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Blog #11: EOTO Final Presentations

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  In the most recent final presentations, I feel like we as students collectively came together and agreed on our feelings about our usage of technology on a daily basis. We all seemed to express our desire to disconnect more and not rely on constant stimulus from our phones and computers. This would increase our productivity, focus, sleep, mental health, and our lives in general, however, technology has an iron grip on our age group as a whole as it has been integrated into a huge part of our everyday lives. In Jack O’Donnell’s presentation, two things stuck out to me about his technology use that I related to and learned more about. Academic Relationship with Technology: As college students writing papers and responses weekly while also experiencing the birth of AI sites, it becomes hard to be original with our work. When I first discovered AI generated content, it seemed harmless and just a tool to help me generate ideas for papers and other academic tasks. However, there is a huge
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Blog #10: In the Age of AI

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Frontline on PBS made an eye opening documentary called “In the Age of AI,” which looks at how artificial intelligence has changed society, business, and people as a whole. The documentary looks into the growth in AI technology through insightful coverage and in-depth interviews. It raises important questions about what these changes mean for work, privacy, and even the very nature of being human. It encourages viewers to think about how the transformative power of AI will change the future. The complexity of artificial intelligence systems is growing, and there are many positive and helpful aspects that can be acknowledged because of this growth. For one, advanced AI algorithms can quickly and reliably analyze large data sets to gain insight at a faster rate than a person would be able to, and this capacity aids business, healthcare, finance, and other business decision-making. Another benefit is that manufacturing systems powered by AI can resolve man made issues, and they are quicke
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Blog #12: Relationship with Technology

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  Our relationship with technology as a society has many benefits and negatives. We have so much access to so much valuable information, and we can constantly stay tuned in to updates around the world within minutes at our fingertips. However, besides all of these positive aspects, there are many negatives, especially to younger generations with the influence of social media. I myself have experienced many of the negative consequences.  I want to go into my personal relationship with technology and the role that it plays in my life. Since I was in middle school, I have had access to the internet and social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, etc. It used to play a small role in my life and I used to not think too much about it, but as I have gotten older, social media has such a bigger role in young people’s lives. I am the oldest of three, and my youngest sister is 17. She had access to social media platforms like Tik Tok at a much younger age than I did. Yes, Tik Tok i
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Blog #9: EOTO Terms & Concepts

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  Accountability and transparency are the pillars of a strong democracy in the complex workings of the government. The whistleblower is one important element in maintaining these principles. A person who reports wrongdoing, misconduct, or unethical behavior within a government institution or agency is known as a whistleblower. I believe that they are crucial in ensuring that the government runs ethically, effectively, and in the people's best interests. A definition from the National Whistleblower Center states what a whistleblower is in a perfect way. “ On the simplest level, a whistleblower is someone who reports waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, or dangers to public health and safety to someone who is in the position to rectify the wrongdoing. A whistleblower typically works inside of the organization where the wrongdoing is taking place” ( https://www.whistleblowers.org/what-is-a-whistleblower/ ). Government honesty is maintained in a significant way thanks to whistleblowers. Th
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Blog #8: Privacy, Online & Off

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  In the digital age we live in now, internet privacy has become a major issue that affects every part of our personal and professional lives. As we move through the interconnected web of the internet, we leave a trail of information that can be gathered, analyzed, and possibly used by corporations, advertisers, and even bad people. Online privacy is essential because it keeps our personal information safe, keeps us in control, and protects our basic rights in a world that is becoming more linked and analyzed much more than we are aware of. In this age of constant connectivity, it's important to understand and prioritize internet privacy not only for your own safety but also for keeping a free, safe, and democratic society.  The TED Talk that stood out most to me was Juan Enriquez’s speech, called “Your Online Life, Permanent as a Tattoo”. This was a very thought provoking speech for me. He compared 4 topics that seemed completely unrelated, but when he brought them all together, i
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Blog #7: Diffusion of Innovations

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  The Diffusion of Innovation Theory is an approach that shows how new ideas, products, or technologies spread through a community over time. Sociologist Everett Rogers came up with the theory in the 1960s. It explains how new ideas are spread, accepted, and used by different people and groups in a society. The Diffusion of Innovation theory also identifies factors that affect how quickly an innovation is adopted. These include the believed advantage of the innovation, how well it fits with existing values and practices, how complicated the innovation is, how easy it is to try out, and how much social influence and communication channels are used to promote the innovation. The Diffusion of Innovation idea can be used to look at how the iPhone spread around the world.  The Diffusion of Innovations theory helps us understand why the iPhone has become so popular and what factors led to its rapid growth. The success of the iPhone can be traced back to a few key features, such as its innova
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Blog #6: Antiwar Voices

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  Strong views toward war aren't always as easy to hear on the internet for a number of reasons. First, online algorithms and recommendation systems tend to give more weight to content that gets clicks, likes, and participation. This can make news and stories that divide people more important than deep discussions of anti war views. Second, governments and special interest groups may use internet censorship and misinformation campaigns to make it hard for anti war voices to reach a wider audience. Also, there is a lot of information on the internet, which makes it hard for antiwar ideas to stand out. Lastly, the separation of online groups can make it harder for antiwar ideas to reach people who might not agree with them. Even with these problems, the internet is still a good way for antiwar activists to meet, organize, and spread their messages to people all over the world.  Picture from: ( https://www.freedomtoread.ca/resources/when-the-censor-comes/ )  Many major news sites are
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