Blog #12 - Final Blog

FINAL BLOG POST

My name and what I choose to post on social media platforms impacts the people around me and my daily life. I tune in to see how many likes I will get on my Instagram post, who views my story on Snapchat and Instagram, and how I connect with family on Facebook if I haven't seen them in years.

The overall impact of technology today is astounding from where it was years ago. The advancement of technology is as equally astounding. A.I. and the documents surrounding it are directly related to society today. 

This new age is going to exploring how technologies like Artificial Intelligence is changing the world and how countries are adapting to this new technological influence. Now A.I. and other technological forms are becoming more accepted and is having a large impact on the world and people surrounding these devices.

My relationship with technology has definitely changed over the years. I never had a phone until I was 16, only using the devices I had before then for emergencies, specifically to call my parents or use an emergency number. My parents made me wait to get a phone because they knew about the downsides of technology and how it affects a person and their mind. 

I was really jealous to see other people in school having phones and using them, posting things to their Instagram, Snapchat, and other accounts. I remember distinctly only having YouTube and remember looking at Instagram for the first time like it was a foreign object. It made no sense to me.

Since then, I really had the opportunity to see what my parents were talking about, especially with children now and how they use technology. I am super grateful to my family for letting me see how technology makes such a damaging impact on young minds, even if the intentions behind using devices are just.

Looking at my average screen time now, I see where concerns may lie for parents or people when they see others using a device. If I go a day without technology, it feels foreign and weird to me. My phone has become an attachment, which isn't healthy.

                                          

I have made sure from an early age to only put acceptable images online, keeping private photos to myself. My mom told me from a young age that photos can never be deleted so I have to be mindful of what I choose to put online and how people can interpret what I post.

My relationship with technology now and learning how damaging technology really is from this class makes me think a lot about how I am contributing to this technological age and environment. I can really grasp how my actions affect others and what I can do to be a better person and be more mindful as I advance in life.

LINKS:

Stats Instagram
Stats Internet

Blog #11 - In the Age of A.I.

IN THE AGE OF A.I.

In the Age of A.I. documentary explores technology in today's world and the modern day adaptation of what people once knew. Devices are explored, concepts are discussed, and the discussion of technology now is still ongoing.

The documentary discusses something that Google used called Alpha Go, which is a computer program that plays board games. This unique device learns from what a human does and what moves the person makes pertaining to the game at hand. This device helped discover that one type of A.I. could beat another.

The capacity of knowledge an A.I. can possess is incredible, and the outcomes that can be achieved from A.I. is great and definitely has improved from when it was first developed.

This new age is going to explore how Artificial Intelligence is changing the world and how countries are adapting to this new change. A.I. is becoming accepted by many and being directly related to everyday life and the new generation especially. 

What A.I. has been able to do since being invented is phenomenal. It has scaled across the globe, marking the progression of technology. Apple computers and other forms of technology have revolutionized how the new generations have interpreted how devices are worked and how they are perceived to many individuals worldwide.

The pros and cons of A.I. have become easily detectable as technology has advanced over time. The pros of A.I. are that it sends countries into further technological advancement and the progression of A.I. overall is clear. The cons to A.I. is that it can send countries into a frenzy and may not be well received by the people residing in a particular country. 

For any device, risking national security, online security, and identify theft is always a possibility. In the case of A.I., this becomes even more of a risk because of the advances of technology.

The invention of robotic minds, self-driving cars, and other technologies really shows how far society has come as a whole and shows that even though there is some backlash to this new technological form, the greatness that can be achieved is far greater then the drawbacks. 

LINKS: A.I.

Blog #10 - What I Learned EOTO #2

TEAM PRESENTATIONS - WHAT I LEARNED

For the second EOTO presentations we had to present for class we were divided into different groups and presented on concepts like theories, media spheres, awareness, and policies. Each group explored unique concepts, their founding, and how they were used in the world today. These topics were either some that I knew information of or some that I had never heard of before. 

It was interesting to me to explore more information about the topics and the presenters really understood what they were talking about. I was super engaged by each presentation and had the opportunity to grasp more what the topic was and become more educated on it. 

I always enjoy the opportunity to sit in on discussions and learn from them and gain a learning for new material and concepts. I enjoyed each teams discussion and presentation, and I think the overall groups were great. All of the ideas they presented seemed to work together well and they showed how it was incorporated into modern day times. 

In this modern day world, we have fashioned ideas and concepts as we see fit. We often don't take the time to educate ourselves on what these ideas are and how important they are in society. Ideas like propaganda, disinformation, whistleblower, and even online influencers have existed for a long time and are starting to make more of an appearance.

The discussion of an online influencer entails many aspects and causes for many arguments among people. The definition of an online influencer is often someone who has gained traction from social media platforms. They often represent a specific brand and industry, and have their own target audience they have to cater towards. They can now come in the form of an Instagram influencer, TikTok influencer, YouTube creator, or another form of social media.

It is interesting to see why these individuals are followed by many on their platforms and what makes them so appealing to brands as well as their audience.

Link: INFLUENCE

Blog #9 - Diffusion Theory

DIFFUSION THEORY

Diffusion Theory can apply to many things, terms, and concepts. A very common aspect of this theory is technology, and in class we related the Diffusion Theory to the product the iPhone. The Apple product has been rapidly produced over the years, a scale representing the adaption toward this device and how it wants to stay relevant today. 

The 'Diffusion of Innovation Model' is super important in understanding this theory. An illustration from Professor Smith like the one above showed the progression, peak, and track of the theory and how it should be understood. This helped me personally gain the understanding of how people perceive certain concepts or products and where they fall on this interesting graph. 

Something that I think of when thinking of this theory is the company Netflix. The company was known back when it was first established as something than it is now. Now, the company's message and what it entails is entirely different. Netflix's introduction to society was different because it was one of the first streaming services. As Netflix became adopted by others the Diffusion model became clearly used. Netflix caught on to the spread of the Diffusion Theory model because it gained traction worldwide and became introduced as one of the first streaming services that included many TV shows, movies, and other titles that made potential customers intrigued. 

Early adaptors became popular with such a brand like Netflix because they saw the potential the brand had and found that it was convenient for them. Netflix's original idea was to send DVD's to people's houses and have them subscribe to do so. This would make it easier for subscribers to not have to leave the home to watch programs they wouldn't have otherwise. From Netflix's founding to now, it's difficult to estimate how many people still haven't adopted this app and its branches. 

In its early years the app reached a limited amount of people because of its concept and how others would want to view the app. There are always downsides to an introduction of a new concept. There are obvious ones like the topic won't be accepted into this new world, and then there are the more subtle ones like people not using the product when it comes out. 

We still see the diffusion theory model used frequently in multiple scenarios. People have different preferences over what they want to do with their lives and how they choose to live them. For instance, a person may choose to not participate in a trend because they value their own beliefs, traditions, and way of living more than the introduction of technology. People will continue to live the way they want and will continue to live their lives how they want.

LINKS: Diffusion Theory

Blog #7 - Privacy

PRIVACY

Privacy now means something very different than it did 50 years ago or even a decade ago. Privacy used to be defined in such a way that made security a luxury compared to now, where companies have your information regardless if you think you are giving it to them or not. They have complete control of knowing who you are and any other personal information that you deem worth an invasion of privacy. 

Since I was born, privacy has been something that has been declining. Personal privacy of Americans is almost non-existent anymore and is hardly talked about anymore. A couple of years ago there was a large outbreak of conversation regarding privacy on the internet and off of social media and other electronic forms. 

                                            

Ted Talkers Juan Enriquez, Catherine Crump, Christopher Soghoian, and Darieth Chisolm only reaffirmed the idea that privacy is a large issue in the United States and large companies are taking advantage of American citizens and using their resources to profit and benefit from them.

Enriquez divulges into how tattoos, or more specifically electronic tattoos, can hold all of what companies can entail. He describes how FaceBook, Instagram, and other companies can use their presence to gain personal information by looking at your profile, who you follow, and your interests. He says people should go through different lessons to advise themselves and others on how to be mindful of presence online and offline. He wants people to be mindful of what they post online ensuring nothing harmful can be spread online if mindfulness is in someone's head.

Crump, Soghoian, and Chisolm advise others to do things like pay attention and say something if you see corruption. Data collection is now extremely common and the government can gather personal information on people that wouldn't have otherwise been shared had electronic methods not had been invented. 

The internet's popularity will never fade, and that is a scary thing to realize. This affects me because I've been around technology for as long as I can remember. Privacy is something everyone craves, so without that people begin to feel unsafe and unsure in their environment. My family and I are affected by privacy every day. We will continue to be affected by the issue of privacy in the world because of these companies existing.

The government should be making sure that Americans have their rights to privacy intact by actually doing something and being helpful to many people. It seems like the government isn't doing much, but they should be doing something. Hopefully the government can be better and do better in the future, but for now that is up in the air.

We can make sure to put a persona of ourselves online and make memories in real time rather than online to protect our privacy. Privacy Invasion will still occur, and it's up to us to make sure that what we present ourselves as is perceived as a good online presence. It's difficult to escape the risk of Privacy Invasion if you own an electronic device, but be mindful that what you put online is how others view you. Americans don't feel like they have privacy, and they should. The government and companies need to do better for Americans or else the privacy issue will continue.

EOTO #2 - Confirmation Bias

CONFIRMATION BIAS

Confirmation Bias is defined as "the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories." (Oxford Languages).

This idea of Confirmation Bias was founded by the psychologist Peter Cathcart Wason in 1960. He based this theory by conducting an experiment with people and asked them about triples. The experiment consisted of Wason asking the experiment participants to guess a rule about number triples. "The participants were told that the triples must fit the 2-4-6 rule, and were told they could make up their own. Most people chose what they thought fit the rule."

Many people were afraid to speak up or change their triples for fear of being false. They didn't want to be perceived in such a way that would regard them as unintelligent or simply not smart enough to understand the purpose of the assignment/experiment. People always have an idea of what is right and wrong in the world and what is right and wrong in their mind. This can only strengthen the Confirmation Bias theory.

There are definitely a lot of downsides to Confirmation Bias. Not having the ability to think on one's own terms and to only absorb information can result in downfall. Things Confirmation Bias can do to a person may vary, but there are many common factors. Confirmation Bias often results in influenced preference to making judgements, causes for involuntary assumptions, causes people to disregard unreliable material, and causes others to become more susceptible to have Confirmation Bias when pertaining to their own experiences or beliefs. The last thing Confirmation Bias does is that is already leaves assumptions when talking about a particular group or issue. 

The examples of Confirmation Bias span a broad amount, creating a sort of spectrum of examples of the theory. A common example is that left handed people are perceived to be more creative than those who write with their right hand. Right vs. Left and Right and Left are super prominent in the theory of Confirmation Bias. The news, jobs, politics, personal beliefs, gender, and appearance are also important topics that Confirmation Bias focuses on.

Confirmation Bias today is still largely present in society and around the world. In America, many issues are to be debated upon when talking about Confirmation Bias, what it entails, and how it's related to these topics as well as many others. Confirmation Bias is never going to go away. The theory will still be around because of people's already existing beliefs. If others aren't willing to listen or absorb information, then that will only reinforce the idea of the theory. It's difficult to change someone's opinion if they aren't going to listen to change, and Confirmation Bias only exemplifies this.

Confirmation Bias affects me because it's difficult for me to have a conversation with someone who isn't willing to listen or accept what I have to say. The same goes for my family and friends.

Something that will help others understanding Confirmation Bias is held in these examples and in how others choose to perceive them hinges on the people who are educated on the term and those that are willing to listen, and the examples of those who aren't. Confirmation Bias will still exist today as long as those who don't agree will still be around.

Blog #5: The Progressive Era/Antiwar

The Progressive Era/Antiwar

History and America are intertwined throughout daily life. History reflects the country and events that have made it the country it is today. The First Amendment has impacted American citizens in their history and is regarded today as the defense mechanism many use to instill their 'freedom of speech' in the country. It wasn't always this way.

There's been a bit of a breech between how people perceive America and how America is viewed by its citizens. America is a very headstrong country and its citizens have set opinions. America is the kind of country that will silence its citizens if they have the courage to speak out against something that the country thinks wouldn't be taken well or would be and there wouldn't be a pretty outcome. 

Antiwar voices go against the country's collective thought. If the country was involved in a war the last thing they wanted was others speaking out against the already popular mindset that had been put in the air. 

If Antiwar voices were to ever speak out, their opinions would not be well received. Something that Antiwar voices have in common is that they speak out on topics that are not really spoken about by others. The website exemplifies this because they propose questions that wouldn't be normally thought and allow for viewers to question if what America is doing is right or not. 

They also make sure to lean viewers towards thinking for themselves and question their opinions. 

Each writer on these websites approached topics in a very interesting way. They address topics they write about in a way that almost makes people who they are writing about back off in fear of being exposed. Antiwar voices will continue to speak up and speak out as long as there are issues that they know aren't right and know America shouldn't be involved in.

The two Antiwar websites stood out to me tremendously. I think the format of each website and the topics they spoke about were things I've known were issues but never had the time or opportunity to look into on my own. Before now, I had never heard of these websites, let alone explored in depth how Antiwar voices had been treated in the country. I don't think America wants to advertise those who don't agree with their set agenda. Antiwar voices are those who will continue to fit outside of the mold America laid out for itself and will continue to speak out.

From Professor Smith's website:

Antiwar Blog 1

Antiwar Blog 2

EOTO #1 = What I learned and Reflection

EOTO #1 - What Did I Learn?

In class, we were all tasked with presenting a topic that is related to technology or is some form of a technological device. During these presentations, I listened and took notes on various topics that I found interesting or facts I hadn't heard before. I found each topic quite interesting, and took an interest in those I took notes on. I think it's very interesting how much these technologies or devices changed society and the way we perceive how these devices look and the information society knows about them.

Phonographs and Records is something I thought was really interesting when listening in class. I didn't think about or know how large records used to be. I learned the phonograph wasn't intended to be used for music, it could record voices, and it revolutionized society and technology because people were able to have music in their homes that wasn't played by them or musicians. Records are now known to be collectibles, and record players are considered to be more of a vintage item.

Motion Pictures interested me before they were presented in this class. I learned a lot of things about motion pictures. I never really thought about how much the creation of motion pictures impacted the movie industry immensely, and because of this the way movies are told and shown now are more technologically advanced and the introduction of new forms that help the movie industry have been introduced. Motion Pictures really affected the way stories were able to be told on screen. Pictures would move very quickly, so quickly in fact, that it would look like animation. This would allow others to express themselves and their emotions in pictures. The film industry is heavily present today, many sales coming from movie franchises because of their premise and also because of the way they are interpreted by others.

Drones are interesting, well used devices. Something that interested me about drones is that I didn't know they were used in natural disasters to assess the damage from the tragic event. The use of drones spread rapidly. A downside to drones is that their design can sometimes be unreliable and they can crash easily and become easily damaged.

My Final Thoughts: 

Different technologies interest me and have impacted my life. Some of these are a few of the ones I think have really impacted my life. I think each kind of technology serves a purpose and have come into existence for a reason. Advancement is natural in a society, and a few examples are explained above. I really enjoyed learning about these technologies and now realize how important each of these are to the modern day world and today's society.

(Extra Credit) A.I. Movie Post

Artificial Intelligence in the New Age

                                            

Photo of Robert Downey Jr. (from Google)

In this YouTube Originals video, Robert Downey Jr. narrates, explaining various technological terms, including machine learning terms, algorithms, and machine data. Downey explains developments of different kinds of A.I. including musical machines and computer generated facial development softwares. 

The discussion of something called the Pandora's Box comes into play, being based on the Greek myth, which describes those people thinking outside of the box when coming to terms with the current status of Artificial Intelligence and how it would be conducted into society. This concept explores how far A.I. can go and is going and how it comes into play when people think about it in today's world.

Mark Sagar is talked about, an A.I. specialist with a PhD in Bioengineering. Sagar owns Future Studios, which hopes to create lifelike software and voice software of celebrity Will.I.Am. Sagar is developing software that he hopes will allow others to understand A.I. better by making it more understandable to the general public. He is the creator of Baby X, a lifelike simulation of a toddler, learning from his teachings to it of different words and phrases. Through Baby X Sagar hopes to implement how a digital mind can process real world scenarios.  

                                               

Photo of Mark Sagar (from Google)

This new software is an immense development for the world of A.I. because it allows for the world to see how A.I. has come over the years. One of Sagar's goals is to make A.I. as humanlike as possible.

Other notable A.I. advancers are discussed, including Gil Weinberg. Weinberg is focusing on the more musical and practical side of A.I., helping those who are amputees by creating a prosthetic arm that generates maximum movement by utilizing muscles from the body part that is amputated. Weinberg's mindset is that Artificial Intelligence will advance society further by using things like machine learning to assess his current A.I. software. 

Weinberg's dedication and development towards these machines has given him the opportunity to create his Skywalker Hand, which is the model that allows amputees to use. Since this model uses things like ultrasound software, this model is unique because it has really given understanding to how much A.I. can help others and make their lives better. A new subject for testing has been selected, Jason Schneider, who lost his arm. Schneider and Weinberg collaborated to achieve a great outcome - the Skywalker arm working and functioning very well for a first time user.

With both Sagar and Weinberg, A.I. will be questioned. There is a perception of A.I. that both pioneers touch on, and that is: A.I. is progressing, and people are scared. With any kind of new technology, there are those that rush to push the momentum forward and make sure it sticks around, and there are others who are more skeptical in pushing the technology forward.  

A.I. will continue to be questioned because of society's perception on the topic. People like Sagar and Weinberg will continue to push for this new age of Artificial Intelligence and its benefits.