Technology's Relationship With Us

My relationship with technology started when I was fairly young however, it was very limited. When i was around the age of ten I was gifted a leapfrog Ipad that aloud me to play educational games to further my learning. My first instance with a phone was in middle school where I was given an iPod Touch first in the sixth grade to text my parents. The following year I was introduced to a real phone where I could call and have social media apps like snapchat. Compared to my friends at the time I was late to the technology trend. Many others had obtained their phones in the fifth and even forth grades. However, this was mainly so they could communicate with their parents for school or sports. 

In more recent years many new parents have also introduced technology to their children but not in the same ways our parents did for us. iPads and iPhones are given at extremely younger ages and the amount of time exposed to them is not limited. They also have no limits on the technologies themselves exposing children to dangers of the internet and social media. This has caused many children to become out of touch with their environments, lack patience, and lack listening skills. The way this new generation socializes is also being impacted and increasing cyberbullying cases. 

Back home I have a few cousins that are apart of the new generation and have been heavily exposed to technology. When I babysit them i take advantage of our time together by engaging with them in ways that do not include technology. If we go out to eat no technology is aloud to come along or be at the table. I try engaging them with drawing and toys. If we are to be playing with technology I like to do it through simple video games like Mario Kart where they still have to engage with those in person with them.

I believe that as our society grows younger generations are going to continue to be exposed to technology but as mentors we should be doing our best to slowly integrate it into their lives. New parents should continue what our parents did and only provide Ipads and Iphones at middle school age and for educational purposes as well. They should also have internet limitations and not allow social media accounts till older. Today there are many studies that have proven the negative impact of social media and we should take this advice and apply it to how we raise our children. 

Technology is something that is going to continue to be heavily in our lives. Everyday I am on my phone
either communicating with friends or scrolling on social media. Furthermore, I am a communications major that is heavily invested in using technology for school. However, there are some ways I have limited my exposure to technology. I started a year ago turning off all social media notifications on my phone. This has limited my screen time majorly and has given me more control over when I go on my phone instead of the other way around. I have also recently have tried to not go on my phone right before I go to bed and instead I will read a chapter of my book. The first step to distancing yourself with technology is to gain control back from it. Once your in charge of when you engage with your phone then it stops controlling your every day routine. It may be difficult in the beginning but once you begin the more free you feel. 

EOTO Terms and Concepts

The social credit system was implemented in 2014 and was designed to make sure individuals and businesses in China comply with the country’s laws and regulations. This system gives individuals, business, and government entities a credit score based on their trustworthiness. It is based on many data points, from financial creditworthiness to social factors such as honesty, hard work, and devotion to family. The goal of the Chinese social credit system is to regulate social behavior and ensure that those being documented remain “trustworthy” through actions like paying taxes on time, maintaining proper licenses, abiding by the law, and more. 

However, China also has nation and regional blacklists that are based on individual violations. If one has a poor score their ability to travel, gain employment, or access credit can be impacted. Before one is placed on a blacklist they are first placed on an irregularity list to give the business an opportunity to improve their score and reputation. Once placed on a blacklist, it is hard to be removed; one must submit an application and it can take up to two to five years to be removed. 

Some positives of this system include its emphasis on the individual’s contribution to making society function well and the importance of good character. Furthermore the system holds citizens and companies accountable. Many articles state that this new system could increase safety in China and fight corruption since all companies including government agencies will be held accountable. However, some have raised concerns that this new system may be considered video monitoring and an invasion of privacy. Another concern also surrounds the algorithm used could perhaps have miscalculations and scoring mistakes that could penalize people unfairly. 

Even though there’s no evidence yet that this system has been abused for widespread social control it still remains possible that it could be used to restrict individual rights. The system may be created to sustain a more safe society but once its implemented the line between consequences for business and consequences for individuals could become blurry. Furthermore, evidence indicates that once established with a bad social credit score one is stuck with this burden. This idea could grow out of hand and could becoming threatening to the individual right.

https://velocityglobal.com/resources/blog/chinese-social-credit-system/#:~:text=China%27s%20social%20credit%20system%20gives,credit%20and%20fewer%20business%20opportunities

https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/11/22/1063605/china-announced-a-new-social-credit-law-what-does-it-mean/

Diffusion of Innovations

The theory of the Diffusion of Innovations was popularized by Everett Rogers in his book Diffusion Innovations and explains how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technologies spread. In his book Rogers argued that diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated over time among the participants in a social system. This process includes five main elements that help the spread of the new idea: the innovation itself, adopters, communication channels, time, and a social system. For the innovation to be self-sustaining, it must be universally embraced. Rogers continues by stating that categories of adopters include innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. He continues by explaining that diffusion manifests itself in multiple ways and is extremely subjective to the type of adopter and innovation-decision process. 

A specific innovation I wish to discuss today is the social media app TikTok. TikTok was first launched by the Chinese technology company ByteDance in 2016 and is a social media outlet that users watch, create, and share short videos online. Many of the apps first adopters were of the younger generation Z. Young teenagers and adults were drawn to this new app due to its similarity to an old app called Musically that many of these adopters enjoyed. TikTok rapidly started to grow as the years continued and began to become the birth place of all social media trends. The app today has around 1 billion global daily users and is still growing. 

TikTok's fame and user activity continues to grow because of their major influence on modern social trends. Many early adopters began to realize how much of any impact this app had on social norms and they wanted to understand them. TikTok had started to reach more viewers and those viewers would take the content they experienced into the outside world with them. Others who were not involved with app were starting to feel left out and wanted to join on the "band wagon." This social media app was starting to become extremely invested in peoples' everyday lives and those who did not have an account were being left behind. 

However, there were still late adopters and laggers even over the course of the past six years. These late adopters or even those who still do not have the app are probably of older generations. This is due to fact that in its early years TikTok aimed at younger audiences giving no appeal to older viewers. Majority of the content produced by those on the app would not be understood by most older audiences. Another reason for this lack of an older demographic is due to TikTok's technology which is unlike any other social media outlet and can be confusing to some. Furthermore, some audiences today might not see a purpose in establishing an account or any social media account. 

Even though staying off social media especially TikTok might seem more appealing it however, can lead to a lack of awareness in the social world. One maybe able to stay update to date with events in the world off social media through the news and internet. However, one may find it more difficult to stay in touch with the social world without being on social media. In today's world social media has rapid become invested in our every day world especially in business. In the recent years TikTok has become heavily invested in advertising and for a brand is the best place to be connect to. Advertising methods have shifted to more visual and influencer elements and TikTok is the perfect outlet to express that. Influencers who gain a steady audience on the app offer snippets of advice and tips along with self promotion. Brands can then reach out to these creators to help draw attention to their brand and further gain revenue. 

TikTok has not only grown in its viewership in the fast six years but also in its own brand. The app has shifted from just a comedy app to the main creator of business trends. Staying off social media can be relaxing but in our modern day of business staying off these apps can also mean great loss. The social media world is expanding and becoming more heavily invested in our reality making apps like TikTok more popular than ever.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VXsrkWks8DTB3tPQlrtGfln-vnLyrJOyhsqFgEFLj-w/edit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations

The Progressive Era

Throughout the decades multiple polls and surveys have been conducted amongst the American people on their opinions of War. Around half of answers reveal to be Anti-War however, the main stream media always seems to be saying a different story. In America going to War is marketed as heroism or inevitable. It is marketed to the American people as a "good thing" with no consequences. Nevertheless, media outlets fail to mention that destruction and devastation war brings amongst everyone involved. Strong Anti-War voices very much exists in the American population they have just become silenced by the main stream media and government. There are many strong anti-war voices in the American public; the government and mainstream media have simply tried silenced them.  

Before I wrote this post I tried to research further on this topic and found extremely hard to do. Simply searching google to find articles or websites was difficult. After looking through the website ANTI WAR.com I some very interesting news stories. Most of the news stories presented on the websites main page were very detailed and important information regarding the war between Israel and Palestine and the war between Ukraine and Russia. The page shared information that I have not heard any main stream media report. For example, the website discussed a Peace Deal regarding the Ukraine and Russia disput which i have not heard much about. When the main stream media silences Anti-War voices they silence important informational news to the public. These media and government outlets may deny their silencing acts and act like they do understand the destructive consequences of war but, one can see throw this lie by which stories they touch. 

Multiple news sources in todays world focus only focus on one conflict or specific stories to mold a certain perspective to viewers. Over the past few months multiple media sources have totally forgotten about the war in Ukraine and have acted like it was resolved. The media has soften the topic of war by not fully showing the consequences and acting like the conflict was resolved in a few days. Another common theme presented in today's world is that the war at hand could have never been prevented and was there was no other ways to resolve the issue. This helps comfort the Pro-War movement our government and media continue to push. 

Some ways Anti-War voices can resit this push is threw continuing their work on other social medias. Reaching other audiences throw more main stream outlets beside the news can help this movement have a larger voice. In these posts one could use more visual elements and photos to really show others the impact of war. People are known for understanding a movement more deeply with visuals. Visuals bring a sense of reality to viewers. This could help citizens push against the Pro-war idea and continue to raise their concerns for the actions being taken by the government. 

Voices are louder together. The more the movement is discussed and continued to be spread amongst newer audiences the further it can go. If more citizens become aware of the true consequences of war and the reality of many of current world events the more Anti- War voices will rise. War is destructive and brings now light to any party involved. Preventing war before it occurs and looking for the best solutions to resolve a conflict is what we all should strive for.  

https://www.liberationnews.org/09-12-11-antiwar-voices-silenced-in-main-html/

https://www.antiwar.com

EOTO Com Tech Timeline

The word pencil is derived from the Latin word “penicillus” that means “little tail” to describe small ink brushes used for writing in the Middle Ages. The earliest documented history of the pencil traces back to ancient Rome where the writing utensil, the stylus, was invented. The stylus was a thin metal rod used against papyrus to leave a light but readable mark. Furthermore, the first instance of a graphite form of writing utensil was in 1564 England. These first prototypes of the pencil were long sticks of graphite wrapped in string and later inserted into hollow wooden sticks. These first wood-cased pencils were mainly used by shepherds to mark their sheep and early artists for their work. 

Flash forward a thousand years to 1662 Germany where a man named Joann Staedtler became fascinated with the pencil work in London and created the Staedtler Pencil Company. His company then produced the first-mass production of pencils. However, these first generations of modern pencils were natural and unpainted so by the 1890’s many American pencil manufacturers started painting and imprinting brands on pencils. This is how the iconic yellow pencil we use today was created. Early American pencil makers wanted a special way to market that their pencils contained Chinese graphite. In Chinese culture the color yellow is associated with titles of royalty and respect. American’s took this aspect to market to audiences that their pencils were “regal” and consumers should buy them. 

Not only did early 19th century Americans invent the iconic yellow pencil but they also invented the number 2 pencil. In 1820 New Hampshire John Thoreau and his son Henry David Thoreau discussed the issues with pencils being brittle and greasy. From their findings they built their own factory and developed a system to diminish these issues by substituting clay for wax. This new model of the pencil birthed the modern number 2 pencil we all use today. Furthermore, Henry David Thoreau not only created the number 2 pencil he created four more types as well. These four types were labeled 1 to 4 and ranged from softest to hardest levels of graphite. 

There are more versions of the modern pencil than the yellow and number 2 pencil especially some that are more advanced in technology. The earliest prototype of the mechanical pencil was created by Nicholas-Jaques Conte in 1791. This scientist and artist created this new form of a pencil by placing a lead stick between a twisting screw mechanism. However, this invention was not popular until the 19th century where various designs were constructed with more advanced technology. Some specific new technologies involved were retractable tips, adjustable lead grades, and ergonomic grips.  

In today’s world over 20 billion pencils are produced each year and more specifically over 1 billion number 2 pencils are made each year. In regards to mechanical pencils the rate is much higher and over 14 billion pencils are created each year. The pencil is an object majorly invested in our everyday lives no matter which form we use. This invention advanced human history not just in technology but writing and art as well. The pencil may seem small but it has had and will continue to have a major impact.

Sources:

https://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/promo-university/history-of-pencils.htm#:~:text=Who%20Invented%20the%20Pencil%3F,be%20sold%20all%20over%20Europe.

https://writersneed.com/how-many-pencils-are-made-each-year/

https://www.simon-webb.co.uk/blog/the-history-of-the-mechanical-pencil#:~:text=Mechanical%20pencils%20have%20been%20around,by%20twisting%20a%20screw%20mechanism. 

https://www.themarginalian.org/2013/06/24/history-of-the-pencil/

https://pencils.com/pages/the-history-of-the-pencil#:~:text=Originally%2C%20graphite%20sticks%20were%20wrapped,mass%2Dproduced%20pencils%20in%201662. 

https://www.simon-webb.co.uk/blog/the-history-of-the-mechanical-pencil#:~:text=Mechanical%20pencils%20have%20been%20around,by%20twisting%20a%20screw%20mechanism. 

Privacy, Online & Off

 Technology consumes our daily lives. We carry our cell phones with us everywhere we go and use our computers to do our jobs. Our relationship with technology has grown rapidly especially in the past decade. Furthermore, our digital footprint has become excessively larger as-well. 

From every post we like to every topic we google search is documented to profile us. Everything we put out onto the internet will always exist. This collection of data along with the new advances in technology can become a threat to our personal privacy. Our government has the ability to access this information and study our daily life. This is done just in case security issues arise but when does this collection of data cross the line. 

These issues make my daily life feel more exposed and stalked rather than private. It creates an environment where the average civilian no longer feels independent. Our federal government should not be able to have the personal details and daily schedule of someones life at their will.  To prevent this power from exceeding and continuing more in depth privacy laws should be put into place. 

These laws could be aimed specifically at social media companies and law enforcement. Setting these guidelines could specify which certain information can and cannot be collected. Furthermore, these laws could protect the average citizen from having their information being collected specially without their knowledge and consent. 

Some ways we can take this violation of personal privacy into our own hands is by becoming more aware of our presence on the internet. We must become more careful and dissect what we post out onto the internet. Questioning wether what we wish to post or like is really worth it can become helpful. 

We should continue to use tools like Face Time and Apple iMessages to communicate because they have been proven to more secure and not open to the government. Determining which information we wish to communicate online is the most important can save extremely personal information from being collected. 

More awareness about the threat to personal privacy is needed in the modern world. We can forget how easily it is can be for our personal information to be collected with out our knowledge. Taking a stand against these issues must continue and we must find a solution to create change. 

Eight Values of Free Expression

The first amendment holds a lot more power than just protecting our right to free speech than most people understand. It is important to understand how much this amendment covers so we can prevent times when this right is denied. After reviewing the eight values of free expression numbers seven and eight personally stuck with me. 

Jack Balkin in his work Living Originalism states that Promote Innovation says a community that values and protects free speech is likely to be more energized, creative, and interesting. This is because citizens are able to fulfill themselves. In todays world between the expansion of social media and rising tensions between political parties free speech is becoming harder to protect. 

Social media apps can remove content or ban users based on loose guidelines that can be harmful to a person's right to free speech. The line between controlling harmful content online and denying a persons first amendment right is becoming blurry. In March 2020 Waylon Bailey posted a Facebook message that he called a joke during the COVID-19 pandemic and was later arrested without a warrant by police. Bailey later sued for violations of his first and fourth amendment rights. This story is just one of many that have unfolded in the past years due to social media apps violating a users right to free speech. 

This rapid continuing threat is not only aimed at the average citizen but also political leaders and even Presidents of the United States. Recently, the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's federal election criminal case reinstated a gag order. A gag order is when a judge prohibits the attorneys, parties, or witnesses in a pending lawsuit or criminal prosecution from talking about the case to the public. 

The former president argued that the ruling infringed on his first amendment right to free speech. This recent violation is extremely important and needs awareness due to its timing. This ruling was created just in time for the upcoming of a new election and this limits former President Trump from discussing the case on his campaign trail. 

The second value of free expression that I felt a strong connection to was Protect Dissent. Steve Shiffrin in his work Dissent, Injustice and the Meanings of America describes Protect Dissent as that our system is not suppose to be one of mob rule and the First Amendment protects minority views. He states further that we as citizens have a right to disagree with the government and we almost have a patriotic duty to. A major issue that our society has adapted is the pointing of fingers and diminishing the act of disagreeing. 

We have created a societal rule that you must agree with the majority and cannot speak against it. The heavily two sided political party system can be one of the many to blame. In todays world of political affiliation we are pressured to just pick one side and hate the other. We are not encouraged to look at both views and meet in the middle. These acts create division in our country and only push us back not forward. 

To continue the protection of the First Amendment we as the citizens must first take a stand. We must acknowledge the importance of one's right to free speech and the severity of it being violated. We must take these concerns to the news and social media to bring awareness and prevent further incidents online. 

As the citizens of our country we must keep the government in check and encourage disagreeing. We must not only encourage it must make it normal and a good thing. Finally, we must come together and destroy the mob like mentality and hatred when it comes to political parties and discussing the future of America. 

https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/post/5th-circuit-finds-facebook-post-protected-speech-not-incitement-or-a-threat/ 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/29/politics/trump-gag-order-reinstated/index.html

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/gag_order#:~:text=Primary%20tabs,the%20case%20to%20the%20public. 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/24/tech/states-sue-instagram-parent-meta/index.html