Blog #12 - Relationship Status Update!

In complete and total honesty, technology is truly something that I have a love/hate relationship with. For a long portion of my life, it was never something that I had a great amount of direct access to. Therefore, I matured quite a bit before I was able to truly see the effects that technology has on me personally and society as a whole. 

Growing up in the early 2000s, I remember my parents having large Dell computers and Blackberry phones. I was always encouraged to read, play outside, or play with Barbies rather than spend my time in front of a TV screen. 

                                                

My first direct piece of technology came in the form of a reading Kindle at age eight. I was a huge bookworm and reading was conveniently the only feature on this tablet!

A few years later for my tenth birthday in 2014, I FINALLY got an iPad mini! Boy did I think that I was on top of the world. Looking back, this piece of technology consumed my car rides, nighttime rewinding, and waits for appointments. Rather than reading or engaging in conversation like I had been raised, I slowly began to take steps toward technology. 

Counter to many kids in society, I did not receive my first smartphone until halfway through middle school. I was twelve years old when I got my first iPhone, and I was not allowed to have social media until I was a freshman in high school! Shocking right?!

For quite some time I resented my parents for not allowing me to “be like all the other kids” and have a phone and social media at a young age. But looking back, their insightful parenting allowed me to develop a healthy relationship with technology at quite a young age. 

Studies have shown that children benefit greatly from limited access to cell phones and technology from a young age. By waiting to expose young children to technology, studies have shown they have a smaller risk of obtaining anxiety and depression, increased quality and quantity of sleep, and more time to spend outside. 

Because I had a good foundation as a child that my time was not spent on technology, I feel as though I can better manage the time I spend in front of a screen. Before coming to college, I truly preferred pencil and paper in the classroom over a laptop any day. 

However, since coming to college, I have had to change to primarily using a form of technology for notetaking and studying. College is very fast-paced. And truly, I can type a lot faster than I can write!

Now you may notice that I said I *primarily* use technology for notetaking and studying in college. However, I have been fortunate enough to have at least one professor each semester who has required paper notetaking and no technology. 

Similar to delaying technology use in young children, there have been benefits found to taking notes on paper in class as well. Benefits such as minimal distractions, more mental processing, and increased engagement are benefits that will go beyond the classroom and into the workplace. 

As I have gotten older, I have found that I use technology primarily for communication purposes. Text messages, phone calls, and emails…OH MY! Rarely do I find myself scrolling on social media or playing games. That is partly due to my busy schedule. But I have also found that it is due to my maturing personality. I have much better ways that I can spend my time, and 24 hours a day is not enough to do everything that a busy college schedule requires. 

Because of the way that I was raised, I feel that my healthy relationship with technology is mirrored in my family as well. We very much emphasize face-to-face conversations at meals and time as a family. Technology is used as a way to decompress for us rather than a way to distract us from our relationships!

As I mentioned earlier, I was not allowed to have a social media presence until I was in high school! At the moment, I was very resentful of my parents for making that decision. However now, I could not be more thankful! I am now so conscientious of what is attached to my name and profile for the here and now and also the future. 

Both of my parents have worked in higher education during my life. So, I have been fortunate to hear their perspective and stories on a student’s online footprint. After Googling myself, the only online platform that pulled up was my LinkedIn profile! 

Studies have shown that having a trustworthy digital footprint is a key component that employers look for in employees. Being protective of the information you post and share with the world is a keyway to practically protect your digital footprint. It is vital for individuals, especially young adults, to be proactive and aware of the impact that a digital footprint can have on the 

long run. 

Technology has many benefits and downfalls. Each is important to consider when choosing whether to use technology in a productive or not-productive way. Throughout my life, I have seen the vast changes that technology has had in the education, corporate, and private aspects of society. I know that it is going to continue to change and grow for the rest of time!

Blog #11 - Stop! Being! Silent!

Another presentation that I really enjoyed listening to was the key terms presentation from group four. In that presentation, I enjoyed Payton Kiasevicz’s presentation on the Spiral of Silence. 

The Spiral of Silence in simple terms means that individuals will be more confident in outwardly speaking their opinion when others around them believed the same thing. However, when surrounding individuals do not have the same opinion, individuals are likely to keep their opinions silent to avoid being rejected or isolated. 

Elisabeth Noelle Neumann was the German political scientist who pioneered this concept. She proposed the Spiral of Silence theory to explain why the Germans who disagreed with Hitler and Nazis kept their opinions silent until the regime and been destroyed and Hitler was dead. 

Humans, by nature, are social creatures. However, we all have an internal fear of being exiled and not accepted by those around us. So, in order to combat this, we observe others’ behaviors, tendencies, and opinions to see what is met with approval or rejection. 

As a result, this mindset is greatly affecting society around us. But in what ways? Unfortunately, there will always be a voice and opinion that is silent out of fear of criticism from others. Not everyone will have the courage and support to speak their opinions. Instead of having courage to speak their mind, they will either stay silent or conform to the ideas of others around them. 

The one instance in which the Spiral of Silence does not occur is when the entire group agrees. If all of the individuals have the same mindset on issues, everyone will be confident to speak their mind to those around them. However, when these is not unity in opinions, someone will not feel comfortable to speak their mind to others. 

The Spiral of Silence typically comes up when there are major controversial issues brought to the table. Minor issues typically do not bother individuals in conversation. However, large scale issues tend to make individuals uncomfortable and shy away from voicing their opinions. 

Overall, I learned that the Spiral of Silence is a cycle and will continue until individuals are willing to speak up and voice their opinions. Rather than backlashing on individuals for having differing opinions, we need to protect everyone and their right to speak freely. We are entitled to our own thoughts and should not feel pressure from society to keep our thoughts captive. We can support one another and agree to disagree in certain situation! 

Blog #10 - Our New Day and Age of AI

I am truly an old soul at heart. I am not the most technologically advanced person. I will always choose paper over computer. And I most definitely am fearful of the impact that artificial intelligence is already having, and is going to have, on our society in the near future. 

One thing that always fascinates me about the human race is all of the differences that are so prominent across our globe. Different hair color, heights, races, languages, religions, and experiences are what makes us uniquely us. Personally, I think that all of these differences are being directly combatted with the implementation of artificial intelligence. Rather than having the human mind formulate new and exciting concepts, we are foregoing those opportunities to robots and mindless computer systems. 

One interesting topic that was discussed In the Age of AI was the concept of surveillance capitalism. This concept is the “monetization of data captured through monitoring people’s movements and behaviors online and in the physical world.” These digital systems are capturing where we go, what we say, what we do, and what we eat. While this may be beneficial in the realm of tracking for safety purposes, this is completely ignoring the principal of individual privacy. 

As a result of AI, our privacy is being directly violated. Because of this infringement on our private lives, we are more apt to predation and more vulnerable to hacking and attacks. Though AI may help with security from a standpoint of personalized access, it also does make access easier for cybercriminals as well. With every situation and new invention, there are benefits but there are also setbacks. 

While I tend to focus on the personal safety violations that are at stake with new AI technology. There are benefits that are coming from this budding technology as well. One great thing about AI technology is that it is at our fingertips 24/7. This digitized assistance is free of human error and is often doing the jobs that human deem as repetitive and undermining. This new technology is great to bring an unbiased, always accessible, not perfect, but free of human tarnishing, technology to our fingertips at all times. 

Artificial intelligence has sprouted in the field of technology in just the past year. While it has brought on many great advancements in the workforce and society, it has also brought about many concerns for employers and citizens as well. 

Blog #9 - Neutrality of the Net

 We, as privileged first world citizens, complain when anything does not go our way. The line at Chick-fil-A takes too long…complain. The barista puts too much milk in our coffee…complain. The person in front of us on the interstate cuts us off when we try and merge…complain. And probably most common, our iPhone takes too long to download anything…the most complaining. 

What is the common ground in all of these situations? We are an impatient body of individuals and like to be treated fairly and efficiently. Well, there is one thing that we do not like to be favorited on at all. We do not like when people have access to things faster, more efficiently, and more practically than we do. And what is the solution to this you ask? I have two words. NET. NEUTRALITY. 

Net Neutrality is the idea that all the content flowing through cables and cell towers should be treated equally. Organizations should not have the ability to block you or slow you down from accessing competing resources. Net neutrality gives off the impression that it is only a concept that is dealt with “net”works. However, the concept of net neutrality has been around long before the internet was a common phenomenon.

Net neutrality first began with "common carriers" such as telegrams and telephones. During these times, providers of these practical services were not allowed to discriminate against their consumers. For instance, telephone companies could not block consumer calls to competing phone servicing companies. 

Fast forward in history quite a bit to the year 2007. This is when the debates about net neutrality first hit the headlines because of the broadband Internet connections that were coming about. The United States jumped from having large numbers of dial-up ISPs [internet service provider] to smaller numbers in order to limit competition across the nation. As a result, the debate heated quite a bit when the FCC [Federal Communications Commission] complaining against Comcast for trying to control their file-sharing software. 

From 2008-2017, internet carriers continued to push back against the concept of net neutrality. Because Americans really have access to only a couple high-speed internet providers, there is no true choice of ISP. Because of the lack of options, customers have very few alternatives to ISPs if they were to be blocked. However, this was partially resolved in 2015 when President Barrack Obama put in extensive regulations to prevent and protect throttling network traffic.

 

A mere two years later in 2017, President Donald Trump reversed all the work that had been done in favor of net neutrality by putting a net neutrality opposer as the chairman of the FCC. As a result, many Americans are left in an ISP monopoly and have no net neutrality protection. 

Less than a year later, California became bold and set forth their own net neutrality law. It states that net neutrality violations will result in some sort of punished jurisdiction. 

Now that we have gotten through the history of net neutrality, it is time to discuss it on a more personal level. I am very privileged and blessed to live in the city, nation, and season of life that I am in right now. College has been such a gift to do in this time in history and I am soaking in every moment. However, I try to not dwell on this season because it is not going to last forever. I am constantly embracing the moment but thinking what the world *could* be in a mere five years' time. 

I personally think that net neutrality is something that needs to be focused on quite heavily. Providing students, parents, work individuals, educators, and business leaders with the same access to resources in a timely manner is so important. By favoring one group of people, we are giving rise to the fact that there is someone out there more important than me. Though they may have a different level of education, a different socioeconomic status, or a different title, does not make their role in society any more important than mine.

 

Current FCC chair, Jessica Rosenworcel states that the former net neutrality rules, appealed by President Trump, will be reinstated in the near future. This allows so many individuals to be put on an equal playing field when it comes to the realm of neutrality in the field of the internet. I feel that this desire for net neutrality across the globe is such an easy way to implement fairness in one simple way. We are such a divided nation in the fields of economics, religion, and politics, that some way to provide a sense of equality is a great way to start. 

Looking forward to the future, this concept of net neutrality can greatly impact where I decide to plant myself after college. I may not have the resources to have the best provider out there. So, it is important to me to have equal net neutrality here, now, and always moving forward. 

Blog #8 - Personal Concerns with Technology

 The day and age of technology that we live in can be quite concerning most days. There is no impact that you can make on social media without the potential of a consequence occurring. Your “footprint” is left on the internet in text messages, emails, and even search history. There is a huge risk with being heavily involved in the realm of technology and it is something that we, as a whole society, need to be more conscious of. 

Personally, I have never had anyone steal my identity or try and corrupt any of my social media pages. However, it has happened to my dad quite recently. He was able to catch the suspicious activity with our banking system early on and get it taken care of. But just because he got it taken care of, does not meant that the situation is completely handled. 

I liked how Juan Enriquez compared our online lives to a permanent tattoo permanent tattoo rather than viewing our searches and posts as one moment in time, those actions are permanently out in the world forever. He states that our “electronic tattoos will last a lot longer than our earthly bodies will”. This means that just because we move on, delete the account, or get a new browser, doesn’t mean that our electric actions will go away forever. 

In Christopher Soghoian’s TED talk, he addresses the exact reason in which we should always be on guard and be protecting our digital lives. And that reason is because “our telephones were first and foremost wired for surveillance." I know the majority of our society has phones, and probably 90% percent of those phones are smart phones. This is the first location that we need to be on guard with privacy. Keeping passwords random and confidential, using different browsers for researching, and not putting secure information into your phone are three practical ways to avoid security breaches happening right at your fingertips. 

Personally, I don’t know that there is anything that the government can, or should, be doing to help the technological security of individuals. I think that there needs to be more collaboration in a social contract between the government and the private sector. Implementing social contracts that lay out individual responsibilities between both parties is a necessary to achieve a secure cyberspace environment. At the basis of all of these changes and policies, needs to be trust. Which quite honestly, I do not think the realms of our world have a lot of today. 

I have taken many safety measures on multiple accounts to prevent, but not ensure, that any sketchy behavior happens on my side of the technological world. I am very cautious and wary of the people and resources around me. Though I may not be able to control what the rest of the world does on the internet, I can control what I do and that is what matters most. 

As a tidbit of advice, I have attached 12 practical concepts

to be more secure in your online endeavors! One of my personal favorites that carries through each of these methods is just being aware of the severity of what you are dealing with. Having the intentionality to know that your personal information can be taken advantage of with one wrong move is key. Be smart, work harder, and be persistent in being smart and safe online!

Blog #7 - NEW INNOVARION ALERT!

 July 18, 2015…I remember exactly what I was doing. Yep, that’s right…I was at the DMV failing my permit test for the first time. For five years all I had dreamed about was getting my driver's license. And yes, the first time I took the test I failed it. Preparing for that test took reading, practicing, and studying to perfect my driving abilities. I finally successfully took my driving test in a sedan and passed. This 2004 sedan was quite a piece of work to drive I will say. However, looking four years into the future at that time, I had no idea how vastly the world of automotive would look in 2023. 

 

    A new and budding popular invention in the 21st century is the concept of electric cars. Contrary to gas consuming cars, electric cars are merely charged for a fraction of the price that gas cars require. Though it takes roughly five minutes to fill up a tank of gas, its price can be quite high to due to the status of our economy today. However, charging an electric car can take double, triple, or even a quadruple amount of time to “fill up”, but the price to do so is significantly reduced. 

    Additionally, electric cars may cost more upfront than regular gas consuming cars. However, because they have less wear and tear than gas cars, the cost to maintain them is significantly lower. For instance, US News states that it costs about 4 cents a mile to charge a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt, totaling at around $4. However, if gas were to cost $4 a gallon. It would take a thirty-gallon car $120 to be completely filled. Comparatively, on a daily basis, the electric car is much more practical. 

    Now, how fast is this invention truly spreading? Personally, because I am from a small town in South Carolina, electric cars are seen few and far between. It is quite the rarity to see someone in my town driving one and that is partially due to the resources that are in proximity to my town as well as the socioeconomic status of my town. But now that I am near much larger cities near High Point, it is more frequent that I see electric cars on a daily basis. Elon Musk reveals how long it will take all cars to go electric Inverse states that in a mere 15 years, our automotive sales will fully transition to electric cars. So, by the year 2050, anyone in the market for a new car, will only have the ability to purchase an electric car. 

    Currently, most of the electric car purchases are on the west coast west coast. I think that this part of the United States is grouped with the pioneers and early adapters because of the geographical location in which they live. It is mostly due to the location and status of the clientele near those individuals. 

                                            

    Next, I think that the early majority will be the younger generation. When students graduate from college and are looking to buy their first car they will most likely go for a big investment that will last a lifetime. Because of their commitment to the electric cars, they will in turn convince their parents to purchase the cars as well. So the generations above me, Millennials and Generation X, will be classified with the late majority. Lastly, I think that the traditionalists of the world that refuse to adapt to changing technology in the world with continue to be the laggards. They will be tried and true gas car users. 

                    

    Overall, I think that the positives of electric cars will outweigh the negatives in the upcoming years. On the fronts of the economy, natural resources, and the environment, electric cars seem like a very practical transition for the world to make. I think that the choice that individuals have to weigh are the costs and benefits that come with owning an electric car versus a gas fueled car. I feel that there are both pros and cons to both sides, but that it is simply up to the choice of the individual!