is enough of us waking up and taking them to the ballot box.