Final Post

This TedTalk explains how technology has not only changed the human race, but specifically generation Z. Being a young adult (and generation Z) I am able to look back at my childhood and see how much technology has evolved in such a short amount of time. I am able to say that my generation was the first to completely rely on technology for education (being given an iPad for school as early as 8th grade). My life relies and is consumed by technology in all aspects, and I am not happy about it!

In this TedTalk, Bella Muri explains how the values: trust, truth, and patience have been destroyed for generation Z. We can not trust anymore that hard work and a college degree will land us our dream job and make us enough money to retire. Well that isn't the case anymore, technologies are now taking the jobs human once did. The truth is getting harder and harder to find. The internet is full of lies and at this point I can hardly tell fake news from real because it is EVERYWHERE! And lastly, patience. I have noticed I have very little patience. If I am waiting on a website for more than 3 seconds, I exit out. I have become so use to fast pace life that I become annoyed when spending time on things that could be spent somewhere else.

My relationship, and dependency, with technology has only worsened as I have gotten older. Every single hour of my day, except sleep, most likely involves technology. If I am even on a walk, every 5 minutes I am looking down at my Apple Watch to see how many calories I have burned. I spend an extremely unhealthy amount of my day using devices. I have not even realized this issue until the last 2 months being isolated in quarantine due to Covid-19. This is an issue that I know I am not alone in.

Overall, technology had informed me in more than 1 million possible ways, but has lead me down a path that I did not even realize I was on. This path consists of unhealthy amounts of social media use, being impatient, developing trust issues, and so much more. I envy the childhood and early adult years my parents and  grandparents had without technology!

Week 15: EOTO (Citizen Journalism)

Citizen journalism is growing around the world. With different easy to use websites and a typing device at our fingertips, any one is able to write. Britannica defines citizen journalism as "journalism that is conducted by people who are no professional journalists but who disseminate information using Web Sites, blogs, and social media". Citizen are able to immediately report about natural disasters, wrecks, and accidents as well as use real time footage that they record themselves! Pretty cool how just about anyone can do this and share with the world.

The term and practice of  "Citizen Journalism" comes from South Korea. Online entrepreneur, Oh Yeon-ho, voiced that "every citizen is a reporter". Unhappy with the Korean Press, he and three other colleagues started an online newspaper in 2000. The online newspaper, called "OhmyNews", used volunteers to write content for the paper that was posted on the cite. When the company started they only had 727 citizen reporters in one country, but in 2007 that had over 50,000 citizen reporters all reporting from over 100 countries.

While some may believe that citizen journalism is great, many do not agree with it. Some believe that citizen journalism threatens real journalist and has a high risk of being fake. Additionally, people believe that real journalists have better critical thinking skills. Personally, I do not agree with this. I believe that citizen journalism allows news to get our faster, is interesting and what other citizens want to hear, and allows one to write as first hand experience and often in the moment.

Citizen journalism is most prevalent on social media. Breaking news often appears on social media before anywhere else! Especially on sites such as Facebook and twitter. A larger audience is able to be reached through online sites like these. This type of journalism allows for all different age groups and types of people to access news in a whole different easy way.

Power Point:





https://www.britannica.com/topic/citizen-journalism
https://artplusmarketing.com/is-citizen-journalism-killing-professional-journalism-b60531ee1d0c

Week 14: Privacy

In todays society, everyone is on the internet and using technology. It consumes our everyday lives and our world revolves around it. In this TED talk, Kashmir Hill speaks about how she was gifted a "smart speaker". According to a NPR survey, 1/6 adults own a smart speaker which is constantly listening to them! There are so many "smart" technologies and appliances available on the market today. Some examples are- smart lights, smart locks, smart toilets, and smart toys. All of these examples are able to connect to the internet, gather data, and talk to the owner.

Hill speaks about how she installed 18 smart devices in her home to the point where her house was almost a "smart home". She then had the other speaker, Surya Mattu, monitor everything the smart home did by installing a router that the devices were connected to. The two speakers wanted to see what information companies where able to see and even sell to others through the smart devices.

The experiment ran for two months. Over that time period there was never a period of "digital silence" in the house, even when Hill left her home for a week! Mattu was able to see when Hill and her husband turned on the TV (for how long and what they watched) and even when they brushed their teeth.

Scary enough, TV companies sell information to the government on what users watch then this information is sold to data brokers and advertisers. Personally, I believe that the most interesting point Hill brought up is the fact that even though you may purchase and own a smart device, the company who made the device now owns all the your data that it collects.

After watching this TED talk, I have gained a lot more information on privacy and how it relates to smart devices. My family does not own any smart devices besides our smart phones and for this I am a relieved! I am a quite private person and the idea of technology listening in on me, without my knowledge, is terrifying.

Week 13: Audit Your Online Presence

When I look at my online footprint at a first glance I wouldn't think too much of it. I have the same amount of social media accounts as my peers, so why would this be a problem? The social media accounts I use on a daily basis, and even more now in quarantine are- Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest. I do not post much on my social media accounts, normally 1-2 posts every 2 months. But even though I am not sharing much information with my followers, these big social media companies are taking my information and using it for themselves and others.

Big tech companies take information off your phone without you even realizing it! Well you may be thinking they just have access to your email and phone number, they are actually taking much much more. A man left the ad industry after realizing how easily and precise target marketing is done. He explained that income records, mortgage details, the type of cars you drive, and political party are easily found. The scariest part of ad targeting he mentioned was how he was challenged to target anonymous people and these anonymous people were actually tracked through out the day. These peoples daily locations were tracked, in particular they tracked a young woman who went to Starbucks, a school, a yoga studio, then back to school. With this information they realized this woman has a child and now have a glimpse into her hobbies.

With companies having the ability to see all of your information and daily life, they have the ability to place ads that will target you individually. After reading this article (linked below) I have realized just how scary it is to have social media and how much these companies influence what you think and see through ads. In this time, especially being quarantined, it is extremely difficult to stay off of social media but I will definitely have to make an adjustment!

https://www.fastcompany.com/90359992/an-ad-tech-pioneer-on-where-our-data-economy-went-wrong-and-how-to-fix-it

Week 12: Diffusion of Innovations

TikToks Rise: Tiktok is a viral video sharing app that has become extremely popular in the last 6 months. TikTok is popular among teenagers and is a platform where users share short videos. These videos can be anything and are up to whatever the user decides to create. For example, some videos are lip syncs, dances, or comical skits. Currently, TikTik has over 1.5 billion downloads and its popularity continues to grow. TikTok is a Chinese company but started with a different name (Musical.ly) and has gone through a few changes since it first came out. 

TikTok was originally only popular among the younger. generation until the past 6-8 months. This younger generation would be considered the early adopters, around pre-teen age and used the app when it was under its previous name "Musical.ly" and around its earlier stages. The early majority adopters would be high school aged kids, this group of adopters started using the app earlier in 2019. Late majority adopters would be college kids. Personally, I downloaded the app around 7 months ago. Laggards would be anyone in their mid to late 20's. The reason behind older users (late teens and up) catching onto the spread of the app was due to influencers and the comedic videos people their age started creating. 

The negative sides of TikTok are similar to those of any other popular social media app. TikTok has a "for you" page section of the app where videos are "funneled to a vast audience based on secret criteria".  TikTok moderators pick and chose what appears in someones "for you" page and there seems to be guidelines for who appears (people who are "good-looking", well dressed, have an attractive background of where the video was filmed). Additionally, TikTok users spend a lot of time on the app without even noticing due to the easiness of scrolling through never ending videos. The app has noticed this and places videos made by sponsors telling users to "take a break the videos will be there later". 

Overall, TikTok's rise to fame this year has been impressive. The app brings people closer together and is especially popular during this Covid-19 time. 

https://theintercept.com/2020/03/16/tiktok-app-moderators-users-discrimination/

https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-app-online-website-video-sharing-2019-7#think-of-bytedance-headquartered-in-beijing-china-as-chinas-facebook-both-companies-own-families-of-popular-social-networking-apps-used-by-billions-of-people-a-day-3

Eight Values of Free Expression- Protect Dissent (week 11)

Of the eight speech theories, the one that stands out to me the most is the very last one. The eighth speech theory, from Steven Shiffrin, focuses on the idea that our government system is not supposed to be one of mob rule. Shiffrin says that the first Amendment protects minority views, no matter how small or unpopular they may be or seem. As a citizen, you have a strongly protected right to disagree with the government -and everyone else for that matter. This is something unique about our system, people fought for this right! As a citizen, it is your patriotic duty to criticize the government and to stand up for what you believe is right and just.

In 1798 and 1918, the Sedition act made it illegal to criticize the American government. Sounds crazy right? Well, it wasn't until around year 1919 that the sedition act was repealed.

The right to dissent stems from our first Amendment rights. As a citizen you have the right to disagree with the government and it is your duty to voice that opinion! You can voice this disagreement through freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, etc. It doesn't matter how, just know you can do it (legally of course). 

The video above better explains some of the logistics that go behind a citizens democratic right to dissent. Without the ability to dissent, America would be nowhere to the point it is at today. For example, women fought for the right to vote and surprisingly enough, its only been 100 years since that dissent. For years, people have been speaking up and demanding change for what they believe in. This right is something many other countries do not have the privilege of having.

As a young college student, I recently have been becoming more politically informed and aware of what changed and decisions are going on around me. Personally, I believe the eighth speech theory that focuses on political dissent, is one that should be exercised more often in our society. People to not understand what a privilege it is to have this right! Everyday, people online go to social media to complain about the government or what may be going on in politics. Instead, these people have the constitutional right to not just complain, but to actually take ACTION and show the government what we don't agree with and what changes must be made! Like Shiffrin said, the first Amendment even protects minority viewpoints, no matter how unpopular they may be. Us citizens have the duty to make these minority viewpoints heard.

Freedom of Speech and Youtube

YouTube is known as being a place where individuals are able to express themselves. Content on the platform ranges, there is a video posted for almost anything you could ever think of!  Users post videos of themselves doing anything from singing, tutorials, vlogs, and even just talking about different topics. But, what if Youtube is monitoring and censoring us as well as users more than we think? 

Recently, PragerU argued that Youtube has been "censoring" it's conservative views. Youtube had been removing advertisements and setting PragerU and censoring it's content to be "restricted mode" for adult viewing only. PragerU has around 2.5 million subscribers and is known for posting videos that attract a lot of criticism. For example they have posted videos that include masculine aggression and the nature of Islam. 

Judges decided that the United States constitution's First Amendment was not being violated in this case. Youtube is a private company, therefore they have the right to censor anything posted on their platform. The court said "Despite Youtube's ubiquity and its role as a public-facing platform, it remains a private forum, not a public forum". 

Personally, I agree with the courts ruling. Youtube is a private company therefore they may choose how the platform is run. In this case, Youtube only removed  PragerU's advertisements and censored their video for adults, Youtube did not remove the users content. Due to PragerU being known for posting "criticized" videos, I believe Youtube has the right to censor videos so only adults can view them.

Apple Lawsuit Over Slowing Down Older iPhones

There has always been a rumor that Apple slows down it's older model iPhones when a new one hits the market. Right when new iPhone models come out users immediately go to social media to complain about their phone slowing down. Personally, I never truly believed this rumor or even noticed a difference. I questioned if it was possible to have software that even allowed Apple do to this! But, the rumors were always true. Currently, Apple is being sued for slowing down older iPhones and will end up paying half a billion dollars to settle. 

The reasoning behind slowing down older iPhone models is to entice customers to go out and purchase a newer model phone. The settlement would require Apple to pay certain model iPhone users $25 per device. This would be extremely expensive and cost Apple anywhere from $310 million to $500 million. 

This legal battle has been going on for more than two years. It all started in 2017 when Apple admitted to using software updates that slow down older model phones. Apple claims that they were not pushing customers to buy new iPhone models, but instead the slowing down of the phones is caused by issues with older lithium-ion batteries. 

If you have purchased an iPhone 6, 6 plus, 6S, 6S Plus, 7, 7 Plus, or SE device before December 21st 2017 as well as live in the United States, you are eligible to file for a claim! I know I will be!

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/02/tech/apple-lawsuit-settlement-slow-batteries/index.html

Instagram Changing the World and How We See Ourselves (EOTO Key Post)

In 6th grade (2011) I was asked "Do you have Instagram?" for the very first time. Little did I know that after downloading the app, and creating my profile, that I would be using it almost every single day for the next 9 years. Instagram, started in 2010 and bought by Facebook in 2012, is a leading social media app that has changed almost as much as I have since first creating my profile.

To say the least, Instagram has changed the world. The app has not only revolutionized how businesses are marketing/being successful, but also how users market their very own lives to their followers. Sarah Manavis of NewStatesmanAmerica says "Nearly ten years on, it is its own industry, a form of social currency, a perceived moral demon and the anchor for most of our disclosure about women, young people, and celebrities".

When Instagram first came out, I was at the age where young girls first begin to struggle the most with their appearance and care more than they should about how their peers perceive them. Instagram became the popularity contest that I, and many others, couldn't escape once getting home from school. The app had transformed how individuals present themselves online the more popular it became. Photoshopped pictures, only showing off the luxurious side of your life, the amount of likes/followers someone has, etc. had consumed much of my generation. To fix this problem, Instagram has recently decided to try and remake their image. With the goal of "improving mental health", the app has started to begin hiding users' likes.

On the business side of things, in 2019, Instagram collected about $20 million in advertising revenue. This $20 million is more than a quarter of Facebook's overall 2019 revenue. With an average of 1 billion monthly users, it is no surprise that so many businesses are marketing themselves on instagram. The app says that 80% of users follow a business. Retail brands are greatly benefiting from using the app, brands are able to showcase their products using an easy interactive catalog.  Over 25 million brand accounts are using the app and 96% of U.S. fashion brands have accounts. Users are even able to purchase items directly within the app off of select companies' pages, but most people do not realize that Instagram charges a fee for this.

Without a doubt, Instagram has had one of biggest impacts on how we use social media. From starting out as a basic photo-sharing app to becoming the empire it is today, it will be exciting to see what else Instagram will do in the next 10 years.


https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/social-media/2019/12/i-instagram-how-one-app-changed-way-young-people-see-world
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/business/dealbook/instagram-20-billion-revenue.html
https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/03/business/instagram-shopping-checkout/index.html

"University of Northern Colorado Puts Greek Life on Hold"

The University of Northern Colorado puts a complete halt on Greek life by not allowing organizations to participate in recruitment, initiation, parties, and formals for the 2020 spring semester.

UNC put the halt into effect after after reports of sexual misconduct, drug use, and underage drinking. During the halt, Greek organizations were told to draft and present a detailed plan on how to practice successful safety.

Greek organizations were asked to summarize their policies regarding drugs, drinking, hazing, wellness and risk management, write out their chapters values, service hours, and a list of three year goals that they should strive to achieve. Members were also asked to state the current problems they see within their chapter and how to fix them.

Some students feel as if UNC is violating their first amendment rights by singling out Greek life members. Greek organizations will be reading their plans to UNC campus administrators at the end of the spring 2020 semester.

Being a student who has been involved with Greek life since the very beginning of freshman year, I find UNC's Greek life restrictions extremely frustrating. For many students, Greek life organizations are a vital part of their college careers. These organizations are where students have met lifelong friends, received scholarships from, hold important positions, and the list goes on. Personally, I believe that UNC should not be putting a complete halt on Greek life as a whole. Instead, it would be more logical to punish the chapters that are responsible for the sexual misconduct, underage drinking, and drug use reports. Halting all organizations is punishing all for the decisions of few, which is a dilemma Greek life organizations around the country are facing.

Facebook Not Taking Control Over Lies in Political Ads

    With the upcoming election, Congress has been pressuring Facebook to take control of political campaign advertisements. Political campaigns have been targeting different advertisements towards voters that may or may not be truthful. Facebook is one of the most popular platforms when it comes to political ads and they will not make a change in what is and is not allowed even though other tech companies are making changes.

Facebook is likely to be criticized for this decision. Liberal critics are wanting facebook to do a better job at monitoring their various social media platforms while conservatives claim that their "views are being unfairly muzzled". Many questions have been asked as to what political content should be allowed and not allowed across various popular technology companies. Both Twitter and Google have already taken action in fixing the political advertisement issue.

Facebook takes in a large amount of money from political campaigns. The Trump administration alone has spent more than $27 million on the platform alone. The administration also supported Facebook's decision of not interfering or face-checking political ads. In October, the Trump campaign made false accusations in an ad that Facebook refused to remove. When the Biden campaign asked for the removal of the head, the company's head of global elections policy, Katie Harbath, responded with "Our approach is grounded in Facebook's fundamental belief in free expression, respect for the democratic process and the belief that, in mature democracies with a free press, political speech is already arguably scrutinized speech there is". In a speech made in October, CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a similar speech that included his beliefs in the power of free speech, including paid advertising, and had no intention of regulating any political ads. While nothing huge will be done in regards to policing political ads, Facebook did decide to add a feature that will limit campaign and political issues.

As a young person who is using social media platforms daily and for long amounts of time, the issue of monitoring political ads and campaigns is one I am in favor of. While everyone is entitled to free speech, there should be a way to completely block out seeing false advertisements that are showing up in my social media stream. With the upcoming election being the first time my peers and I will be voting, I find it very worrisome that false ads could skew their decision without them even realizing it. False advertisements and fake news are becoming more of a problem daily and I believe Facebook should be doing more.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/technology/facebook-political-ads-lies.html

"This Company Says It Will Fix Your Smile. It May Shush You if It Doesn't."

 

Researching how a product performs and reading reviews on a product before purchasing it is a standard for me. Especially when it comes to purchasing a product that is expensive. This is the same for most people, communicating about an experience with a product is crucial. Well, imagine if you couldn't find negative reviews on products because companies don't want you to know their product may fail. People would never know if a product is not worth purchasing because unsatisfied customers would not be able to communicate their negative experiences. This is exactly what "SmileDirectClub" is doing.

Two years ago, Taylor Weakley, had decided to order from SmileDirectClub to fix some crowding in her teeth after seeing an ad on social media for the teeth aligners. The aligners cost $1,850, which is less than the cost of visiting an orthodontist for braces. But, the aligners failed to correct Weakley's teeth. She had asked for a refund but was faced with something she wasn't expecting. If she wanted to receive a refund she must sign a nondisclosure provision as part of a general release form, which she agreed to. The agreement prohibits customers from telling others about the refund as well as not allowing any negative social media comments or reviews.

SmileDirectClub wants to limit negative information from unsatisfied customers. That is why the company's website claims to have a 4.9/5 customer rating. Weakley is not the only person to face this problem, seven others told New York Times the product was not effective for them either. Four individuals even needed to visit a dentist to fix problems the aligners caused. 

Personally, I find this extremely alarming. SmileDirectClub advertises to many different target markets, myself included. I have seen their advertisements on my Instagram feed and other platforms a countless number of times. Not allowing customers to communicate their negative experiences can put others at risk and makes customers feel lied to. 

After reading this article, I am left wondering how many other heavily marketed products are causing harm to people but nobody knows about it because the company silenced them. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/technology/smiledirectclub-smile-nda.html