My Relationship With Technology

 We are in the age of technology. There's new technology being developed and released daily. It surrounds us and it is an everyday part of life that is most likely never going to change.  Watching the Mad World remix, I realized that it highlighted the more negative side of technology that is unfortunately involved in all of our lives to some degree, from always being on social media and posting, to waking up and your phone being the first thing you pick up.  Another eye opening video about technology is the video of the 1964 Futurama Ride at New York World's Fair. It's interesting because in this ride, it kind of makes predictions of what they think the future will be like in the future; and all of these things  have happened in some way or the other. 

Many of us have different relationships with technology. I do think that I have a pretty healthy relationship with technology, or I would like to think that. I don't think that I feel like I have to be on my phone or that I have to be on my computer. When I wake up I don't immediately grab my phone to scroll through social media, I grab my phone to check the weather and turn my music on.  I do have to ponder if I give technology the appropriate amount of time in my life. I mean, we are in the age of technology and there are endless things to do online from keeping in touch with friends and family to playing video games to watching videos, to researching the questions that burn in your mind. I know I don't sit on my phone and scroll for 8 hours a day but, with my major and my freelance work, (I am a game design major and I do freelance 3D modeling for games) I am on my computer for the majority of the day. And then of course add in playing video games with my friends. I feel like the only time technology truly takes up too much time in my life is during finals when I have to finish a game design project or a 3D modeling project. Other than that, I think that if there's something else that I actually want to do, I can get up and do it with little "resistance" from technology, if that makes sense. 

There are countless things you can do online and for me, with my browsing tendencies and my major and my freelance,  I do think that technology has made me smarter and has enhanced a lot of my skills. Most of the time, besides browsing information about TLC's Sister Wives, I'm watching videos on how to grow on Fiverr or different 3D modeling techniques and workflows. I'm watching different youtubers play different games but, its research because I'm a game design major and I'm analyzing the different things that makes a game enjoyable and what doesn't. I'm making notes of what game mechanics work, which ones are frustrating, and which ones I personally like.  It's the same when I play video games.  

My online footprint is non-existent. I do use  a fake email and my instagram account is private. When you google my name, nothing of mine shows up. Everything that shows up is just pictures of athletes and that's pretty much it. However, if you google my username, that an entirely different story, but my username isn't linked to my first name, so you really wouldn't even know who it was unless you know me and what my usual username is. 

I have gotten smarter about what I post on social media and who I allow to follow me and whatnot. Back in middle school, you post your whole life on social media. I mean I have a whole entire copy of my diary from 5th grade to 7th grade on Wattpad. (It is pretty interesting though). I would never  do that now. I also block people from following me, instead of accepting everyone like I used to, and  I barely ever post unless it's on my private story that only has my close friends on it. 

EOTO: What is Confirmation Bias?

Confirmation bias is something that we all have experienced. Even if you don't think you have, you most definitely have. Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs.  There are three types of confirmation bias: Biased attention, Biased Interpretation, and Biased Memory. Biased Attention is the  tendency to selectively focus on the information that confirms our views while ignoring or discounting information that doesn't. Biased Interpretation is the tendency to consciously interpret information in a way that confirms our beliefs. Lastly, Biased Memory is the tendency to remember select information that supports our views while forgetting information that doesn't.  

There are many examples of confirmation bias in everyday life. The most prominent example is during election time. When there is a competition between candidates, people tend to choose  the candidate that speaks to them or align with their beliefs. When doing research about this candidate or just hearing information, they tend listen to information and recall information that paints their candidate in a favorable light while ignoring, forgetting, or discounting  information that doesn't.  Another example of confirmation bias is when doing research. When researching a topic you  have a bias towards, you tend to search topics in a way that reaffirms your beliefs. For example, I had to do a persuasive speech in another class and my topic was why violent video games do not result in mass violence. When doing my research I specifically typed my search in the search bar  in a way that would only give me results supporting my belief and my topic: Why do video games not make you violent. 

There are many effects of confirmation bias. While it makes us confident in our beliefs, it can lead to

bad decision making. If you are only searching for information that reaffirms your beliefs, you don't get all of the information and so you are largely misinformed; and you can't make good informed decisions if you are misinformed. It can also influence who you associate with. As humans, we tend to associate with people who share our beliefs. When we associate with similar people, our beliefs aren't challenged and we are only hearing information that confirms our beliefs, therefore resulting in an echo chamber effect. 

To avoid and overcome confirmation bias, it can help to look at all of the information available and seeking out opposing views. Looking at all information available can help to find neutral sources that just present unbiased facts about a topic. Looking at opposing viewpoints can help you see the other side of your belief.  Another way is to keep an open mind, be ready to change your opinion, and to be aware of your biases. When you are aware of your biases, you can search for information in a way that is more neutral. 

How has the Internet Changed Mass Communication?

 

Imagine having to go to the library to check out an encyclopedia for a project, or having to actually pick up a phone to wait for your friend to pick up when you want to talk to them.  Imagine not being able to communicate to  anyone in a different country than you. Imagine not being able to interact with your favorite influencer on social media, or to not be able to see what your friends are up to. That was the reality just 40 years ago. The Internet is still a fairly new technology but it has made leaps and bounds within those years. The Internet has become an important medium of communication in modern society, allowing people to communicate with each other instantly. It has revolutionized communication and changed the world as well as the daily lives of individuals  forever. 

Internet is, as defined by Wikipedia,  “The Internet is a worldwide, publicly accessible series of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching using the standard Internet Protocol (IP). It is a “network of networks” that consists of millions of smaller domestic, academic, business, and government networks, which together carry various information and services, such as electronic mail, online chat, file transfer, and the interlinked web pages and other resources of the World Wide Web (WWW)”.  The internet allows people to access each other as well as information through  different digital devises such as computers, phones, and tablets.

In 1989, the World Wide Web was a project being done at the CERN lab in Europe and was released to the public in 1991. The main purpose of this technology was to allow scientist and employees to share their research and ideas from around the world. However now, it is used for many more things from of course, research, to communicating with our friends and watching funny cat videos.  

Communicationtoday.net refers to the internet as "an active and interactive medium." Users are able to consume information and media on the internet as well as create their own, like this blog. People are also able to give their opinions on information in the comments of videos and blogs. We are now able to interact directly with each other. From liking and commenting on your friend's post on instagram, to direct messaging them on social media or texting them. Communication with others have been made instantaneous, if they want to reply to you instantly.  You don't have to wait for your friend to come back from their vacation to talk to them or to see their pictures. They can send them to you while they're in any part of the world and you can still get them instantly. You can share videos you find funny, or interesting, you can repost information and show your support for causes that are important to you, you can see what other people are sharing, and supporting, all in mere seconds. 

It has also revolutionized  communication in the education field.  Before, you would have to go to the library,  and check out the book you'd need to finish your homework or an encyclopedia for your research project. Now we have all the information we need at our fingertips. I mean, when was the last time you picked up an encyclopedia since Wikipedia was invented? As students, we have access to a vast amount of research including research papers and other peer- reviewed sources. Your instructors can now post homework online, answer your homework questions or any concerns you may have remotely. If you have a group project, you don't even have to meet to do it. You can video chat and use software like google docs or google slides to consolidate your information and complete your project.  

The internet has changed  the way jobs operate too. Thanks to the internet, you don't even have to be in the office anymore to do your job. You can send anything to anyone in the world. You can work from anywhere in the world. You need to send a project proposal to clients in Spain while you're in the U.S? You can do that. I do freelance 3D modeling and I just sent a project to client in India from my dorm in my pajamas.  And in regards to freelance and jobs like that, people can now advertise their services and gain more clientele in a fairly quick way.  

The communication sector is constantly changing and being revolutionized.  Back in the olden days,

people relied on the snail mail, newspaper, and then the radio for their  information and communication. Now we rely almost solely on the internet. From personal uses to the workplace, the internet had revolutionized the way we communicate. I can only imagine how it will advance and progress in the next 50 years.

In the Age of AI

 "In the Age of AI" is a video that focuses on the effects that AI has on society, how it affects life in China, and the pros and cons of the technology.  Watching the video, I was am
azed how the deep learning AI technology was fed a game of  GO, a traditional Chinese board game,  and was able to study the games and taught itself a new way to play. It was honestly a bit scary if you think about it because if the computer was able to teach itself in the long run with little human input, what else would it be able to teach itself  completely independent of human interaction. How would you know what else the computer knows? It feel like the deep learning technology is very interesting and advanced but it also opens up a lot of different questions.

The documentary focused largely on China and how the implementation of AI would affect everyday life.  In the video,  it was stated that China would be the best place for ai implementation because of how much data is available in China.  All of the technology they use in China, from the mobile
payments to the share bicycle system is submitted into the cloud therefore, the more data available, the better it works. With all of this data available, the deep learning algorithm could predict things from how trustworthy someone is when applying for a loan to how likely they are to commit an act of terrorism or a crime. 

Another thing that really stood out was the facial recognition technology and how its integrated in the Chinese society. Megvii, a company that developed a facial recognition software, is now a world leader in using AI to identify people.  The technology can even describe people with what they're wearing and their age.  AI facial recognition technologies are also used by the government to dissuade jaywalking. It can identify you instantly fine you.  

Diffusion of Innovations : Radio

 The Diffusion of Innovations is a theory that explains  why some technologies and  concepts were adopted while others weren't.  The adoption of the radio is a great technology to study with this theory. Looking at the diagram to the right, you can see the bell curve of adoption that starts with the innovators and ends with the laggards or the people who don't want to  utilize the technology for whatever reason.

 Looking at the history of the radio, the Innovators would be inventors like Guglielmo Marconi who sent the first wireless telegraph, and Charles "Doc" Herrold, who was the  first person to hold regularly scheduled programs for radio amateurs. The innovators were the people willing to go out on a limb and make risky decisions to really develop the technology.  The early adopters would be the radio amateurs, and the government.  They  see the technology as something that may be beneficial and they are usually educated . They don't have to take as big of risks as the innovators.  The early Majority of the radio users would most likely include everyone that started utilizing the technology during the radio boom. This would include probably wealthier and middle class families,  companies, and  entertainment branches. The late majority would include the general population. The laggards would include people who want to stick to more traditional ways, the extreme skeptics, poor people and people living in rural areas/ anyone else who might not have access to the technology. 

Maybe the laggards saw some negative effects of the radio that the others didn't see. Maybe they were in other industries that were being affected by the rise of the radio technology.  There were  negative and positive effects of the radio. A few disadvantages were that the radio wasn't always reliable. You wouldn't be able to get a strong signal if the weather was bad  or if you lived in a rural area outside of the broadcasting tower's reach. However, the positives greatly overshadow the positives. The radio revolutionized communication by making  news more accessible, it allowed political figures to reach a larger audience,  it helped the music industry and musicians to flourish, and it was another form of entertainment, just to name a few.

EOTO: The History of the Radio

 Radio is defined as communication by radio waves through the transmission of music, news, and more from broadcast stations to many listeners.

 For years, scientists were trying to figure out a way they could send wireless messages, and many notable names like Nikola Tesla, and Heinrich Hertz worked to make the modern radio possible. Nikola Tesla, a Serbian American inventor, was the one who discovered the basis for the alternating current and created the Tesla Coil which is widely used in radios. In 1885, Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist proved that you could send and receive electric waves wirelessly; the measurement we use to measure wireless frequencies are named after him. In 1890, an Italian inventor by the name of Guglielmo Marconi had the idea for a wireless telegraph. He continued to work on his inventions and in 1895, he sent a wireless morse code message to a source over a kilometer away. He received a patent for it. By 1900, there were 4 competing wireless systems. 

Before WWI scientists from big companies like American Telephone and Telegraph (now AT&T) and General Electric, as well as independent inventors were trying to figure out a way to send wireless messages that were more advanced than morse code. In December of 1906, Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian inventor, produced an hour of talk and music radio for technical observers and radio amateurs from Massachusetts. In 1908, in San Jose California, Charles “Doc” Herrold was the first person to start providing regularly scheduled voice and music programs for his listeners. 

During WWI, the government forced radio transmitters off the air and the advancement in radio technology was stalled. After the war, in the 1920s there was a radio boom and during this time, radios began being integrated into society. The golden age of the radio was between 1935 and 1955. During this time it became a household item and around 60% of American families owned a radio. 

The radio revolutionized communication in many ways. It sped up the news process by being able to broadcast what was happening almost immediately instead of having to wait a few days for the press to receive the information and then print it out and deliver it. It also made news more accessible for people living in rural areas because it would take them even longer to receive their news. During WWII, reports of battles, victories, and defeats were broadcasted. Political leaders like presidents, Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, Hitler, and more had their messages broadcasted over the radio to reach larger groups of people and influence public opinion.     

When it came to using the radio for entertainment purposes, people had greater access to a variety of music and many artists like the Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Ella Fitzgerald gained popularity due to their music being broadcasted. Families would gather around the radio to listen to plays, comedy routines, sports broadcasting, church services, and more. Universities began to offer radio based courses, and for navigation, ships and panes began using the radio to figure out where either ships and planes were.

To this day the radio is in use in many different ways. There are mobile radios, like walkie-talkies, hand held radios, and even our cell phones can be considered radios, not to mention, you have a radio app on your phone where you can listen to both FM and AM radio stations. Radios are in every car, and people like truck drivers and police officers use radios to communicate with each other while in the field.

EOTO: The Carrier Pigeon

 During our EOTO presentations, I learned about many interesting forms of communication. The one that interested me the most was the presentation about the carrier pigeons. I was so surprised to learn that carrier pigeons were so significant in communication history as well as significant enough to even be considered a "communication technology." 

During both of the world wars, carrier pigeons were used to carry messages back and forth and as technology progressed, they were also photographers on the battle field.  hey took only 6 weeks
to train and they were a valuable asset to the war effort. They played a major role in the intelligence service in WWII  and even carried messages that saved lives. The pigeons had a rough life though, they would sometimes be shot down because they would be seen as spies and their messages would get intercepted. There was a notable pigeon named Cher Ami. He delivered his message even though he was blinded in one eye, he got shot, and his leg was hanging on by a tendon. He delivered 12 important messages and the last message he delivered, he saved 194 soldiers and let them know that thy were safe behind American lines.  He received the  French Croix de Guerre with palm award for his brave service.