Blog Post Twelve: Technology

 Technology has revolutionized the way we communicate with one another over the past few decades. It has been a breakthrough in the modern world, allowing us to do things quicker, easier and more efficiently than ever before. technology has had a profound impact on our generation, both in term of how they interact with the world and in terms of how they think and behave. While it has made life easier in many ways, technology has also caused several issues. 

Our generation has grown up in a world here technology is ubiquitous. from the moment Gen Z was able to walk, we have been exposed to devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Technology has drastically changed the way that people communicate. In today's world, people are more likely to communicate through texting, social media. and other online platforms, rather than face-to-face. While technology has improved communication in some ways, it has also had a negative impact on society.

One major advantage of technology in the modern world is improved communication. People can now talk with each other from anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds. This has made it possible for people to stay in touch with their friends and family, regardless of their location. Technology has also allowed us to communicate with bushinesses, customers, and clients more quickly and efficiently. Another improvement of technology in the modern world is improved entertainment. Technology has made it possible for us to access a variety of entertainment options from the comfort of our own homes. We can now watch movies, listen to music, play video games and more. It has also made it easier to access educational resources, such as online courses or tutorials. It's possible for us to accomplish more in less time. For example, computers have made it easier to automate certain tasks, such as data entry and customer service. Technology has shaped relationships with technology at a young age and altered the way we interact with the world. 

One way technology has worsened communication is by making it easier to avoid in person interactions. In the past, people would often talk in person when they wanted to communicate with someone. This has caused people to become more removed from each other, and it has made it harder for people to build meaningful relationships with others. Another way technology has decreased communication is by making it easier to be misunderstood. When people communicate through text messages or online platforms, it can be difficult accurately convey tone or emotion. This can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations, which can causes conflicts and tension in relationships. Rather than talking in person, people hide behind a phone.

Technology has revolutionized the way we communicate with one another over the past few decades. With the advent of the internet, communication has been transformed into something instantaneous and global. The internet has opened a new world of possibilities. Personally, I believe technology has benefitted me in positive and negative ways. I like being able to keep in close contact with my family and friends and makes communication easier. Although i dislike how it closes people off to real interactions and always constantly staring at a screen. Technology has shaped our world and is ever changing and growing and will only continue to rapidly increase as time goes on.

Blog Post Eleven: EOTO- The Illusory Truth Effect

     The illusory truth effect shows how, when we repeatedly receive incorrect information, we frequently start to believe it to be true. Unfortunately, this also occurs when people ought to know better, like when individuals initially recognizing the falsity of the misinformation. Repetition can influence how people view the truth. If a claim has been presented to a person before, they are more likely to believe it. This phenomenon sheds light on the effectiveness of propaganda and advertising as well as the reason why people accept false information as fact.

    For example, imagine a cold going around your school, and you want to try your best to avoid getting sick. Multiple people and other sources have told you that taking vitamin C can prevent sickness, so you start to take it regularly. After conducting real research, you come to learn there is no true evidence that the vitamin C is what prevents the cold. Although it could boost your immune system, there is no real proof it is a preventer against a virus. This is when the bias occurs. We all like to assume that we are immune to false information, yet even the most informed people can fall victim to the illusory truth effect. When a bogus claim initially appears on our social media feed, or you hear from a few sources, we could be dubious of it, but the more we are exposed to it, the more we begin to believe it to be true- and our prior awareness cannot stop this. 

    Misinformation can spread like wildfire to enormous numbers of people very quickly in the social media age. The evidence implies that online efforts led by influencers or celebrities who are aware that all it takes to start a rumor is to repeat it consistently, and it will have a significant impact on our generation. Although it sounds dramatic, this poses a challenge to both the fabric of our societies and integrity of democracy itself. Knowing that we evaluate information accuracy in a biased manner is crucial in this day and age. 

    How can we determine whether a claim is accurate or not? Naturally, you would assume, we evaluate that assertion to the available data using our existing knowledge set and perhaps a few strategically placed Google searches. Unfortunately people are not always logical when it comes to things like this. We make an average of 35,000 decisions a day. We cannot possibly hope to analyze everything throughly as we would like with all the decisions we must make and the massive amount of information that is being bombarded upon us every second. We frequently make judgement errors as a result of the numerous heuristics we use to make sense of the world in order to conserve our finite mental resources. The illusory truth effect is caused by a few underlying biases and heuristics. 

    Most of us are all too acquainted with the term "fake news" by this point. Non of us are immune to the false rumors, conspiracies, and blatant lies that thrive on he internet. We will all come across fake news eventually and given the abundance of lies in our media environment, it is likely that we do so frequently. We run the risk of the illusory truth effect just from this. It's vital to be aware of the illusory truth effect and other biases that skew our judgement so that we are encouraged to pause and consider information we may otherwise accept as true with a little more skepticism. 

Blog Post Ten: EOTO- Whistleblower

    An individual who reports wrongdoing, such as fraud or corruption, to the public or a higher authority is known as a whistleblower. They may work for a firm or government agency. There are particular rules designed to shield whistleblowers from losing their jobs or receiving unfair treatment. Most businesses have a distinct policy that outlines exactly how to report such an incident might start a criminal inquiry against the firm or any specific department. Once the appropriate individuals have been notified, the whistleblower has made a Protected Disclosure and is entitled to whistleblower protections. 

    Whistleblowers might be either internal or external. Internal whistleblowers are those who alert senior officers of the company, such as the CEO or head of humans resources, to misbehavior, fraud or indiscipline. An external whistleblower reports wrongdoings to parties outside the organization, such as the media senior government figures, or even the police. While whistleblowing is crucial for securing sensitive national security data and operations while ensuring that you can "say something" if you have "seen something". Every day, there are whistleblowers in the Federal Government. A simple talk with a supervisor, calling a specialized hotline, sending information to Congress through the appropriate procedures are all examples of whistleblowing. 

PROS

    Fighting corruption is one of the main benefits of whistleblowing for others. One of the greatest financial burdens on society is caused by corruption and waste in government. Every time a contractor overcharges the government, or a company commits fraud, they are earning money by defrauding other people and their hard-earned money. Making sure wrongdoers are not rewarded is another advantage of making a whistleblower report. To put it clearly, the bad guys win when a company is permitted to get away with defrauding the government because those who are aware of the illicit behavior are afraid to speak up. Because of the wrongdoers' unfair edge in the marketplace, honest contractors and service providers suffer. Earning financial compensation is one of the major benefits of making a whistleblower report. The law offers large financial awards for whistleblowers who reveal information that results in a recovery since the government understands that they are courageously acting to do what is right. 

CONS

    Whistleblowing has the potential drawback of putting your job or career in jeopardy. It is true that an employee who files a whistleblower claim or otherwise provides information to the authorities may experience employer retaliation and may later have trouble finding employment in relevant industries. Another disadvantage of whistleblowing is the process being lengthy. Between the moment a whistleblower starts working with an attorney and the time attorney and the time a financial incentive is given, whistleblowing claims can take several years on average. The delay, however, might be worthwhile given the size of the potential rewards and the beneficial impact taking a stand will have on society. The possibility of a whistleblower's claim might not be true, can affect many people's jobs, time, and money. As a whistleblower, you could only be partially aware of potential misconduct, and you might not be fully aware of the relevant legal framework. There is a risk of making an inaccurate allegation that cannot be supported by the law or the facts. 

CONCLUSION

    Whistleblowing can be a very risky job. An example of a whistleblower would be Edward Snowden. In 2013, while working for and on contract with the National Security Agency (NSA), Edward Snowden exposed highly sensitive material. He is a dual citizen of the United States and Russia. This is an example of how much whistleblowing can affect someones life. Snowden has been living in Russia for the past nine years to avoid prosecution in the US after leaking classified information along with documents detailing government surveillance programs.  

    Whistleblowing can affect our generation along with society in negative ways. Gen Z is known as the digital age, therefore making it a lot easier to leak more information. Also, having a lack of privacy from being surrounded with technology consistently, has made whistleblower's job's easier. It gives them more access to private details of everyone's lives. Although the risks and cons will still remain. Reporting typically comes at a high cost: in order to reveal misconduct that endangers the public good, whistleblowers risk their reputation, livelihood, and sometimes their personal safety. They might lose their jobs, be sued, put on blacklist, detained, or threatened. 

 

Blog Post Nine: Privacy

    The term "privacy" can be used in many different contexts and/or definitions. The definitions of privacy in physical terms is "the right to be left alone, or freedom from interruption or intrusion." Contrarily, information privacy is defined as "the right to some control over how your personal information is acquired and used." How privacy should be regulated and what constitutes privacy are hot topics in today's society. True privacy is supposedly nonexistent, according to popular belief. From the way technology has escalated in the last decade it becomes hard to keep private information away from social media or the public. 

    Catherine Crump, a lawyer for civil liberties, discusses how a shooting has awoken small-town police departments of the national mass of surveillance technology. Local police agencies are now able to collect a ton of sensitive information about people in ways that were never before conceivable because great various sorts of surveillance. As people travel throughout America in their cars, location data can be sensitive since it might expose where you go and where you don't. The government can obtain a thorough picture of how regular citizens interact when this information is paired with data on US citizens. This information is no longer private because of current technologies.

    Too much information on our private lives and what takes place behind closed doors is known to the authorities. Local police departments decide who you are before you get a chance to refute. their assumptions. Police cars, stoplights, and even buildings use license plate readers. They include it into hot lists so they may monitor individuals for illegal activity. Police personnel record every plate that passes a plate reader in addition to recording people and their wrongdoings, which leads to the collection of enormous amounts of information about where Americans have traveled. After listening to her Ted Talk I thought that this was all very interesting and also freighting. Everywhere I drive, there is record of it, including who is with me in my car and everywhere I go. There isn't even privacy for driving to the grocery store or to a friends house. This is an example of how technology has developed in a negative way, leading to no form of security or privacy in life. 

    Governments may help the public become more informed, safeguard their own infrastructure, and ensure that businesses disclose any possible privacy or security issues and follow their stated rules. By using appropriate procedures and strong privacy standards before attempting to access a citizen's personal information, it can also set a positive example. While it is true that excessive regulation and bad legislation can inhibit innovation and can have unforeseen consequences, it is also true that it ti foolish to ignore the issue or believe that the market would automatically resolve all problems. The government can't protect from privacy breaches, but they can raise awareness. 

 

Blog Post Eight: The Age of AI

Introduction

The Age of AI is a documentary about a look at how artificial intelligence is developing and a display of forward-thinking creators. Artificial intelligence is a collection of numerous technologies that work together to give robots the ability to see, understand, act, and learn at levels of intellect comparable to that of humans. It's possible that this is the reason why different people define artificial differently: AI encompasses a variety of concepts. AI is capable of learning to become more sophisticated and can store an enormous quantity of data that humans are unable to comprehend. The panorama of AI includes technologies like machine learning and natural language processing. Each developing along its own trajectory and, when used in conjunction with data, analytics, and automation, can assist organizations in achieving their objectives, whether they be enhancing customer service or streaming the supply chain. Although the exponential growth of artificial intelligence only started in the mid 1950s, I believe most people could not survive without it. 

Positive Impact

AI has enormous economic potential. Throughout the history of technology, it has contributed to the world's expansion, improvement, and growth. It is constantly being improved to function more intelligently, quickly, and effectively. New discoveries made by artificial intelligence have the potential to progress humanity beyond our wildest dreams. The most difficult board game in the world, AlphaGo, is featured in the documentary film. 

They displayed one of the top AlphaGo players in Asia competing against an AI program, with the human player only outperforming the machine once. For those who are familiar with the game and are aware of the tactics and abilities required to win, this was both extremely thrilling and terrifying. The AI could come up with brand-new moves that no one had ever considered before. It is absurd to consider how fast artificial intelligence can solve and advance problems that took humans decades to master and create. This has a lot of advantages for creativity and discovery. 

Negative Impact

It will widen the economic gap in society and increase inequality. It will eliminate jobs while giving the owners the entire profit. As a result, the bulk of our middle and lower classes are now unemployed or have no other means of support. Changes in how we intend to distribute the capital from artificial intelligence will have an impact on society and lead to a conflict between capital and labor This has happened at numerous factories as well as during our daily lives. Advances in technology have allowed machines to replace human labor in production. Additionally, routine professions like grocery store checkouts have been replaced by machines along with factories. 

AI is a tool that will work for whoever controls it; if it is used maliciously, it poses a threat to civilization. Computer scientists, for instance, are comparable to those who have called for nuclear war. These technologies are so simple to get into the hands of someone who want to do us harm.

Security and Privacy 

When it comes to privacy and security, everyone is reluctant to know the truth; there is no real privacy when it comes to technology. Artificial intelligence is aware of many details regarding our private lives. We've grown to numb the idea that they could be exploiting our information for good or bad since it's become such a common occurrence. We now take it for granted that since AI has raised our standard of living, it will always act in our best interests. Although there is some truth to this, we must be aware that artificial intelligence can and will be employed to invade our privacy. Whether we are conscious of it or not, once our privacy has been violated, the people who possess that information have complete power and control us. 

The farther the algorithms come into our lives, the more uneasy we should be. The world is attempting to become more tailored to you thanks to these computers, but this is the time when you need to remain vigilant and maintain control over your surroundings before businesses try to take control of you. Because social media sites use us, social media consumers are not users; attempting to manipulate us and our material to gain an advantage and profit. The private human experience of surveillance capitalism is promoted  as a free source of raw materials used to forecast human behavior. Numerous companies for-see our actions. They claim that behavior predictions are removing ambiguity from life to cast artificial intelligence in favorable light. AI is gathering as much information as it can about you. We all leave a digital footprint or digital exhaust wherever we look, and computers use this data to infer the interest of users. Companies, with your consent, are aware of your movements and where you have been gone. This frightened me, learning more about all of the access the internet and certain platforms have to your private and personal details in your life.

Reflection

One of the things that I learned is that there are different types of AI, narrow and general. The majority of what we encounter in daily life is narrow AI, which completes one task or a group of closely related tasks. The weather app, digital assistants. and software that analyzes data to improve specific business function are all examples of weak AI. These systems are strong, but their scope is limited because they are frequently drive by efficiency. However, when used properly, limited AI has tremendous transformative capacity and continues to have an impact on how people around the world work and live. General AI is more akin to the sentient computers that you see in science fiction movies that can manage a variety of challenging tasks and can reason strategically, abstractly, and creatively. While some tasks can be completed by machines more efficiently than by humans, this fully realized general AI vision is still only a fantasy on the silver screen.

Collaboration between humans and machines is essential since, in the modern world, artificial intelligence still serves to augment rather than to replace human abilities. This surprised me in the way that our world is vastly developing more and more each day and certain machines have so much power like a human being. Overall, technology has evolved into a tool of control rather than liberty. Awareness, erasing our past, and minimizing the quantity  of information we share so openly are some ways to combat this. We must take control before artificial intelligence can rule us and we cannot be reckless with our privacy. 

Blog Post Seven: Diffusion of Innovation

     Created by E.M. Rogers in 1962, the Diffusion Theory is a method for understanding the progression of new innovations. His theory breaks down the path a new innovation takes from idea through to a point where the general population can't recall when it didn't exist. He put forth the concept that new ideas, products and even habits follow the same pattern of spreading through a social system. Within a population the people fall into five categories: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and finally laggards. To best understand each category, let's follow the course of a product as it becomes diffused into society.

    Innovators are the risk takers. They are the first to try new products or adopt new ideas. In the case of the electric car, the earliest of innovators actually existed back in the 1800s. The first versions of the electric car date back that far. In fact, in the early 1900s they accounted for about gas and steam powered counterparts. However, the electric car got buried when Ford introduced the mass produced Model T. This made gas powered cars cheaper and easier obtain. This first round of electric cars fizzled out. 

    However, when gas prices began to soar in the 1960s and 70s and an electric car was driven on the moon's service innovators circled back to this solution. Once again, it was a short lived return. The electric cars most of us are familiar with today really began their path to diffusion in the 1990s. Legislation ignited the modern innovations in the electric car with the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment, California's new emission restrictions, and the 1992 Energy Policy Act. Automakers began focusing efforts into modifying their popular models into electric vehicles. Although, the general population drove on in their gas powered cars as the innovation took place behind the scenes. 

    Mainly scientists and engineers were aware of the progress being made. It is hard to know if these innovators were driven by the cool technology or an actual interest in reduced emissions. A small niche population became obsessed with EV1. Then 2000  the Prius was introduced by Toyota, worldwide. It was the first mass produced hybrid electric vehicle. 

    Early adopters is the group that is excited by new technology and their belief in the new product drives them to try and establish the product's utility to society. The Prius found early adopters in celebrities like Leonard DiCaprio and Jennifer Aniston. Many of these adapters drove the car as a political message t the world that they care about the environment and are willing to adjust their lifestyle to do their part.

    The early majority is a group of people who pave the way for the use of a new product in mainstream society. Between 2004, when Elon Musk invested in and helped establish Tesla in San Carlos, California, and 2010 when chevy released the Volt and Nissan the LEAF; the early majority jumped on the electric car bandwagon. However, the biggest hurdle facing the electric car industry was a lack of charging stations readily available throughout the US. This infrastructure required time and money to give the late majority the comfort level they would need to make the switch from gas powered or hybrids to fully electric cars. 

    The late majority is the section of the population that waits for the early majority to work out the kinks of a new innovation before following their lead in adopting it into their daily life. With the Recovery Act the Energy Department earmarked over $115 million to build a nation-wide charging infrastructure. By 2014 there were more than 20,000 charging outlets. This made it easier for more of the population to rely on an electric car for their daily commute. Better performing batteries with longer charge range, more power, and durability have made electric vehicles more affordable as well. In addition, Elon Musk  became a pop-culture phenomena and his Tesla stands out as the most popular electric cars. They look most like gas powered cars, include cool technology  that makes driving more enjoyable, and are very powerful. Tesla probably single-handily did the most to more electric cars toward the mainstream. Today you'd be hard pressed to stop at a light in any given US city and not spot at least one Tesla waiting with you. The electric car will not advance to the next stage of diffusion until more of the general population transitions from gas to electric cars. 

    The laggards are the section of the population that lag behind the general population in adopting innovative idea or products. It will probably still be quite awhile before the majority of the US population is driving electric cars. Unless there is a gas crisis or another issue that makes the electric car significantly more cost effective for the average American, this transition will take more time. As much as we may feel like we see electric and hybrid cars all around us, the electric car has not completed the path to diffusion. According to my research, less than 1% of the 250 million vehicles on the road in the United States are electric. But from my personal experience, a majority of people from the earlier generation would much rather rely on the type of transportation they've known growing up.

When deciding to go electric, looking at the pros and cons is a necessity. When it comes to pros, the performance and responsibility is a big part of being a Tesla owner and driver. The newer electric vehicles are insanely fast and powerful. They also reduce emissions.  Less maintenance required, regenerative breaking means the vehicles use mechanical breaks less, and there are fewer moving parts to break without a combustion engine. The cons do take a toll, with the battery requirements and charging a car can become inconvenient at times. Batteries currently have a shelf life of 10 to 12 years and cost thousand of dollars to replace. Not to mention, when batteries come into contact with saltwater it can cause them to become flammable. Charging stations also are not readily available outside of cities. depending on what type of life a person has from work to destination, owning a Tesla or electric car could make or break your life. 

    If I were to place myself in a group, I am a part of the late majority in that I drive a hybrid. I'm not yet ready to go electric. I don't even know where on campus I could consistently park and know I would be able to plug in and be fully charged each day. For me the pros don't yet outweigh the cons. My brother is fully on board and loves driving a Tesla so much, he sometimes goes for long drives without knowing a destination in mind or even just to listen to music. He is able to charge his car daily because he still lives at home with easy access. He may like his car less if he can't take it to college due to lack of charging access. 

Blog Post Six: Bluetooth

 Although everyone is familiar with the "Bluetooth" brand, we often overlook its importance and how much it affects our daily lives. We depend on bluetooth technology to free us from the constraints of wired technology in everything from smartphones to headphones and beyond. An existence without wireless technology is difficult to imagine. Instead of being an extraordinary luxury, being able to manage music, send data, or run appliances from a single device is an everyday requirement. Bluetooth has unquestionably improved life. The technology isn't as new as you would believe, though. With a lengthy history, Bluetooth and other wireless technologies have developed into the dependable features we use today.

Bluetooth is a radio wave-based short-form communication system. This means that if radio hadn't been invented, Bluetooth wouldn't exist as it does today. Before Reginald Fessenden sent the first long-distance broadcast of human speech and music from a Massachusetts-based station, radio transmission was only possible using Morse code dots and ashes. Around 1910, entertainment-focused broadcasting got its start, and radio music stations are still around today. The popularity of radio has ben impacted by music streaming services, although Bluetooth technology is built on radio waves. 

The most current Bluetooth upgrade was released in 2017. With Bluetooth 5.0, the protocol has made some key enhancements to better accommodate contemporary technology. With recent technological developments, Bluetooth may now be used to communicate files, control some smart devices, and stream high-fidelity audio, even higher compression rates than CDs or vinyl. 

To communicate wirelessly over short-range radio waves, we frequently use Bluetooth. And if it weren't for the advances made by researchers in the 1800s who realized that electromagnetic radio waves can transmit wireless signals, this technology wouldn't exist. Almost all smart devices today use Bluetooth technology, and some have even done away with the traditional headphone port in favor of entirely wireless headphones.