Blog #11 Final Blog

 Technology: the good, the bad, and the ugly

It's 2020 and I couldn't even tell you which iPhone we are on right now. Maybe the iPhone 13+scs 1000? The speed at which Apple puts out a new phone is hard to keep up with, but I think it well encompasses how quickly technology has evolved and consumed our society. 

One of the scariest features of the new iPhone is the "screen time usage" in the phone's settings. Even scarier is looking and finding out how much time your little device consumes the precious hours of your days. However, new features on the iPhone like accessibility tools for those who are enabled differently have transformed and helped so many people. With the internet and access to world knowledge available at the touch of our fingertips, phones have a myriad of advantages for our society. The ability to communicate has transformed through the usage of texting and calling, but now through the plethora of social media apps that are slowly taking over. 

As a Gen Z, I find that my generation, and especially the generations below me, have been greatly impacted by said social media apps. I vividly remember the day I created my Instagram at the ripe age of 11 years old. At the time, I did not even have a phone yet, however, my iPod touch at the time supplied me with the ability to still connect with the world. My generation started experiencing media very uncensored before the inevitable consequences of cyber-bullying, stalking, revenge porn, and more started occurring. The issues of this were that my generation experienced the negatives of media before everyone else, learning how to navigate that turmoil during the most impressionable times of our young adolescent lives. 

 

Although that may sound a bit dramatic, my interests in critical media studies have exposed me to a lot of negative consequences that have occurred because of media technology. Specifically, with my interests in psychology, I have taken courses that dived into the negative impacts of social media and the representation of women that has lead to serious psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, and disordered eating. 

Personally, I have noticed some of the impacts of social media first hand through myself and others. Specifically, I know that my friends spend a significant amount of time on their phones often due to social media. Again, social media is a fantastic tool to communicate and share with others, however, it can also be the perfect platform to compare yourself to those around you. 

Here is an image that illustrates the specific apps that have impacted many people on social media, depicted by positive or negative net ratings. As you can see, some forms of social media, such as Youtube, are really positive for youth mental health. I believe this is because Youtube helps entertain audiences and allows other YouTubers to bond with their audiences through relatability. On the opposite side of the spectrum, you can see that Instagram is a pretty negative form of social media. Unfortunately, it is of my favorites, probably because I started having it since I was 11 years old. I believe Instagram is a pretty toxic app at times because it involves others posting photos and videos of themselves that are often ego-centric and photoshopped. It shows the "best" and sometimes "fake" versions of people that ultimately make it virtually impossible to not compare yourself to others.

Because of this, I found that although Instagram is one of my favorite apps, I needed to find a way to eliminate the amount of time I was spending on it. Some people take "social media cleanses" where they delete all their social media for a week or however much time they think is necessary. Knowing myself, I knew that if I deleted the social media, it would make me want to be on it more, making me think about it and probably failing to have it stay deleted. Therefore, with the advice given to me by my friend, I decided to turn off all of my notifications on my social media apps, that way instead of being constantly overwhelmed and notified to go on these apps, I will be able to do so in my own time. 

The results were honestly more impactful than I thought they would be. After doing this for a little over a month now, my phone time usage has gone down by 2-3 hours a day, which is honestly crazy. Remember, I did not delete the apps, but rather stopped getting notifications which inevitably made me not feel like I had to go on it all the time. Days, where I happen to be on social media more than usual, are very obvious to me because I start to compare myself to others and get into an overall more negative mood. Now, I feel like I am on the path of being a more healthy social media user, being able to benefit from the positive impacts of social media without suffering deeply from the negative consequences. I encourage all of my friends to do this or at least try it out because it has honestly impacted my mental health significantly more than I even imagined. 

As this is my final blog, I would love to end it with a wonderful Ted Talk, presented by a young adult like myself. This Ted Talk revolves around the topics of social media and mental health to help you paint a better picture of the impacts of technology, but also the ways that you can become a more intentional and responsible user in the future.

Blog #10 Gatekeeping

 Gatekeeping

“Gatekeeping is the process by which billions of messages that are available in the world get cut down and transformed into the hundreds of messages that reach a given person on a given day”  - Pamela J. Shoemaker

In a world encompassed by mass media, it is easy to consume media in a passive, yet influential way. With knowledge comes great power, leading many to want to carefully construct the media to emphasize the ideas and beliefs that are beneficial to them. Media has the ability to educate, but it also has the ability to transform and define the perceptions of many people. With new technology revealing more and more of our personal privacy, algorithms and censoring has the power to create everyone's media feeds specific to the messaging that correlates with their beliefs. 

Part of the ways media is able to subtly censor information is through the term "gatekeeping." Simplistically, gatekeeping can be referred to as the "activity of controlling, and usually limiting, general access to something." This is done because it is a way to block unwanted information by using a gate and the power of a gatekeeper. 

So who are the gatekeepers? Gatekeepers can look like many different types of people and things. Some could be various people, yourself, news gathers and new managers, organization policies, or even computer algorithms. 

Gatekeeping theory is very important to understand because gatekeepers make decisions on what will appear in media as well as which items are newsworthy ('opening the gate') and which are not ('closing the gate').  To understand the process of gatekeeping, we first must understand and identify the various elements involved in gatekeeping.

Elements of Gatekeeping

Channels: Sources, media, audiences

Gates: Locations of channel

Gated: The results of gatekeeping (messages shown)

Gatekeepers: Individuals, groups, organizations

Forces: Factors influencing gatekeepers decisions

So why is understanding gatekeeping important?

The understanding of gatekeeping theory is important because the way in which news/information is covered determines our perception of reality. To better understand gatekeeping and its impacts on society, here is an example:

Example:

1. News channels have many stories

2. Journalist, editor, news company (gatekeeper) decides what to reveal to the public based on different forces (whether it is in their best interest/bias)

3. Specific topic is then covered and accessible for audiences to learn

Channels such as news companies, social media, etc. have great power in deciding what information is "newsworthy," inevitably making audiences' knowledge and understanding predicated on what various media channels deem appropriate and valuable.

So now what?

Now that you understand gatekeeping, you may be thinking how can I control my own media information and access to information? Down below is a Ted Talk that talks about how and why you should be your own information gatekeeper.

   

 

Blog #9 Privacy, Online & Off

Technological Tracking

Technology has transformed our society significantly,  both for the better and for worse. 

Although there have been wonderful benefits to the advancement of technology, the impacts in our privacy as a citizen continues to be compromised. Unfortunately, this lack of privacy and security is something that isn't mentioned a lot or talked about. In fact, a lot of times, many people know that there is a lack in security and privacy but have become desensitized to this fact.

For example, in the Ted Talk by Catherine Crump, she shares how the police have extensive data on every individual in case they need it in the future. She even shares how the police have tracking of where you drive, but also photos of you in your car. The specific example she gave was a man who had photographs taken of him and his daughter even in the privacy of their own driveway. The scary thing about this information is that I personally do not even know the amount of information the government has of me and my life. Often times, I joke with my friends because it is obvious how clear the different social media algorithms and technological devices target my specific wants and needs. The types of ads I received are often concurrent with what I have talked about with other people during the week.

One of my favorite stories was of a couple years ago, I was jokingly talking about baby names with my friends because that topic came up randomly. After having this conversation, my ads on Youtube and Instagram were of "mom" cars, pampers, prenatal vitamins, and more. Obviously, I was not pregnant, but sometimes I get nervous because if my ads revolve around this topic, I'm scared the internet and government know more about me than I do potentially. This is because, in my old Media and Popular Culture class, my professor shared how a young teenager was receiving ads like these in which her father tried to sue Target for "suggesting inappropriate behavior." Unfortunately, this teenager actually ended up being pregnant, and even worse was that her phone knew before she even did. 

Obviously, our privacy is incredibly important to our overall safety. With the lack of privacy comes the worse susceptibility to manipulation. For instance, the other morning my roommate came to my room and told me that she woke up craving Bojangles and ended up receiving ads for it that morning as well. She was spooked by this because she had not talked, researched, or looked up anything regarding Bojangles. I told her that it wasn't that her phone read her mind but rather her phone convinced her through subtle marketing that she wanted Bojangles unconsciously. 

This is a perfect video that illustrates social media data privacy awareness for other users. 

Blog #8 Diffusion of Innovations Theory

Diffusion of Innovations 

The Diffusion of Innovation is a theoretical model that helps us analyze the way in which a new idea or trend gains momentum within our society. It is a fantastic theory as it can be applied to just about any topic, whether that be ideology such as the idea that slavery in America must end, to digital apps and trends such as the new emerging TikTok social media application. 

Step 1: The Pioneers

The beginnings of TikTok actually did no begin as "TikTok" but rather an app called "Musical.ly." Musical.ly was created in Shanghai, China, and began as a medium for users to post 15-second lip syncs to popular songs. During this time, Alex Zhu and Luyu Yang, founders of the app, had reached approximately 70 million downloads by 2016. At the same time, another app called Douyin was created in China which served as a short-form video-sharing app. Essentially, TikTok was the brainchild of these two apps and eventually came to the US when it merged in conjunction with Musical.ly.

Step 2: Early Adopters

At the time TikTok began emerging, all the profiles from Music.ly were moved to TikTok which resulted in a lot of users being accidental early adopters. However, TikTok did not get its momentum here, in fact, in 2018 many users abandoned the app after 30 days because of the lack of activity and change in in-app capabilities. 

Step 3: Early Majority

TikTok really got its momentum and success with the help of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although TikTok was steadily increasing in usage due to new trends such as dances and the rise of new influencers, the early majority began amidst the pandemic in hopes of providing and creating content for those stuck in quarantine. In fact, TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the world. To illustrate this speed, in February 2019, TikTok reached its first billion downloads and by the first quarter of 2020, the app had a 58% increase from the previous quarter. This early majority population consisted of Gen Z making up 41% of TikTok users aged between 16-24. 

Step 4: Late Adopters

It was near the end of quarantine when the population pool widened and millennials and even boomers began using the platform. Currently, roughly 26.5 out of 500 million monthly active users of TikTok are from the USA. In less than 18 months, the number of US adult users of TikTok grew 5.5 times. This has created a change in content with more expansion of trends ranging from dance TikTtoks and Gen Z humor, to an entire facet of TikTok often referred to as "Mom TikTok." There are even elderly utilizing and producing content on this app because of its entertainment capabilities. 

Step 5: Laggards

Although we are still in the thick of a pandemic, once quarantine restrictions began lifting, the speed in which TikTok was being downloaded started to slow down. With this new transition of learning how to live in a pandemic while still working and fulfilling responsibilities, TikTok current users have remained loyal, but there are still some laggards who are joining surely but slowly. Most interesting, but many companies are using TikTok as a means to advertise on the app but also as a way to create and develop ads for their own products through video capabilities. 

Blog #7 EOTO pt. 2

Evolution of Snapchat

After investigating the evolution of the phonograph for my own personal EOTO, I had the privilege of discovering the impact and history of the infamous digital app, Snapchat. 

The Beginnings 

The beginnings of Snapchat began when a group of students from Stanford University had an idea for a new modern take on photo and video messaging. Beforehand, social media sites such as Facebook have been able to share videos and photos to big groups of "friends" as your independent profile serves as a blog-style profile. The aim of Snapchat was to be able to send and share videos and photos to individuals that would disappear after a few moments. This would serve as a true messaging social media app rather than a social media platform like Twitter and Facebook. The group one presentation said that the Co-founder of Snapchat said, 

"Snapchat isn't about capturing the traditional Kodak moment. It's about communicating with the full range of human emotion - not just what appears to be pretty or perfect"

The Functions

functions of Snapchat have three forms of communication. The most original form of communication is the individual photos and videos that can disappear within 10 seconds or after a tap. The second form is a "story" which is similar to traditional posts on other social media platforms. The story enables Snapchat users to post a series of snapchats or "snaps" that are active and viewable for 24 hours. The third form of communication is through traditional texts that can either be saved or also disappear. Some new additions to the app have provided the idea of "streaks" which counts the number of days in a row two people have sent images or videos to each other. 

As Snapchat and technology continue to evolve and improve, more and more updates and new additions to Snapchat continue. One of the more recent updates they have created is that now you can delete a message after you send it. Here is a quick advertisement link for this new feature. 

Blog #6 EOTO

Communication Tech Timeline: The Phonograph

The evolution of communication should be considered one of the most important aspects of human development. We go every day utilizing communication whether that be face to face, technologically, or nonverbally. In order to create relationships with others, innovate, resolve issues, critically think, we have to be able to communicate our ideas and needs effectively. 

As of 2020, technology is a huge aspect of our communication abilities. Not only do we have many different devices to transmit messages, but there are also different mediums of ways to share messages, photos, voice memos, text messages, and more. Although most people think of telephones as the main contributor to the evolution of communication, there are a lot of other technologies and tools that are often discounted. For example, the phonograph is a very important invention in regards to the evolution of communication technology, however, many people in this day and age forget that the phonograph even existed before other forms of recording and transmitting.

The Beginnings

The phonograph was an invention created by no other than Thomas Edison, often noted for creating the iridescent light bulb. In fact, before he developed the light bulb, Edison was working on the phonograph first. Edison was tasked with making a machine that would transcribe telegraphic messages through indentations on paper tape. Because of this task, Edison was inspired and thought that maybe he could record telephone messages through indentations. Therefore, the phonograph was an adaptation because of the previous technologies available; the telegraph and telephone. 

In order to turn his vision into a reality, Edison used a metal cylinder with tin foil wrapped around it instead of paper to create indentations. These indentations were able to capture the sound vibrations from the audio being used which as a result allowed for the ability to record and then replay later. The machine consisted of two diaphragm and needle units which allowed for one recording and one playback. Edison was then able to file for a patent in 1877 and eventually was able to issue the first phonograph in February 1878. 

 

As Edison got preoccupied with inventing the light bulb, Alexander Graham Bell decided he would shoot his shot with improving and evolving the phonograph. With issues involving the original tin foil use, Bell replaced the tin foil with wax as a better medium. In addition, Bell replaced the once rigid needle with a floating stylus instead. Without these contributions, and subsequently, the pressure and competition Bell created for Thomas Edison, the phonograph may have been forgotten. 

In response, Edison decided to create more time for developing his original invention and created the Edison Company. He was able to make new improvements such as replacing the previous wax cylinders with ceresin, beeswax, and stearic wax. In addition, Edison's visions on the possibilities that the phonograph could result in were endless. Alexander Graham Bell primarily focused on the use of the phonograph in business spaces rather than home. Edison on the other hand spent a lot of time creating ways in which the phonograph could be used for more entertainment purposes as well. Eventually, Edison created a home phonograph that served as a proto-jukebox for families. 

Contributions to the Evolution of Communication

Here are some examples of what the invention of the phonograph contributed to the evolution of communication: 

• Letter writing and dictation without the aid of a stenographer 
• Development of photographic books for blind people
• Reproduction of music
• Record family memorabilia
• Music boxes and toys
• Preservation of languages
• Education purposes
• The telephone could be "permanent" through recordings

Blog #5 Values of Free Expression

Within the first amendment, one of the clauses states our freedom of speech. Not only is freedom of speech a privilege that helps us self actualize and express ourselves, but it is also an integral part of our checks and balances system. Freedom of speech allows us to fulfill our civic duty to criticize the government and develop our own opinions and beliefs to help create a better community and country. 

We can identify eight values of free expression as a result of our freedom of speech. This includes the Marketplace of Ideas, Participation in Self-Government, Stable Change, Individual Self-Fulfillment, Check on Governmental Power, Promote Tolerance, Promote Innovation, and Protect Dissent.

In the midst of the turmoil that is our government and political state, especially during a pandemic and election year, our civic involvement is very relevant during this time. A key part of this is exercising our freedom of speech. We can see some of the values that come from our freedom of speech relate to the racial reform the people of the U.S. are trying to promote and create. For example, the idea that freedom of speech promotes tolerance and stable change is very applicable in this case. 

The value of promoting tolerance refers to the idea that freedom of speech helps develop a more tolerant society. It is argued that extending protection to more hateful or personally upsetting speech actually spreads norms of what is acceptable and unacceptable within society. As societal norms are incredibly influential and powerful because humans desire the need to belong, I think this idea, although counterintuitive, is a very important value to examine. Often times many think the way to prevent behavior is by restricting it through laws, although I find that the more you outwardly restrict, the bigger the desire is in response and the behavior often increases. I think of prohibition as an example of this. 

Through the lens of our current society, an example of hate speech that I believe has evolved to become incredibly socially unacceptable is the N-word. Obviously, this word is disgusting and stems from an even more disgusting history and is never excusable, however, this word is still often floated around in our society today. With the BLM protests and racial reform that we have been pushing since the tragic death of George Floyd, I would argue that this word along with other slurs and microaggressions has begun diminishing although there is still a lot of work to do. I think this is because society has begun to intensely condemn this language after these events, and many people have learned valuable lessons and understanding of why hateful speech like this is unacceptable and worthy of such condemnation. For example, the major change I have noticed is that before this racial justice revolution, many nonblack teens and young adults would say the N-word in the context of music lyrics. Although they were not intentionally using it to be derogatory, it is still incredibly inappropriate to say. Since racial justice protests, the word is said significantly less by this generation, even in the context of music. If the lyrics involve the word, nonblack adults will skip the word completely which wasn't often the case before. I believe this is due to a better understanding of why it is not okay to say in addition to the societal condemnation that will come after saying this word.

Another example of hate speech resulting in societal consequences is shown in this article. The article takes a look at some celebrities who have been fired and "canceled" by society for their previous racist and discriminatory comments.

This is just one example of a current situation that the values of free speech are applicable to. Many do not have the privilege to experience the fruitfulness our freedoms depicted by the first amendment entail for us. My hope is that Americans continue to understand, learn, and develop gratitude for the rights that we do have and begin using these freedoms to create a better country and society.