Final Blog Post

My Background with Technology and Social Media:

Growing up, my parents were very cautious when it came to me using the internet and technology. The first piece of technology I ever owned was an iPod, which my parents bought me when I was in third grade. I mostly used my iPod for music. I was not allowed to have any form of social media, but I did have a few games I played on it and an app that allowed me to text my parents when I was on Wi-Fi. 

I then received an iPad in fifth grade for my birthday, and it was basically used for the same purposes as my iPod, except I started using it for school work. My school developed an iPad usage program around my fifth/sixth grade years, so we would use our iPads in school to access educational programs like Google Classroom, Quizlet, and Edmodo, amongst others. 

In sixth grade, I finally I got my first iPhone after many years of begging my parents for one. This was considered "late" by my peers to get an iPhone. Most of my friends got their first phones in fourth or fifth grade. Around that time, my friends all started to create social media profiles, but I was not allowed to have any form of social media until seventh grade. A Mott Poll Report from University of Michigan states that 32% of parents with children ages seven to nine report that their child uses social media

I will admit, I felt left out when I did not have an iPhone and my friends did, and I felt left out again when all of my friends were on social media and I was not.  However, looking back I understand why my parents waited to allow me to have a smart phone and social media.

The Positive and Negative Effects of Social Media and Technology in My Life

Over the years of having various pieces of technology and different social media platforms, I have experienced their positive and negative effects. The following are some of the positive effects they have had for me:

1. Currently I use my laptop every single day for my schoolwork. My parents always talk about how they would spend hours in the library using the computers there or looking for books for research. I personally prefer to do my work either in my room or somewhere in the Comm building. I love that I can access almost any book online and my work on Blackboard from my phone or laptop. I have also learned a lot through various online resources over the years.
2. FaceTime is one of my favorite Apple features. Going to school far away from my family and my friends, I love that I can call them at any time and see their face.
3. I really enjoy connecting with other people on social media. I love keeping up with my friends from home by viewing their posts.
4. Tik Tok has been a great creative outlet for me. I really enjoy creating social media content as a hobby. On Tik Tok I like to film "a day in my life" videos, "get ready with me" videos, or film fun dance videos with my friends.

These are just a few of the positive ways that I utilize technology.

 Although technology has had many positive effects on my life, there are still many negative consequences for me. The following are some of the negative effects:

1. One negative effect is lack of in person communication, both from myself and others. Sometimes I will find myself texting my mom questions, when I should have just walked downstairs and asked my questions face-to-face. I'll also find that my friends will text me from across the room instead of just walking over to me.
2. I believe that my self image has been negatively affected by social media. People always refer to social media as a "highlight reel," meaning people tend to only show the best parts of their life. I find myself subconsciously comparing myself to other people's "highlights" that I see on social media. This makes me doubt myself and feel as though I am not good enough. I also feel that when I post something that I can only show my "best" photos or Tik Tok creations because of the fear of people judging me. This is an unhealthy mindset that social media has created for me.
3. I find that I spend way more time on my phone than I would like to. Without even thinking about it I will just pick my phone up when I'm bored or procrastinating from doing more important things. I will immediately start scrolling Tik Tok or Instagram, and it is very easy for me to lose track of time while scrolling. Something I want to work on is to stop mindlessly scrolling and be more intentional about my screen time.

I would say that social media and technology have as many positive effects for me as they do negative effects. Even though I wrote about more positive effects, I think that the negative effects are not as clearly defined and easy to recognize as the positive ones are. At the same time however, I chose to still use technology because the positive effects hold a lot of value to me. Lifespan.org outlined some of the positive and negative effects of social media, and a lot of their pros and cons aligned with mine.

Online Footprint/Presence

I have always been very conscious about what I post on social media and how I present myself online. My parents have always stressed the importance of my actions online, and it is something that has always stuck with me. I try to make sure all of my posts and comments are positive. I also try to not send texts that could be misinterpreted by the receiver in the wrong way. It is very easy to read someone's text in a tone that the sender did not intend. I prefer in person communication for this reason. 

I notice that some of my friends do not care about their online footprint as much as I do. Some of my friends have posted things before that I personally disagreed with because I thought they could be interpreted in a negative light, even if that was not their intention. Before I post something I always think to myself, "Would I be okay if a potential employer saw this? Is there a possibility that my message could be interpreted in a negative light? Is what I am posting kind and considerate of the feelings of others?" I find that some of my friends do not think and just hit post/send automatically without thinking of the consequences.

Overview

Social media and technology have both positive and negative effects. In a "digital world" it is important that we are intentional about our screen time. By being mindful of what we post and how much time we spend online we can limit the negative effects social media has and focus on its positive effects. Social media and technology are important today and are growing in importance as we move towards the future. Let's combat their negative effects and embrace the positive possibilities.

The Age of AI

AI Documentary

 "In the Age of AI" from Frontline on PBS was a very informative and eye opening documentary. AI stands for artificial intelligence. I knew about AI before watching this documentary because it has become a popular topic in society, but my knowledge was very limited. However, this video taught me a lot about AI and sparked questions in my mind about its pros and cons and the ethics of it.

How AI Affects Jobs

One part of the video that I found particularly interesting was the discussion of how AI will affect the workforce. The documentary discussed how many people fear that AI will replace humans in many job positions. People think that companies will prefer AI to humans because it allows them to save money by not having to pay workers. 

However, I found the counter argument to this to be just as interesting. Some believe that because AI can increase productivity, it will create the need for more jobs since companies need to keep up with the pace of AI and need more people to do so. Some say that because of this, the number of jobs for people will b e the same or more than without AI.

Sociologist Emily Wornell discussed how people have a greater risk of mortality, depression, and cardiovascular disease when they lose their job for a reason beyond their control. On top of that, the children of these people are more likely to perform poorly in school or even drop out. Automation from AI  is a large reason why many people lose their jobs through not fault of their own.

Privacy

Another major issue concerning AI discussed in the documentary is privacy. One thing in particular that the documentary discussed was how voice activated devices like the Amazon Alexa collect intel on you through what you say. I have a few Amazon Alexa devices in my house. I had always heard people make comments like "Oh Amazon is probably listening to everything you say through that" or "The government can hear you on that." However, I always thought that this was just a joke. I didn't think anyone from Amazon would want to spend time listening to what I'm saying in my house. 

This video made me realize though that it may not be someone that is collecting information about me but rather something. That "something" being AI. The idea that AI is collecting data about me without my permission and that companies are possibly selling it or using it to their advantage scares me.

My Thoughts

This video was very eye opening for me and made me realize that I may be too trusting of technology and naive to the power that AI holds. Personally, I think there needs to be more regulation with AI to protect people's jobs and the privacy of technology users.

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dZ_lvDgevk