Our Relationship with Technology (Final)

Technology is arguably a blessing and a curse. For some people, it is a tool for them to search for information that they did not know prior or communicate with family, friends, and peers. For others, it can be viewed as a dark concept that presents comparison, mental health issues, and a portal into cyberbullying. As technology has evolved and updated tremendously in the last decade, the impacts of technology have been revealed and continue to be uncovered.

As the use of social media has skyrocketed over the past decade, studies have shown a correlation between the growth of technology and anxiety and depression with young women and men. Despite not meaning that social media directly caused anxiety and depression, it is known that social media has the ability to cause mental health issues. For some shy young women, as they scroll through Instagram and see others go on luxurious looking vacations, it may be overwhelming viewing these as they get lost to the idea of comparison.

In addition, the use of technology has also opened up the idea of cyberbullying, which is when someone ridicules another online. For those that have been cyberbullied, it can cause tremendous mental health issues as the ridicule comes from behind a screen.

What is my relationship with technology as a 20-year-old girl that has grown up with technology in reach? In all honesty, as many people could agree within themselves, it is not healthy. I use technology almost all day every day. For the majority of the day, I am attached to my phone. Before, cell phones were for calling family members and friends, but now it is used for so much more. With my cell phone, I have used social media, played games, and watched videos through streaming platforms, which is much more the main use of technology.

(not my screen time)

Also, it can even allow people to search for information online. However, the content that is searched online is very insubstantial compared to knowledge that holds weight. However, technology has replaced work that has been utilized and trusted. For example, instead of searching a thesaurus for synonyms to a word, people can easily search online for synonyms under less than fifteen seconds. In this case, technology can be healthy with uses to benefit you as a user, but if there is an excessive use of it, it can be detrimental to your health.

Moving forward, what does the world look like with the use of technology? That is something that everyone wonders – will social media ever get “too much?” Does technology help more than hurt?

Reference: https://elemental.medium.com/kids-are-staring-at-screens-all-day-is-this-really-a-problem-10ffdeef35f5

The Internet During Coronavirus

Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has sent everyone into the safety of their homes with non-essential businesses closing. In public, people are wearing masks and gloves to cover their mouths from potential contamination. People are told to stay 6 feet apart from each other to lower interaction between people.

In return, the use of the internet has increased during this time. While people are unable to interact face-to-face, instead, social networking platforms have been utilized to interact. From constant use of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram, people are able to keep up with each other’s lives.

In an article called “The Virus Changed the Way we Internet” by Ella Kpeze and Nathaniel Popper, certain statistics were shown regarding the increase of use with certain applications. For Facebook, there was a 1.1% increase using an application, however, for those searching Facebook.com as a website, there was a 27% increase.

Not only have social media platforms been utilized more due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but the use of streaming platforms has been utilized more. Therefore, the applications and websites of Netflix and YouTube have also seen an increase.

Something that emerged that thousands of people have had to learn was that schooling and higher education is possible online. With the utilization of platforms such as Zoom, Cisco Webex, and other ways to connect through video conferencing, students are able to see that it is possible to gain an education remotely.

During this time of adjustment, many people are struggling to adjust to this weird new way of “normal,” but the use of internet has made this adjustment not as hard as everyone expected.

Reference: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html?auth=link-dismiss-google1tap

Spiral of Silence (EOTO 2)

Under the First Amendment, United States citizens have the freedom of religion, freedom for religion, freedom of press, freedom of speech, freedom to petition, and the freedom to assemble. However, even though we have the freedom to do all of these given in the Constitution, that does not mean that everyone does so. But why not say what you are thinking truthfully or doing what you honestly want to do?

This is called the Spiral of Silence theory. The Spiral of Silence theory is when people remain silent because of the fear that they do not agree with the majority’s opinion. An example of this theory is when someone wants to speak about their political views, but knowing they do not have the same opinions as the majority of people, they won’t speak about it. 

This theory was proposed by Elisabeth Noelle-Nuemann in 1974. Later on, results of the theory were looked into. It suggested that people feel as though speaking will make them feel isolated due to their differing opinions. Another result was that people may fear speaking their opinion for consequences worse than the concept of isolation.

Reflecting on this concept, it can be seen every single day in modern society. There are so many people that speak confidently about their opinions, but for those that do not have the confidence to speak up, they might fall into the Spiral of Silence. Has modern day society intensified this theory?

With the advancement of technology and current society, it can easily be argued that the Spiral of Silence has intensified. People are able to project their opinions through the internet without even seeing someone that they want to address with differing opinions.

Reference: https://masscommtheory.com/theory-overviews/spiral-of-silence/ ; https://www.businesstopia.net/mass-communication/spiral-silence-theory

Your Online Life, Permanent as a Tattoo

Your online presence can showcase your life, your personality, and other demographic information. Social networks can present to your closest friends’ information such as your relationship status, what you like to do in your free time, where you are from, where you go to school, and who you surround yourself with. But strangers could see this information too. People that you have never met, people that you have met maybe only once in your life, and people that you wish to never see again nor know about what is going on in your life can see any information about you.

In the TedTalk “Your Online Life, Permanent as a Tattoo,” explained exactly that. Juan Enriquez even mentioned that your online presence can last longer than your own body. Even after people die, their online presence remains. How does this make you feel?

Enriquez mentions that as online users, we should pay attention to what we are posting and focusing on online, but also brings awareness to the power of the internet in modern day. For instance, companies are able to look through databases to know who you are. Companies can even use information about you to target you through advertisements.

He even goes to mention Greek mythology and how some people represented rules that everyone should follow in their use of social media. For instance, he mentions that we shouldn’t look into the past of people that we are interested in and that we should not be too vain with our reflections. As an internet user, how will you act now? Will you follow Enriquez’s “rules?” How do you feel that your online presence will be alive long after you may be?

Reference: https://www.ted.com/talks/juan_enriquez_your_online_life_permanent_as_a_tattoo?language=en

Social Media Online Footprint (Audit)

As a second-year college student in 2020, I have a large online footprint. Reflecting on all of the social media platforms I have an account on, I can count how many accounts I have on more than one hand. Ranging from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Spotify, and way more, it is eye-opening actually counting how many platforms I have an account on. Along with these accounts, I also have a website for a digital portfolio.

What I put on each of these platforms drastically differ. For Facebook, I am more professional, yet not as professional as I am on my LinkedIn account. For Twitter, I incorporate content that is more informal, but not as informal as I would put on Snapchat that I am “friends” with. Then with Instagram, it depends on the post in regard to what I put on them. Sometimes I can interact with friends on it being more informal or I can repost something on my “Instagram Story” to positively promote something such as my sorority or an organization I am involved with. Lastly, with Pinterest, this platform I use for inspiration, therefore I am pinning more light-hearted things.

For a visitor first gleaning at any of my social media accounts, they would instantly learn some very demographic information about me. For instance, they would easily learn that I am from Rhode Island, but go to a university in North Carolina. Depending on the platform, they would learn that I am involved in Phi Mu Fraternity in the Gamma Zeta chapter. However, depending on how much someone looks at any of my social media accounts, they can learn who my closest friends are, my dialect regarding if I am more formal or informal, and get a look into my personality.

Something that has been the center of discussion regarding social media has been if it makes people lonely, depressed, or isolated. My opinion? I think that it does, but it depends on the person. For someone that has a low self-esteem, it definitely can be isolating especially on Instagram. Seeing someone that is “living their best life,” it can be isolating and maybe even depressing, When self-comparison is involved, I believe that all of these feelings can be heavily involved.

Reference: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/is-facebook-making-us-lonely/308930/

The Growth of Twitter

In this day in age, almost everyone has more than three forms of social media. As social media ranges from music streaming applications to applications where people can post images demonstrating their daily life to dating applications. There is a form of social media for everything you could think of. One social media platform that allows people to express themselves using text, videos, images, gifs, and more is Twitter.

Twitter was first created in 2006. From this time until 2007, it was in its exploratory phase, similar to most forms of communication. By March 2007, it began to ascend to the point where there were 60,000 tweets sent out per day. As it is hitting its peak, most people now have Twitter accounts.

What is the difference between then and now? As most people have Twitter accounts, the quick explosiveness of membership on the social media account is not as active. Most people have an account. The knowingness of Twitter is in the saturation stage. This application has become one of the main forms of social media that people use on a daily basis to communicate between people.

With the popularity of the app, there are many positive and negative factors about it. Starting with the positive factors, people have the ability to be very personal on the application. Each account is catered to their own brand. Another positive factor is that it is very trendy. People on the application keep up to date with everyday trends that are going on throughout the world and even have a section that speaks about what is trending.

However, there are negative factors as well. As mentioned earlier, by March 2007, there were over 60,000 tweets sent out a day. Over 10 years later, Twitter now sees 500 million tweets sent out a day. Therefore, it is easy for tweets to not be seen. For instance, if someone were to send out a tweet regarding something trending, it may not be seen due to the high volume of tweets at that given moment.

Therefore, this shows that Twitter is currently in the saturation phase or maybe even the climax regarding the Diffusion of Innovation theory. If users are currently sending over 500 million tweets a day, what does that mean in 10 more years? Will users’ tweet over a billion tweets a day? Will Twitter still be one of the main social media platforms?

Reference: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/twitter-launches ; https://www.boostability.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-using-twitter/ ; https://www.omnicoreagency.com/twitter-statistics/

Protect Dissent and the Right to Criticize the Government

The First Amendment is one that gives United States citizens numerous “freedoms,” which colonists did not have under the rule of England. The freedoms that are given are the freedom of religion, for religion, of speech, of the press, to assemble, and to petition the Government. Two of these freedoms need to be highlighted – the freedom of speech and the freedom to petition the Government.

Freedom of Speech gives citizens the right to say their opinions on certain matters without getting punished to an extent. “To an extent” meaning that the as people are able to speak their truth, it would be illegal for people to act on their words, which is called “expressive action.” For instance, someone could say that they did not like something that was occurring in the country. However, they could not act upon those words with violence.

Freedom to petition the Government is an important freedom that is given in the First Amendment as many people may have grievances with the government and this freedom allows people to voice their grievances. This freedom has been crucial throughout history and even in current times. In modern day, people are able to express their views on the government through a multitude of ways, whether it is through print, television, or even through social media.

Protecting Dissent, or in this case, the right to criticize the government is very important. As we enter an era where social media is one of the most utilized tool to communicate. At this current moment with the struggle regarding COVID-19, protecting dissent is extremely important. At any given time of the day, there is someone talking about the politics regarding the pandemic. People have been voicing their opinions and critiquing the choices that political figures are making.

In Dissent, Injustice and the Meanings of America, it is proposed that it  is our “patriotic duty” to criticize the government. In this text, it is advocating for each individual to voice our opinions, good or bad. In an article called “Protect the Right to Criticize the Government,” it compares it to a “civic duty.” All in all, as a citizen of the United States of America, it is our duty to be able to speak what we believe. It is our duty to our nation to voice what we think are wrongdoings to hope for improvement. This right gives us a voice to the public and it gives us power.

Link: https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/protect-the-right-to-criticize-the-government/

Coronavirus Impacting Business

When you turn on the news, a major headline reoccurring is the Coronavirus. Originating in China, this virus has been a big topic of discussion. People are asking: what is it? Can it cause death? What are symptoms? But, what they are not asking is: how will it affect consumer-driven industries?

With the concern about the virus, traveling has been magnified. Some businesses have been telling employees to not travel domestically or internationally. An important question being asked is, how is it spread?

Another major concern regarding the new outbreak of an unheard of virus is regarding shipping and manufacturing of products. Many major corporations have products manufactured in China. Companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon. Some of these companies have manufacturing locations in areas where the outbreak is incredibly prominent. As a result, these locations have temporarily shut down or production has been slow due to workers having this virus. What does this mean for the business and for the consumer?

For the business, this could mean that supplies and stock can be low until the coronavirus is wiped away. For the consumer, this means that whatever product they may wish for can be very hard to get if there is a shortage of products being created in China.

Many questions have been formed based off of the virus specifically with businesses. Some people wonder if other businesses, such as UberEats and Netflix will skyrocket due to the weariness of exposing oneself to others. In the past week, the telecommunicating software of Zoom has already skyrocketed.

What does this mean for all businesses?

Reference: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/28/technology/coronavirus-disrupts-industry.html

Culture of Motion Pictures

In modern day, in people’s free time, they will sit back, relax, and turn on their preferred streaming platform. Where did it all start?

The evolution of motion pictures began in 1888. During this year, Thomas Edison and William Dickson wanted to create a device that had the ability to record motion pictures. That led to the Kinetograph – the first camera to record motion and could be displayed on a screen. Then in 1894, the “Kinetograph Parlors” opened allowing public film screenings.

As the United States were working on the first recording device and first public way to screen movies, the French were also working too. The Cinématographe by the Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis was introduced in 1895. This device could project 16 frames per second.

The device projecting motion pictures became a big hit. Eventually, filmmakers started introducing new concepts into these motion pictures. For instance, these films would have story lines and would have music throughout the background. Up until 1927, these films would be “silent films,” where audio was not incorporated, but there was music to emphasize change in the plot line.

But now, in the year of 2020, motion pictures have evolved completely. Cameras have evolved and the process to create a movie has become very extensive. Dialogue is heavily used as well as effects.

The culture of movies have changed. People go to the movie theaters in their free time, but the emergence of streaming movies has evolved the use of motion pictures. People do not have to go to the movie theaters in order to watch a film. They can watch from their couch at home and watch not one, but countless movies.

Over a hundred years have passed and the culture of motion pictures have completely changed with the evolution of technology.

Reference: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pickford-early-history-motion-pictures/