Final Blog Post

It was amazing to see how different the 2 videos were and how they showed opposing viewpoint of our relationship with technology. I think both videos are right about technology's effect on society, for one, it has created new jobs and extraordinary innovations that have drastically improved the way we live, but it has also morphed us into a society that is letting technology come between our relationships with each other. Both sides of the argument are valid, however, the crippling addiction to social media and technology has gotten worse over the years. Although the innovations in technology have increased as time has progressed, so has teen suicide and cyberbullying.

In the "Mad World Remix" video there was a shot of a girl standing on a ledge about to jump off. No one was stopping her or trying to help her, they were videoing her on their phones. This is a symbol for the way our society is acting, rather than realizing the tight grip that technology has on us and doing something to stop it, we just condone it. In that same video there is a shot of a girl looking tired and in pain and then when she was put in front of the camera, she looked like a super model. This is showing that social media is extremely superficial and yet we still use it and don't protest against the lies it shares.

However, if someone were to ask me if I could live without technology, my answer would be no. After watching both videos and feeling like technology is imprisoning more than freeing to me, I still feel that technology is something I couldn't live without. I do believe that we need to set limitations on the time we spend on our phones, otherwise we could risk spending our whole lives looking at a screen.

Technology is an amazing creation and a huge factor in our lives. We use technology in our work, schools, homes, and other important services. My future job wouldn't exist without technology. Many people wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for technology. I think it is an extraordinary creation that has greatly benefitted our lives. However, with any good thing, too much of it can have a negative effect. Many teens and adults let technology rule their lives and inhibit their ability or desire to have human interactions.

However, Greater Good Berkley states that "Time spent socializing online can decrease loneliness, increase well being, and help the socially anxious learn how to connect to others" (Clark). Technology is really just a new way of doing things we used to do. We have reinvented the way we communicate with each other, entertain, and inform others. Not to say that face to face communication isn't as important anymore, it is probably the most important way that teaches us the most speaking skills, but texting and facetiming are also effective ways of staying connected.

This is a difficult discussion because there is no definite right or wrong answer as whether technology is ruining or improving our society. There are positives and negatives to the both sides but overall, technology is a great invention that has improved many lives, but can be dangerous with overuse.

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_makes_technology_good_or_bad_for_us

EOTO Pt 1

For this blog post, I decided to research what citizen journalism was as it was a term that i'd never heard of before. Citizen journalism is information that has been collected by a member of the public to inform others on a current event. Typically, photos or video footage is recorded by a citizen and sent to a local news or other public platform that helps inform journalists on a certain event. Citizen journalism is a great way for journalists and other professionals to retrieve information on an event that they cant attend or are unaware of.

Although this is a fairly positive impact of technology and has many positive effects, there are some negative implications as well. Where journalist try their best to be impartial and objective when publishing content, a regular citizen may not do the same when releasing a piece of footage. The citizen can include or leave out bits of information they want and could misinform others about the situation.  The positives to citizen journalism is that it allows journalists who can't be on the scene get a snapshot of what is going on. It is also another was of getting people informed on a situation as soon as it occurs. One example of this was the Manchester Arena bombing after Ariana Grande's concert. Videos and comments of crowds in hysteria were posted on twitter moments after the event took place.

Citizen journalism has already allowed journalists another way of retrieving information if they are not able to be at the specific event themselves. This has allowed news platforms to get information to the public even quicker than before. This can also help people, such as police, firemen, or ambulance to hear about a situation and arrive to it quicker, which could end up saving lives.

Our generation is so connected and social media platforms are bigger than ever. Citizen journalism is a useful tool for journalists and reporters to get information fast on a certain event. Videos and photos or comments from citizen is broadcasted on social media accounts and is quickly turned into articles and news stories by professionals in broadcast media. However, it is also a way that misinformation on a topic can occur so not all information sent by a member of the public is reliable. This method of retrieving information from regular people has advanced the way news is spread and how quickly it is released.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/citizen-journalism
http://thecircular.org/the-impact-of-citizen-journalism-good-or-bad/

Online Privacy

After watching the several Ted talks on how much we are observed online, particularly by government cameras, I was horrified to find out how much information about me is online. It was very disturbing to see how government cameras had several pictures of a man's car, even one of him in his driveway with his children. It was hard to believe that the government would be so intrusive and hard to understand why they'd need pictures like that and information on everyone.

What was the most shocking to me, was the woman who had private pictures of her posted on a website by her ex boyfriend. It is horrible that the government couldn't take down photos of her without jumping through a bundle of legal hoops. It doesn't seem right that someone can post pictures of someone else without their consent.

After watching the 4 videos posted on the media law and lit blog, I was shocked to uncover that the government has more information on me than I am aware. They have access to the phone towers to know where you are at any time and how long you are using your phone, on cellular data mode.  There needs to be some stronger restrictions on the government invading people's privacy.

Phone have had a very destructive role in our lives since they were created and it needs to be taken under control. We are so connected and close to every answer and every person we could ever want to be, but we haven't thought about how many people are connected to us and how many are observing our actions online.

My Online Presence

I would say that I have a large online presence and I have accounts on a lot of the popular social media apps. I use instagram, snapchat, twitter, TikTok, and facebook, and have profiles for indeed and linkedin. On instagram, I have 3 accounts; one is my main account and it is set to private, another is a devotional account and the other is a calligraphy page, which are both set to public. I use instagram the most to post pictures and share my creativity, of all the social media apps there are.

If someone were to look at my main instagram page they would learn that I go to High Point university and am set to graduate in 2022, I am a christian, I love my friends and family, and I go home to England a lot. I haven't given out my phone number or my email on any of my social media pages besides Linkedin. However, I have given my email address to Abercrombie and Fitch, American Eagle, and apple and a few others. However, when I create accounts for websites or memberships, I use my facebook account to join.

Although we are the most connected generation, we are also the most lonely. We can make people believe and see what we want them to see, which is to make it seem like we are living our best life all the time. Instagram is nothing but a high light reel or our best moments and we never really acknowledge the bad and lonely times. People can post pictures of themselves with friends having fun and when others see this they feel alone and unloved. However, what we fail to realize is the person posting it probably feels as lonely as you but wants to convince themselves that the are not. Social media is very superficial and it allows people to put out an image of themselves that they want people to see.

Diffusion Of Innovations Theory

Netflix has had a huge impact on our society and has been an innovation that has sparked the creation of many other's like it. It has also changed the way we watch television, as we are able to stream content directly from our homes. 

The diffusion of innovation theory, developed by E.M. Rogers, states that over time, an idea or product or product diffuses through a social system. Netflix started in California by Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings as a DVD rental website where people could go to search through the movies and they would be shipped to their houses. Netflix, throughout the years, continued to advance their technology and create innovative ways to stream TV and movies. 

Netflix figured out a way to let people stream movies and shows right from the comfort of their own homes. Although Netflix started out as a competitor to Blockbuster, it was able to evolve into a much larger industry and has set the precedent for streaming services to follow. 

The four elements of the diffusion of innovation theory are the innovation itself, communication channels, time, and the social system. Netflix was the innovation that started a big movement away from watching cable TV to streaming content online. Netflix wasn't an instant overnight success, it became well known and popular over time. The time in which Netflix was created was a very fortunate time for the founders as it was in between better TVs being created and at a time when rental movie stores was a very popular industry. Netflix was able to do what was popular and then take it to the next level. 

ASU promotes innovation through maintaining social embeddedness

It is really inspiring to see how our society has used this social distancing time, to draw closer as a community, through support and activism. Although, face to face meetings have been cancelled globally, that doesn't stop Arizona State University from holding a Social Embeddedness Network Conference hosted virtually on zoom, where members of the university could meet online and discuss ways "To build connections and share strategies for advancing ASU as a socially embedded institute" (Garrison).

With this conference, ASU was working to make everyone's voice heard and any ideas they had to help further the school in a beneficial way and make life more enjoyable for the staff and students was taken under consideration. The way Arizona State University is handling the crisis is inspiring and empowering not just to the students and staff at ASU but also to others who want to make the best out of their circumstances.

All over the world people have been spreading love and positivity and many celebrities are speaking up about social distancing. People have become more creative with sharing information and keeping in contact with peers, teachers, friends, and family. Because people are banding together and giving support, more and more people are finding innovative ways to help out their community. From med-students buying masks for the hospitals to celebrities donating millions of dollars to organizations and essential businesses in the midst of this crisis.

A professor at ASU said "As we meet today, we must remember that this is a moment of crisis and hardship and it is also a moment of possibility and transformation. When everyone feels like their voice is heard, they feel more accepted by society and willing to help it. It has been really inspiring to see how much creativity and innovation has come out of free expression.

https://asunow.asu.edu/20200325-solutions-time-social-distancing-asu-continues-promote-social-embeddedness-virtually

International women's day

With this year's International Women's day being very anticipated and globally celebrated, a number of famous brands decided to make designs and product labels that showed their support for females in this day and age. Not only has Apple and Reebok supported the holiday but Kind bars, Betty Crocker, and Absolut, a Swedish alcohol company, has done its part to promote equality.

In this new day and age in a post-modernism society, equality for all is one of the main focuses and many protests and marches take place every year to fight for more rights for women. There has also been a protest for women to receive equal pay to men and the same opportunities in the workplace. Since long before the 1920s women have been protesting for the right to vote, to work, to be equal to men and when the 19th amendment passed, it was a big stepping stone for more rallies and debates that women and men have participated in to fight against gender inequality.

These brands are doing their part to promote and spread the message that women are and should be treated as equals to men. Apple said that our society was teaching girls the wrong message "to have ambition, but not too much" (Handley). We have to stand against the ways society encourages women to conform to a certain model and encourage women to chase after their goals and see what they can achieve.

Reebok launched a shoe designed by women that has the phrase "its a man's world" in black and a red line crossing it out. These brands wanted to create these products and ads to show that women have an influence on society and their impact is incredible. Some of the world's discoveries and inventions were made by women and the world is starting to recognize the importance of equality.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/08/what-brands-are-doing-for-international-womens-day-2020.html

Tik-Tok Turmoil

With a lot of social media platforms and people having the freedom to post whatever they like, inaccurate or fake news can be spread rapidly and cause chaos within our society. Recently, a student at University of Miami attempted to spread a rumor that his fictional roommate, an exchange student from china, had been infected with Coronavirus through a series of TikToks.

According to the school, the administration office at University of Miami, "Sent out a health advisory email denying any confirmed cases or immediate threat to the university" (Bruk).  The student recognized that his prank was insensitive and inappropriate considering the seriousness of the situation. He promptly removed both videos.

The problem with TikTok is that it is such a fast growing social media platform that people use as a way of making funny videos and sharing information. People who hear and receive information their learn from TikTok accept the information as if it were a fact and the fake or inaccurate information is quickly spread to others. "The combination of trends and reliance on these platforms makes it easier for fake news to spread quickly and dangerously" (Bruk).

Social media platforms are facing a legal and ethical conflicts in which they want to tighten the reins while also keeping a user's first amendment right in tact. "In the United States, under section 230 of the Communication Decency Act, the law protects hosts from content published on their platform, while the constitution protects individuals' freedom of speech under the first amendment" (Bruk).
There is a lot of controversy and disagreements that argue why social media platforms have so much influence and how these platforms make sure users get the accurate information.

https://www.themiamihurricane.com/2020/02/01/um-student-uses-tiktok-to-spread-fake-news-about-coronavirus-on-campus/

Youtube

Youtube started out because the founder was looking for Janet Jackson's wardrobe fail at the Super bowl online and couldn't find it anywhere. The founders, Jawed Karim, Steve Chen, and Chad Hurley, created the platform as a way of sharing videos online. "Google’s decision to share the revenues generated through advertising with its content providers opened up new streams of high quality, original content, which helped it retain its audience" (Phrasee).  This is what allowed the video streaming platform to become so global and popular. 

What is amazing and one of the biggest impacts that Youtube has had is creating jobs for people. Not only has the creation of Youtube created jobs for people at its company but it has also created a new line of work for people who post their own videos on the platform. Being a Youtuber has become a very well known and well paid career for people who vlog their lives and post videos of it online. Jess and Gabrial, The Labrant Fam, David Dobrik, and Emma Chamberlain are just a few channels that make between 600,000- 2,000,000 dollars a year. 

Youtube has changed the way we view videos and makes it fast and easy to find videos and watch them from your location. The site has created a lot of jobs for people who produce their own videos and youtube has also started creating its own original content.  This platform grows ever day and more and more videos are shared online for viewers to watch. 

https://phrasee.co/the-history-of-youtube/

The Netflix Effect

Over 2 decades of Netflix. Netflix is 22 years old and has had a huge impact on society since it been around. Netflix was originally a company that mailed people DVDs for movie and tv content they desired. Netflix was Blockbuster's number one competitor, until the company moved their content online and allowed subscribers to stream the movies and tv shows right from their home.  This has created a lasting impact on several media platforms and has changed the way we stream content. 

Netflix has created its own category of an industry and many have followed in the direction it's headed. In the last 15 years, 6-7 major streaming services have been created and are competing with Netflix, the company that started the trend. Netflix was originally just a platform that held movies and tv shows created by other networks and production companies but now Netflix (and other streaming services) have started to create their own original content. 

All of these streaming services are competing to be the best service, and although they are catching up, Netflix still has the most subscribers and arguably the most variety of their content. Not only does Netflix have to compete with all the other streaming services being created, according to an article by Forbes, it also has to compete with cable television (Morgan). The streaming service would originally attract subscribers by advertising old shows and movies that are no longer shown on live tv. 

Something that people had been trying to do that Netflix managed to master was personalized and recommended content. Many wanted to predict what people were going to watch and with an advance algorithm, Netflix was able to do that. According to the Forbes article "80% of watched content comes from recommendations" (Morgan). 

Netflix has made a huge impact on how we view our tv shows and movies and a new term. "binge-watching" was created as people could watch a whole show all in one sitting. Chad Michael Murray, an actor on One Tree Hill (A show that used to be on Netflix) said that his show being put on Netflix after years of it being off the air, allowed for the show to be reborn into the next generation on consumers. Netflix has changed the way we watch and view content. New jobs have been created and new ways of viewing have formed as a result of this streaming service. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2019/02/19/what-is-the-netflix-effect/#2aa6fdbe5640   

Facebook Scandals

If you have Facebook, the once popular social networking site, you might be in danger of having your personal data shared shared with and sold to other companies. Eight states have taken it upon themselves to launch an antitrust investigation on Facebook and find out where their users' information goes. In an article by CNN Business it states that, "The investigation is expected to focus on Facebook's impact on advertising prices, data and consumer privacy and the company's previous acquisitions, including Instagram and WhatsApp" (Fung).

Facebook has not been honest with consumers and has been using their private information without them knowing. Due to this investigation, a lot of celebrities have decided to delete their accounts. the list includes Stephen King, Mark Hamill, Will Ferrell, Cher, and Elon Musk. These celebrities did not like their private information and personal data being broadcasted to companies for information on what advertisements to show them.

Im an article by Forbes, Stephen King talks about his recent departure to Facebook at a time "When the social network is being attacked from all corners for its inability to protect user data after multiple scandals and data breaches" (O'Flaherty). There are numerous investigations of a lot of different social networking platforms also being accused of violating privacy laws of their users.

In my opinion, hacking and selling user's personal information is a violation of someone's privacy and there should be government involvement in monitoring these companies if they can't respect that. A lot of social media sites have lost people's trust after all these scandals and these platforms might start losing users for this reason.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2020/02/03/horror-writer-stephen-king-has-quit-facebook-heres-why-you-should-too/#318126f06a0f
https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/06/tech/facebook-antitrust-investigation/index.html 

Supreme Court takes on Christian Schools Case

There has always been division between people and diverse groups that think differently in our society. Separation of church and state is one example of growing aggravation between groups in government. There has been a growing battle within the supreme court about whether religion should be considered in government decisions. After much protest against this, the supreme court ruled to separate church and state.

However as it says in the article Supreme Court Takes Up Church-State Separation in Christian School Case by NBC, "The Supreme Court has never drawn a bright line between acceptable and prohibited public aid for religious programs" (Pete Williams). This is stating that although it is agreed upon for the government to remain secular, there is no clear line of what the Supreme Court should do when handling cases on religion.

The article talks about a case taken up by the supreme court on a scholarship offered to parents to send their children to private schools. However, the scholarship was only offered to parents who didn't send their children to religious private schools as the scholarship program didn't want to endorse religious education. One mother stated that "They should be treating families that want to go to religious schools the same as families that want to go to nonreligious schools. Not doing so, Smith said, violates the First Amendment's protection of free exercise of religion." The supreme court later ruled the scholarship program unconstitutional and banned it for religious and secular schools.

In my opinion, the scholarship program had no right to ban certain schools from receiving the scholarship as they do not have the right to tell low income households what schools to send their children to. The government should be neutral in this situation and not let their preferences on religion get in the way of their decisions. There have been several other cases like this that put into question if a person's freedom to exercise religion is being prohibited and it is not acceptable. The Supreme court need to make a definite decision on whether the government can help and support religious programs.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-takes-church-state-separation-christian-schools-case-n1117006

Ricky Gervais Defends His Freedom of Speech

In an age of sensitivity and political correctness being highly stressed, the speech that Ricky Gervais gave at the Golden Globes was seen as offensive and harsh to the audience and subjects of his jokes. Ricky Gervais has been known to take jokes too far sometimes but as this was his last time hosting the Golden Globes, he let nothing hold him back from delicate or avoided topics.

In an article by Fox News, Ricky Gervais claimed that his freedom of speech was "The lesser of two evils." He said that people being offended or upset by his jokes is a lot better than having no freedom of speech at all. "I'm happy to play by the rules. It's just that 200 million people watching have different rules. That's the plight. When people say 'He crossed the line' I say 'I didn't draw a line, you did.' It's relative. It's subjective." Gervais is stating that he has every right to go on stage and make any remarks he wants as that is his right and if people have a problem with it, its their problem-he doesn't have to apologize for making them upset.

Gervais stated that he never attacked or accused one person of doing something, but when he made a joke, "He doesn't think he'll target any 'individual' but rather 'the general community'" (Wulfsohn). Ricky told Wulfsohn that "People like the idea of freedom of speech until they hear something they don't like."

However, Gervais criticized and devalued many celebrities acceptance speeches for trying to bring attention to serious issues. "Thank your agent and your God and get the f*** off" (Evans). He also said "You're in no position to lecture the public about anything," Gervais was trying to limit their freedom of speech and becomes critical of others when they try and do the same to him.

In my opinion, Gervais should not be restricted on his freedom of speech as that is his right but he should also not limit others from doing the same. It is a privilege to be given freedom of speech, as there are many countries where that right is restricted, but you should not abuse or create conflict with this right. It is Gervais' responsibility to be a role model for many people but using his right bring others down is not setting a good example, no matter how funny the joke may be. However, he as a human has his right to express his opinion as he pleases and admire his bravery to speak his truth and exercise his first amendment right, even if people criticize him for it. 

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/ricky-gervais-free-speech-golden-globes
https://deadline.com/2020/01/ricky-gervais-2020-golden-globes-monologue-video-1202821155/