My Relationship With Technology

 My relationship with technology is not as healthy as I would like it to be. I feel as though I spend too much time on social media and let it consume a lot of my mental space. Although I try to make an active effort to be aware of the content that I am consuming online, I find myself falling into the same rabbit holes. Whether celebrity gossip, beauty and fitness videos, or random viral clips here and there, I am consuming content that has little to no value to my life long term. Although I attempt to shift my feed to be more informative rather than entertainment focused, I always seem to end up right back where I started and get sucked into a spiral of unimportant and sometimes even damaging content. 

Even when I am feeling self aware of the content I am consuming, it has become such a social norm to be chronically online. It becomes so easy to justify spending hours on Instagram, Tiktok, or Twitter when everyone else is doing it too. Pointing out those harmful patterns has become more and more difficult with time as the increased use of technology has become more socially accepted and normalized. 

My family hasn't seemed to have hopped on the social media bandwagon. They still consume media through facebook, but have not really expanded beyond that into other social platforms. I think that while this may seem healthy or like a good example of minimal technology use, I argue that it could still have damaging effects on the formation of opinions and personal beliefs. Although I wouldn't say that spending more time on social media would be that beneficial, I do think that adding variety to the type of content and the source of your information could help enforce your ideas and opinions. When you are receiving information from one source and relying on the same people to like and comment on your posts, you could fall victim to confirmation bias. When sharing ideas you could be more inclined to believe that they are correct just because someone else is affirming you at that moment. 

My online footprint is probably in need of some work. While at first glance my social media platforms are tame and mostly personal, I understand that in today's age of technology, nothing disappears and there is always going to be a trail of everything you have ever posted online. With that in mind, I do worry about things I may have posted in my younger years without thought and that I have forgotten about to this day. However, I trust who I am now and have learned technological responsibility when sharing who I am online. I hope to only grow more wise in this area and be more conscious of what I choose to share in the future. 

The Spiral Of Silence

Something interesting that I learned while watching my peers present their topics was the concept of the spiral of silence. This concept is when people's willingness to express their opinion is affected by other people's perceptions of the idea and whether it is socially accepted by the majority. When people don't think that their opinion will be accepted by most of the people they are with, they are more likely to remain silent and not share their thoughts on a subject. 

This concept is rooted in a fear of social isolation. The concept arose from research on the 1965 German federal election campaign. Surveys were launched by Noelle Neumann and her staff in order to track and collect data on the public's political opinions throughout the campaign. The shocking part of Neumann’s findings was that throughout the study, it was difficult to gauge public opinion and make assumptions about the winner of the election. It wasn't until the end when there was a major swing in the results that a winner became apparent. This is interesting, as voters' opinions were unlikely to be shifted so drastically in such a short period of time. This raised the question of why people were so hesitant to share their voting intent prior to the election. This reinforced the idea of the spiral of silence. When people have an unspoken fear of their opinion being unpopular, they remain silent and refrain from voicing their opinion out of fear of social isolation or criticism. 

The idea has over time been revealed to be more of a mental game than a reality. People are more afraid of the idea of isolation that they generated in their mind and that fear is what contributes to the silence. This concept is also interesting from the other perspective, however. When people remain silent from one viewpoint, the other opposing opinion gains this false sense of confidence. With no one speaking out in opposition of their opinion, their ideas grow and increasingly gain support. The silent majority has been seen before. The spiral of silence is rooted in shame and a lack of confidence. In today's society, where we all have freedom to speak freely, we should be more open to thought-inducing conversation with people who may share opposing views. Confidence in your beliefs is the first step. 

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has been heavily debated by society over time. With the first impressions of AI being painted by sci-fi films, there were negative assumptions about artificial intelligence and people argued whether or not it was a good idea. Learning more about the functions of AI and how it works reveals much more about its power. 

While the scary accuracy of targeted ads can be effective in getting us to purchase things we want, it's also interesting to see how much of our data that people and companies have access to in order for those ads to reach us. Digital exhaust has been used by founders of Google to predict our behaviors. It's daunting to realize the predictive powers that the company has based on our data that they are constantly collecting. They know our previous searches, purchase history, location, and so much more information that we don’t even realize we are giving them access to. They also sell that data to other sources for them to use for their own personal gain. We are truly losing a sense of privacy online because of the trade of our information. 

AI has also changed the game for surveillance. Faces, cars, and other distinguishing characteristics can be pinpointed out of videos. China is on its way to becoming a surveillance state. They have taken some of these surveillance techniques to observe major streets and villages. As conflict occurred in China, they were using these tactics to monitor patterns in people to determine their religious affiliation. Many Turkish muslim families were subjected to unethical searches and questioning because they were monitored on how often they prayed, what language they spoke at home, and other cultural distinguishers that could be used against them. 

This age of surveillance is also a detriment to us financially. Government spending has been up for debate for quite some time. I feel strongly that people would be against the government using more money to reduce our privacy through these acts of surveillance.

Agenda Setting

Agenda setting is when the media can frame the news they cover in a way that pushes a certain agenda. The ability for the media to prioritize what stories they deem “most important” can be dangerous because it allows them to control the information we take in and it can even have an effect on our personal opinions and voting patterns. 

If the news is only showing stories revolving around one certain issue in society, take government spending for example. Let’s say that there are two candidates running for election. One candidate is emphasizing an anti-war campaign while the other candidate is prioritizing government spending as the primary cause to docs on in their campaign. The public has been fed information to make them think that government spending is a more threatening issue as all of their news coverage has been talking about how severe government spending is. So the voters will likely sway towards the candidate whose priority is fixing government spending habits. This isn't to say which issue is more important or which candidate is better, but it goes to show the power that the media has when they show to prioritize certain stories over others.

This can also be harmful for people living in news deserts as well. If their only source of news is framing the information in a way that excludes curtain information, it puts them at a disadvantage. They are missing out on information that could help better shape and inform their opinions and this is information they deserve to have access to. The power that the media has when they can control the news they report on can influence the issues in society that receive attention which can then have an impact on the policies that are put in place. 

Another important aspect to think about with agenda setting is the actual wording and language that is used to frame the stories in the news. The perspectives of the news reporters can infiltrate the information and their bias can make the credibility of the story questionable. While we like to believe that we can trust the people that are sharing the most important news stories, the world we live in is full of people pushing personal and political agendas and media framing is the first and easiest way that bias is introduced.

Traditional media is not the only victim of agenda setting. Social media platforms are just as, if not more, vulnerable to framing. Certain hashtags, stories, and posts that get shared can have an impact on the information that people retain. People can share information at a rate like never before and the ability to amplify certain content has changed the way that people form opinions and take in information. 

    To conclude, agenda setting is a method that the media uses to decide what information they deem the most important for their audience to see. This can become dangerous when bias and power infiltrate the media source and block certain information from the public or choose to emphasize stories that back their own opinion. The prioritization of certain stories can shift peoples opinions in a way that affects their worldview, political opinions, or even their voting patterns. Misinformation or a lack of coverage of accurate information puts people at a disadvantage and could make them a victim of propaganda. 

Cyber Security

The issue of privacy has always been something in discussion since the internet was invented. With the advancements in technology like facial recognition, fingerprinting, and data storage, it is easier than ever to access personal information online. 

Facebook alone has been found guilty of serious invasions of privacy like data mining, behavioral marketing, and contracts of adhesion. The way that facebook has the ability to take personal information and sell it to other companies so that they can target people for ads and other recommended purchases is bizarre. These breeches of privacy can go even farther than that and gain access to our cameras and microphones. I know myself and many of my peers have experienced occurrences where we have a conversation about something and moments later receive an ad for the exact thing we were discussing. It's scary to realize we have truly lost a sense of privacy in today's society. 

The rise in use of digital platforms has provided more opportunities for data breaches, cyber attacks, and identity theft. Access to our information online has become a more pressing issue as  there is so much potential for misuse of the surveillance systems that are set up by phone companies, social media platforms, and the government. The security of networks is more important now than ever, as criminals, stalkers, and hackers can access information so easily. While making these networks and devices more secure would also ensure the efficiency of police being able to hack phones for safety reasons, it is a necessary step to protect the livelihood of so many more people. 

    Using encryption and secure, privacy focused communication channels would help ensure a less likely chance that your information is stolen or hacked. Another way to ensure safety of your information is simply by educating yourself on the media you choose to share your information with. Awareness of privacy rights can help you better protect your information and can help you manage your digital footprint. 

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is a newer invention that is changing the way people exchange money. It has both positive and negative effects on the economy and is widely discussed among millennial and Gen Z populations. With new inventions like this having the ability to influence our economy, it is important to dive deeper and understand the idea as a whole to weigh the risks and rewards of implementing this into society. 

What started out as a resource mainly used by just tech investors and business account managers has now extended to the general public. Today anyone can access crypto currency and use it for what they see fit. This has opened a lot of opportunities for global trade of art and other goods and services on a smaller scale than we have seen in the past. Previously, global trade was carried out through major corporations, but now with access to crypto currency, it is much more accessible for people to partake in global trade affairs. 

Cryptocurrency is unique in the sense that it allows for anonymity and accessibility. People can now wire money all over the world with an automatic exchange rate. It is a way to partake in fast transactions with low cost. This form of payment can offer privacy to the buyer as well as various investment opportunities. These features have made crypto attractive to the general public and caused this form of currency to skyrocket with nearly 1 in 5 American adults having used or invested in cryptocurrency. 

With that being said, there is still a large majority of the population that is skeptical of the safety and legitimacy of crypto currency. Older generations are wary of allowing technology to infiltrate our economy and have a harder time understanding the pull towards crypto currency. These opinions weigh heavy on younger generations as well as these are the parents and grandparents of potential investors. This is evident as there has been a recent decline in the value of major crypto currencies, like Bitcoin. 

    Overall, I can see both sides of this argument for cryptocurrency. While it is an exciting new way to make transactions, I still have some reservations on the safety and legitimacy of some of these crypto currencies. There seems to be a large potential for scammers and hackers to find a creative way to get you to “invest” your money and you end up losing it. While I am not currently a regular user of cryptocurrency, I still appreciate the advancements it is making in finance and technology and look forward to seeing other ways it may shape those aspects in the future.

Anti-war Voices

    After reviewing anti-war websites, I can see all of the news that our mainstream media is blocking or neglecting. The people are the ones with the voice and power, yet the people have spoken and decided that we do not want war. I find it interesting how these voices are muted and war continues. 

    The government benefits in all kinds of ways during wartime, and that is likely why they want to remain at war. The government is able to utilize powers during wartime that they otherwise can't. They are able to increase defense, overstep rights granted by the constitution, and control spending. These things directly impact the people in many ways and the government wishes to remain in control over these things. If the war ended, these rights given to the government would no longer be in effect, the government holds out and silences anti-war voices to continue holding control over the people. This is sad and upsetting as the people are the true voice of our democracy and to have any form of censoring or suppressing if ideas goes against the core of American values that we were founded on. 

    Some of the government's wartime rights include the ability to declare martial law, restrict some of our civil liberties, and partake in surveillance. While these things may be used to protect national security, it is important to find balance between that and preserving the rights of individuals and our freedoms. The government can also implement more drastic actions during wartime, like detainment without trial and censorship. These things could be used to impede on our granted liberties and freedoms, yet are dismissible during wartime. I find it interesting how the government is in no hurry to end war, as ending war would also end their ability to overstep their role in democracy and remain in control over the people.