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).