Final Blog Post: Our Relationship with Technology, Technology's Relationship with Us

There's no doubt that technology has become the center of society. As long as I've been around, technology has been a huge part of the modern day world. I've never really known anything other than having technology around and at every turn. Even though smartphones weren't released and weren't popular until I was a little older, I don't remember much of the world before smartphones. Everyone is involved with technology, and everyone comes into contact with it in some form or another. There are constant advancements in technology, and it seems that I'm more and more blown away with technology as time goes on. The way that technology has been implemented into our society has intentionally caused us to form a relationship with technology. 

Technology has re-programmed our brains to be dependent on technology in many ways. I'm in the same boat of people that are constantly glued to their phone. Between Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok, and my ongoing mobile game of The Sims, I never run out of things to do on my phone. I've noticed that since being given a phone, I can't remember the last time that I was bored. I remember being a little kid and being totally bored out of my mind if I couldn't go outside to occupy myself. Now, I constantly have a source of entertainment in my back pocket. It's easy to occupy myself with my phone or my TV, and I know that the over abundance of time that I spend with technology isn't great for me. 

My screen time from April 24th-April 28th with a daily 4 day average of 7 hours and 35 minutes

It's safe to say that I spend far too much time on my phone daily. The seconds add up into minutes and the minutes add up into hours -- thus creating a total number that is shockingly large. As a matter of fact, most Americans spend too much time on their phones. Experts recommend anywhere from 1-2 hours of screen time every day. This includes TV, smartphones, laptops, etc. However, the majority of average Americans spend around 5 hours on their phone daily (I'm above average....go me!). 46% of Americans spend 4-5 hours on their phone every day, while only 5% spend less than an hour per day. While we might be used to so much time spent with technology, that is a lot of time spent staring at a screen. That much screen time has major effects relating to health (both physical and mental), relationships with other people, and technology addiction.

Technology is taking its toll on physical and mental health. Technology makes life more convenient, which in turn makes us lazier. Of those 7 hours and 35 minutes that I spent on my phone this week, I can guarantee you that most of those hours and minutes were spent with me sitting down. Technology has created an extremely sedentary lifestyle for us, which makes staying active less of a priority. Physical inactivity is the second leading cause of preventable deaths (the first leading cause is smoking). A lack of physical activity can lead to obesity and heart disease -- which can ultimately lead to death in the long run. Overuse of technology (yes, typically when it comes to smartphones) requires a lot of awkward positioning with our bodies. When you're staring down at your phone, your shoulders and back are hunched over while your head is lowered. This can create neck pain, shoulder pain, and just overall bad posture. For me, it seems like I have to do triple the amount of exercise and reduce the intake of my occasional guilty pleasure snack to basically none to be able to counteract the effects that technology has on my physical health. 

Technology has affected mental health in just as many ways as it has affected physical health. Even though I am an avid social media user, I hate it so much. I despise social media, because if I had to name one thing that makes me unhappy with myself -- it's social media. Social media is a comparison game. I find myself constantly drawing similarities and differences between me and someone that I follow on Instagram. It's so tempting to feel disappointed that your neighbor down the street was able to go on a luxury getaway vacation or to feel jealous because a girl that you went to high school with is showing off her designer handbag that is worth more than my left leg. Social media has driven us to be so envious of what we don't have to the point where we have a hard time appreciating what we do have. I've been on a "weight loss" journey since August of 2021. I'm proud to say that I've shed a considerable amount of weight, but the fact that I just couldn't take the pressure from social media and the effect that it had on me anymore is sad. From a health standpoint, I definitely needed to make an improvement. However, the drive initially came from the fact that social media had made me so insecure and so depressed with how I looked that I couldn't even stand to look at myself. I know that's a bit of oversharing, but the truth is that there are thousands and thousands of people who are the same way! Suicides in teenagers and young adults have rocketed, and social media/technology is a huge part of it. It isn't just social media that's causing this effect in teens and adults. Teenagers and young adults spend less time interacting with their friends and family due to technology, and that lack of social interaction causes feelings of depression and anxiety. 

Technology has created a sense of social isolation for those who overuse it. We all have a natural instinct to connect with other people, and technology distracts us from that. It's practically impossible to be on your phone and carry on a conversation with someone. Most teenagers choose their phone over social interactions, and it causes more damage than they realize. They're losing valuable connection and conversation when they stay on their phone when in the presence of others. The chances of making a new friend or a new professional connection are lower when social interactions are avoided due to the use of technology. That natural instinct of human connection isn't fulfilled when it comes to overuse of technology, and it has massive effects. 

It's probably a bit of an understatement to say that we have a certain kind of dependency when it comes to technology. "Technology addiction can be defined as frequent and obsessive technology-related behavior increasingly practiced despite negative consequences to the user of the technology." Technology creates a certain stimulation in our brains. That stimulation is an efficient way to lessen stress, curb boredom, and escape from the harsh reality of the world. This creates an addiction, and a need to constantly be stimulated by technology. One huge source of technology stimulation is an extremely common one. Video games stimulate the brain in more ways than one. The challenges that the game presents make the player feel like they excel at something, and the choice to play the game according to the player's liking helps them feel in control. While that mental stimulation can be a good thing, too much of it is a bad thing. Video games apply to the same issue of creating a sedentary lifestyle, and there is a huge debate over whether or not video games are to blame for the uptick in teenage violence. The natural need for brain stimulation is normal, but the addiction to technology comes from the fact that technology can give us that stimulation quickly and at any time. Our brains have been wired and trained to constantly need to have some kind of exposure to stimulation from technology. 1 in 8 Americans are addicted to some form of technology  and that number is only continuing to grow.

Despite the negative effect that technology has on health, relationships, and our brains -- technology has so many beneficial qualities as well. Technology is an impressive advancement in human society. While we do take it for granted, technology is simply just cool. How impressive is it that I can take my phone out of my pocket, open Google, and find out the value of Pi in milliseconds? There's something so comforting about being able to open Netflix and watch a few episodes of my favorite show no matter where I am. Technology has advanced our world in so many positive ways. Technology has benefited modern medicine to increase early diagnoses to boost the odds of survival/recovery. Technology has made long distance communication easy and efficient, which broadens the range of people that we can get in touch with. Education has changed due to technology. Technology allows for research to be easier and more legitimate (as long as students are double checking their sources), and educators are using technology to their advantage to teach their lessons. 

An obvious positive to technology is that it offers convenience to us. It's so easy to go on Amazon, purchase practically anything that you could come up with, and have it delivered to your doorstep within a couple of days. You can put in a destination on your GPS, and it will show you all the possible routes and tell you which one is the fastest. In a business sense, technology has increased productivity in practically all industries in the world. Technology has created opportunities for us that make our day-to-day lives overall easier. As time has gone on, we've taken those opportunities for granted and perhaps we overuse those features. Technology is just like anything else. It has its pros and cons, and it's a great thing as long as it's taken in moderation. If our world suddenly didn't have technology, then it would be an absolute circus of chaos. Technology has become the backbone of society, and for the most part, that isn't a bad thing! If we all absorbed technology in a healthier, more moderate dosage -- then we would all be better off.

Blog #11 - What I Learned About Misinformation

Misinformation is defined as false information being spread with the intent of misleading readers or consumers. Misinformation happens all around us, and it happens often. Joe Rogan is an American podcaster who has been accused of spreading misinformation numerous times regarding COVID-19. Attempts were even made to shut his podcast down so that he could no longer publish new episodes of his show. Misinformation is different from disinformation in the sense that disinformation is the distribution of manipulated facts or information. 

The fact of the matter is that misinformation is so common and so widespread, that it is likely that we have all contributed to it at one time or another. It isn't unusual for people to read articles and take in their news from the same sources, because they know that source will align with their existing beliefs. Misinformation is spread when people ignore new information that contradicts the belief that they already hold. Digital reading has made absorbing news easier, but it has also made readers lazier. When we don't check our sources, we share articles that are biased and only fit one viewpoint. 

Misinformation affects us every time that it is spread. For starters, misinformation only shows one side of a story. There's always danger in spreading information when you don't know all parts of the story, and misinformation guarantees it. Misinformation affects students academically. The internet has made finding research and scholarly sources much easier, however the internet allows practically anyone to put information on the internet. There's nothing worse than forgetting to check a potential source, using it in a project, and then finding out that the author of the article had no idea what he/she was talking about. This is why checking sources is so important, because it prevents the spread of misinformation.

There are a few ways to avoid the spread of misinformation. As social media users, we should always be mindful of what we're sharing on our profile. I am notoriously bad at sharing Instagram posts on my Instagram story without reading the caption first or looking into the context of the photo/video. I can't tell you how many times I've shared a selfie that Chris Evans posted without realizing that it was a political rant. Social media users should never share a post without fact checking or without being fully understanding of the situation. It's always a good idea to research your opposing view on an event, because then you have knowledge of the other side of the story. If you aren't fully educated on a topic, event, or story -- then do not share anything about it.

Blog #10 - Living in the Age of AI (Frontline)

Living in a world where technology is the center of our society has presented its challenges. The way that our modern society functions has changed drastically in the last several decades due to the rise of modern technology. The creation of artificial intelligence (AI) has made life easier on the surface, but has created more problems than solutions. It has created problems for jobs, job wages, and user data privacy.

The usage of AI has increased productivity in many job occupations. Using robots and artificial intelligence makes the job faster, more efficient, and with less error. This sounds like a good concept, and one that would overall improve our world. However, AI has cost millions of people their jobs, and decreased the opportunities for new jobs to be created. More AI means less work and less pay for the workers who are left, and that puts millions of workers in difficult situations where they're struggling to get by to pay for their family. Certainly, there will always be job positions that can't be replaced with AI, but that doesn't offer any assistance to those positions that can, will be, and have already been replaced. 

Artificial intelligence also poses a huge threat to personal privacy. Tech companies and sites such as Google and Facebook are keeping tabs on us at all times. They know where we go, what we search, what we listen to, who we're friends with, and just about everything that they shouldn't know. Data storage and algorithms were originally a plan and tactic for Google to bring in more income. A predictive search recommendation based on search history was a monumental update to the software. For these algorithms to be useful and to fully work, this means that Google, Facebook, and other companies must be listening to us 24/7 to ensure that the algorithms are as accurate as possible.

Blog #9 - EOTO Project #2 - CBDC

Cryptocurrency in on the rise in the United States. Bitcoin is currently the largest, most popular form of cryptocurrency. I personally have absolutely no idea what Bitcoin is or how it even works. The same goes for NFTs. My older brother is very involved with cryptocurrency, and I made the mistake of chatting with him about it before beginning this EOTO project. Not only did I leave the conversation with more questions than answers, but I was also twice as confused. He explained something about imaginary money and how the currency is calculated through computer generated mathematical equations. However, the main takeaway (and the one part that I did understand) was that cryptocurrency like Bitcoin is independent of a central bank. Basically, funds can be sent from user to user without a bank. 

CBDCs are related to Bitcoin. CBDC stands for central bank digital currencies. In its simplest terms, a CBDC is a government regulated form of electronically issued money. To dumb it down even more, CBDC means that the government controls your money and has access to your financial profile. It's basically government controlled Bitcoin. Some people find that interesting, while others are skeptical. CBDC means that money can be accessed more easily, and on a broader scale. That causes some concern (no doubt) about the security of CBDC. 

CBDC has a lot of gray area when it comes to privacy. CBDC could be bad for an individual's privacy. means that there's no use or need for central banks. The money is accessed and issued by the government. This also means that the electronic money will be managed by tech companies. These companies will have access to your information, and can do what they want with it. They have access to your financial profile and all of your information. In turn, that information and your profile can be leaked. At that point, your finances at at the mercy of somebody else -- and that somebody is likely not someone you want to be in control of your money. Private and commercial banks would be greatly affected by the mass spread of CBDC, since it isn't dependent on a central bank. 

CBDC has some potential for some good things. Digital currency decreases the need for physical cash. Part of CBDC is the push towards a cashless or a nearly cashless society. For the most part, that would be more convenient due to the fact that there wouldn't be a need to carry cash around. CBDC would improve efficiency of payment systems  and make digital currency easier.

If CBDC becomes more widespread in the United States or if it eventually becomes the new normal, then everyone is going to affected. If we come to live in a world where the government and tech companies control all of our money, then financial security will be greatly compromised. Tech companies are notoriously bad at protecting user information, and that would be no exception to financial information. There's nothing fun or safe about personal information getting stolen and leaked. With CBDC, this risk would increase, and all of our financial information would be in danger of being compromised.

Blog #8 - Privacy, Online & Off

As someone who uses the internet often, I think about online security fairly frequently. I've been exposed to social media for a number of years that is probably too many. I've seen Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat change/develop immensely since I was gifted my first smartphone in 2012. Facebook has been around practically as long as I have, but it wasn't anything close to what it is now. I use all of these huge social media softwares, but only recently have I really had an understanding of how they track me through every moment of my day. Internet privacy is important and it matters. Location tracking, data storage, and mishandling of information happens all the time. If you have a smartphone with an online presence, then it can happen to you 

The TED talk by Juan Enriquez compares our online activity to body tattoos -- they say a lot about you. I resonated with this analogy because I have a few tattoos myself, and all three of them are designs that mean and express a certain characteristic about myself. It makes sense that my online activity and internet history. While I never mind chatting about my tattoos and what they mean to me....I'm not so sure that I feel the same way about my internet habits. On the surface, that sounds shady and a bit suspicious -- but the fact of the matter is that I don't necessarily want the government knowing that I spent 2 hours looking for a heated blanket on Amazon. I don't want Tik Tok keeping a record of how long I watched the same soap carving video just because I found it satisfying. The worst part is that those examples are the least of what I should be worried about.

It's extremely easy for hackers to access information through the internet. With all of these platforms keeping our information stored for various reasons, it's like ringing a dinner bell for people hungry with malicious intentions. Social media has made our information so easy to snag, because we're the ones putting it out to the public. Kids are being prepared for the inevitable time when they are allowed to have social media. Teachers and parents stress to them all the ground rules. Don't post pictures on vacation because then potential burglars will know that you're not home. Don't post pictures from inside of your house. Don't share your personal information with anyone. That last one is a kicker, because social media is already doing it for you.

Current Fashion: How the World Affects Your Closet

Current Fashion: How the World Affects Your Closet

By Alli Iler

Q News

Lauren Knapp, a 19-year-old fashion marketing student, has been standing at her closet for almost fifteen minutes searching for an outfit. Her soft, green eyes scan over the rack of varying clothes in her wardrobe. She sees shades of black, white, gray, and baby pastels that are swimming in the sea of clothing.

Her collection of clothes seems ordinary to someone who doesn't have a talent for fashion. However, Lauren sees something that the average person might not see. She sees a collection of clothes that have painted a dull, lifeless picture that lacks spirit and interest.

She notices that her clothes that were eccentric and popping with vibrant colors have been overtaken by duller, less bold items. Where did all of the cool, fun patterns go? How did her closet lose all personality? She hasn't changed where she's been shopping recently. She's positive that she has still been purchasing her clothes from her same favorite stores and designers. Why all of a sudden does her closet seem so different? She knows that her wardrobe has been influenced to be changed so drastically, and she knows that the current state of the world is to blame. 

The events of the world affect fashion designers and the products that they create to put out into the world. This is how current events might be changing your closet. 

How Current Events Affect Fashion

Big events are happening in the world every single day. Whether we realize it or not, these events affect all aspects of how the world works. Current events sometimes affect parts of our lives that we didn't previously anticipate. Fashion design is no exception. 

Fashion designers are no exception to the fact that current events affect our mood and emotions. The daily unfolding events across the globe has an impact on the clothes that make it to department stores and boutiques to be sold. 

"I think fashion is another way to project yourself onto the world," Lauren said. "Fashion tends to follow whatever is going on in the world."

This idea applies to American history, specifically in the 1900s and 1920s. As the world changed with World War I and the steady increase of women's rights, fashion was influenced by these events. Women's dresses became shorter and less "modest" with their newfound freedom. On the flip side, men's work uniforms became more functional for post war occupations. Fashion is always changing. Designers are constantly releasing new collections that mirror what they are feeling in response to current events in the world.

The influence of current events on fashion both historically and culturally

How Current Events Affect Fashion Designers' Products

Current events affects everyone, no matter the occupation. Fashion designers are no exception to this. Just like everybody else, current events affect their mood, emotions, and overall outlook on the current world. This makes it way into what they design and put out onto the fashion market.

Stella Scruggs, 21, is a fashion designer based out of Savannah, Georgia. She said that the events that unfold in the world impact what and how she designs her products. 

"Whatever is happening around me, and my mood whenever I'm making a collection is very apparent in what is happening," Scruggs said. "I just did a collection that was about unity in America....it was called "A Golden Thread". That is the current event in America, just a lot of craziness. So there was that desire for everyone to be united, and that was what I put into my collection because that was what I felt."

Products from fashion designers around the world reflect what's going on in the world. Scruggs went on to say that she expects larger, famous designers to create collections based on the war in Ukraine and the recent subway shooting in New York City.

Life events affect all fashion designers, whether they are local designers or world famous designers.

Stella's "The Golden Thread" Collection (courtesy of Stella Scruggs)

Fashion and Current Events: An Ongoing Duo

Everyone comes into contact with fashion, and it is always a part of their life in some way or another. Whether it's their finest business attire to their most casual bedtime pajamas, the work of fashion designers makes it to their closets.

Alexis Mincey, 19, is a student at High Point University. Mincey is an avid follower of fashion, and she keeps up with fashion trends and progression.

"Fashion is the second most impactful industry," Mincey said. "The effects of current events on fashion can be seen in many ways on various levels of fashion."

The fashion industry is influential. Designers create collections and designs that come from their state of mind and how they feel. Fashion design is like any other kind of art. The products come from the creator's headspace and the products are based on how they feel. Fashion collections will always follow the events that occur in the world. Fashion designers will continue to create pieces of fashion that display current events and how the events make them feel.

Fashion and Current Events Video

Related Stories

How Coronavirus is Affecting the Fashion Industry

How do events influence what you wear? Women and Fashion in Society 1900s-1920s

How the Fashion World Is Responding to the War in Ukraine

Blog #7 - Television and the Diffusion Theory

I can say with confidence that I have always had at least one TV in my house. Even growing up with divorced parents in two separate households, I've always been exposed to television. My parents loved having an easy form of entertainment for me, because they could shut me up for hours just by sitting me in front of the television. Being the third (and last) child, I was often left rather unsupervised when it came to my TV watching habits, so I was watching too much Spongebob Squarepants at far too young of an age. With this being said, I've never known my household to not have a TV and I likely never will know anything different. While I can't imagine my life without television, a household without television was the reality for a great sum of the American population at one time. 

Television is a great example to apply to the Diffusions of Innovations Theory. The pioneer stage of television started as a brand new invention that offered new entertainment opportunities and a change in mass communication. Television's first initial showcase occurred in the 1920s, but the television boom didn't happen in the United States until the late 1940s.  In the 1940s, there were only three main TV networks: NBC, ABC, and CBS. The number of American households that owned a TV went from less than one million to 44 million in the span of 20 years. TV entertainment was on the rise, as well as mass news reporting. Television coverage proved extremely useful in the 1960s with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy -- where news programs dedicated days of airtime to cover the story. Millions of Americans tuned in to their TV sets to watch the immediate news coverage of the president's assassination. Without that kind of coverage, American citizens wouldn't have been able to get fast updates. The attacks of 9/11 were a similar situation where news networks used days and days of airtime to cover the ongoing story.  Television changed the way that people were able to access and obtain current news. Owning a television offered Americans the opportunity for a quick, efficient way of getting their news. 

Television was no exception to the early adopter phase of the Diffusion Theory. Consumers were buying television sets when they were still limited to the three main TV networks -- and sometimes those three networks didn't even air anything on every single day. There were early adopters because television was a new, game changing kind of technology that was going to bring a basket of new changes. Television made entertainment and news consumption far more convenient, so there's no surprise that so many people were quick to purchase television sets. The spread of television being owned in American households continued to rise. By 1990, 65 million Americans had household cable subscriptions, and more programs were beginning to emerge. Fast forward to now, it is estimated that there are 122.4 million TVs owned in America. 

Despite over 80% of American households owning at least one television set, there are still some TV-less homes. In 2009, 1.3% of the American population didn't own a television. As a matter of fact, that number has increased to 2.6% as of 2015. The possibility of non-adopters boils down to the fact that some older generation citizens might prefer to get their news the "old-fashioned" way through newspapers. Older citizens also are likely to have less of an interest in modern-day television drama series or reality TV shows. I can't imagine my grandmother watching my beloved The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills or The Bachelor, simply because I know that the content of that show might give her a heart attack or just confuse her to no end. Television has always had non-adopters, and it is likely that there will always be a percentage of American households that do not own a TV. 

Television, like any mainstream technology, has its downsides to match the benefits. Television has made it easier to consume news and entertainment, however it has made Americans lazy. As of March 2021, Americans on average spend 12 hours a week watching television including live TV. The world of television is an easy universe to get sucked into. Nowadays, there are so many different channels and programs to pick from, that it's far too easy to spend too much time watching. Streaming services have also contributed to how much time Americans are spending in front of the TV. Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount+, etc. have all played their hand into the ongoing American TV poker game. Spending too much time watching TV can affect mental and physical health, since watching TV doesn't take any real exercise or brain power. 

I don't believe that TV is a bad thing. TV was a huge part of my childhood and it has continued to be important to me throughout my life. I think that TV, as long as it is absorbed in a controlled and healthy way, is a good product. I can't imagine any other kind of communication technology that could do the same as television, however I don't doubt that someone will come up with something improved and something "better" in my lifetime. 

Blog #6 - What I Learned About Twitter

As someone who uses Twitter almost daily, I was surprised to learn about the history of the app. To be fair, most of my Twitter usage boils down to finding memes about current events and arguing with strangers every Thursday night's after the week's new episode of Law and Order: SVU -- so I can hardly say that I use Twitter for the majority of my news. However, I still learned some valuable, interesting information that I was glad to obtain. 

For starters, I didn't know that Twitter was originally supposed to be an audio/MP3 program. Twitter was originally supposed to be like a podcasting app. However, due to Apple's release of iTunes, the original plan failed. It was later taken over as a whole new kind of app, and it was crowned with the name of "Twttr". Twttr was intended to be a fast, efficient way of getting the latest news on current events. It also allowed Twttr users to be able to share their opinions/thoughts on what was happening in the world, which was called "updating their status". 

Twttr was eventually bought out by someone else, and the name was changed to Twitter. Twitter has changed immensely over the years, and now Twitter is used for far more than news. The usage of hashtags started with Twitter, and it created the idea of hashtag activism. We were able to see this with the #MeToo movement as well as the #BLM movement. Hashtags created an accurate algorithm for users' feeds, and they were able to bring light to world changing events. 

Blog #5 - The Progressive Era: Antiwar Voices

Before taking COM1450, I can confidently say that I have never seen any antiwar writings in the news. I've never really thought about it, but the amount of antiwar coverage in the news is pretty much little to none. I find this exceedingly interesting, because I would venture to say that the majority of people are antiwar. I know that there are people writing antiwar articles, but where's the coverage for it? If antiwar writings, podcasts, etc. were covered more....would that make a positive impact on our society today?

The American Conservative is a website that I've never heard of before this assignment, but after skimming through it and reading some of the articles, I wish that I had known of it sooner. It's full of all kinds of information that I otherwise wouldn't have ever known -- and it shows a side of society that I've been otherwise blind to. 

The first article I read was the War Is No Solution piece. It's rather short, but it's impactful in its simplicity. In this class, we've talked numerous times about why America is getting involved in the war between Ukraine and Russia when it's a regional issue (which the article also points to as well). Why are we as Americans feeling obligated to choose a side? This article stresses that picking a side (as well as being involved with the war in general) doesn't make a difference. I would venture to argue that the U.S. getting involved with the Ukrainian/Russian war is a risky (albeit stupid) attempt at somehow restoring this country. Will it help? Definitely not. Which is precisely why there's no coverage on an article such as this one....it points out the problem AND exposes this country's intentions.

The second article I read from this website, Telling Ourselves Stories, also gave interesting insight to the war in Ukraine....more specifically, how the U.S. tends to view the war. The article shares an idea that we've also talked about in class, which is the idea that we view the war as black and white. Most Americans see the war as clean cut, to the point, and as clear as could be. However, like most things in life, the was is far from black and white -- and has just as many gray areas as anything else. The article says that Americans tend to boil everything down to good vs. evil. It's a simple equation with a simple answer; Ukraine = good and Russia = bad. This isn't the case by any means, and the fact that so many Americans are blind to this is scary. Why do most Americans fail to see this war for what it really is? That answer is obvious. It's the media coverage of the war. I can say for certain that most of the media coverage that I've seen makes Ukraine out to be the victim, and Russia out to be the bully. The truth is that both countries have done their fair share of evil, and neither of them have a perfect track record. No country is perfect, no land is pure and holy -- yet the media has influenced so many people to have this notion of Ukraine. 

The media doesn't want coverage of these kinds of stories, because they tell the story that the media doesn't want people to hear. If you want to find antiwar stories or any kind of news that actually shares the truth of both sides, then you have to go out of your way to find no-name websites that have no real popularity. The media tells the story that the government wants them to tell, and more often than not, it's a fabricated story.

Blog Post #4 - EOTO Project - The History of Television

How much TV do you watch in a day? An hour? Three hours? Five hours? As someone who is a sucker for trashy reality TV shows and Netflix limited series, I probably spend more time watching the tube than I should. It's so beyond easy to sit on the couch with a bowl of my favorite cereal (Cinnamon Toast Crunch -- anything else is wrong), and watch multiple episodes of whatever show I'm currently into at the moment. It's almost scary how easy it is to get sucked into that screen of moving images and pixels. I've been lost in the world of television on more than one occasion, and it's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I get a lot of my knowledge and information through television. The average U.S. citizen (ages 15+) spends 2 hours and 46 minutes watching TV every day.  This includes watching live events, streamed shows, and DVD movies. This also includes watching TV on TV sets, computers, and mobile devices.

Television has come a long way since it was invented. The history of television is extensive, and it goes all the way back to the 1920s. The word "television" itself is well thought out. The prefix "tele" translates to "far off" or "from a distance". There's debate over who owns the title of "the creator of television". Vladamir Zworkin and Philo Farnsworth are considered the founders of television technology, while John Logie Baird is credited with inventing the first television set. Farnsworth was 14 years old when he came up with the concept of "television". He had an idea, but he had no way to execute his plan. That's where Zworkin came in. Farnsworth and Zworkin put their noggins together to come up with the technology for television, although they squabbled over who was the true creator. A few years later, John Logie Baird came into play. Baird was from Scotland, but based out of London as an adult. In 1925, Baird created the first television set and presented it in London. Within a few years, TV was able to be broadcasted from London to New York.

The creation of television had two main purposes: faster communication and entertainment. More than likely, the word television likely leads you to the second one. Television is a HUGE source of entertainment for Americans, considering there are hundreds of thousands of options to choose to get entertainment from. When I think of old TV shows, my mind automatically goes to TV shows from the 1960s and 1970s. I can't help but think of programs such as Adam-12, CHiPs, Emergency!, or even Gilligan's Island. However, TV series were around long before any of those classics. In 1928, the first TV drama was released. The Queen's Messenger is a 40 minute TV drama that aired on September 11, 1928. The Queen's Messenger was a massive accomplishment for the world of TV, and it wasn't very long before more TV dramas, shows, and movies were pouring out into the entertainment universe. I Love Lucy was the first TV sitcom filmed in front of a live audience in 1951, and it ran for six seasons. 

The technology of television changed the world in many different aspects. The ability to broadcast anything practically anywhere was a big deal, and we took advantage of being able to spread information quickly and to large populations. Broadcast news became a booming industry, because it was changing how quickly we were able to get our current news. It was more convenient for viewers, because they didn't even have to leave their homes to know what was going on in the world. Before TV news, citizens wouldn't be able to catch up on the news until the daily paper was published every day -- and sometimes it would take a few days before current events could make it to the paper. With TV, current events could be shared and reported on within no time. Politics were majorly changed and affected due to TV culture. In 1960, president elect John F. Kennedy credited part of his win to how television was able to broadcast him at the Nixon v. Kennedy presidential debate. After the debate, people who watched the debate on TV tended to favor Kennedy, while people who listened on the radio considered it more of a tie. What was the difference? The TV viewers were able to visibly witness Kennedy's calmness, confidence, and level-headedness as he spoke -- while radio listeners did not.

Television improved and changed society in many ways, and added lots of better features. However, every good thing has its downsides, and television is no exception. To bring medical expertise to the table, too much television can be damaging to your mental and physical health. Television is more convenient to users, which is more efficient. However, this allows less effort to be made. In short, television has made Americans lazy. TV is so easy that you can sit on the sofa and control the TV from where you're sitting without even having to hardly move. The content that viewers are taking in is crucial to mental health as well. Reality TV and drama series (as much as I love them) don't do very much to exercise the human mind. Television is extremely influential no matter what is being broadcasted, and this doesn't exclude fictional TV shows. Television shows like Euphoria that contain adult and graphic content are leaving negative impressions on younger audiences who are no doubt (but shouldn't be) watching. 

The current news that we take in also plays a part in the downsides of TV. The ability to broadcast messages to a massive range is just as hurtful as it is helpful, especially when it comes to news broadcasting. Journalists and reporters are able to share their opinions and thoughts on topics to the world, which can influence the viewers. This applies to politics, entertainment, sports, and all kinds of topics covered on the news. This is why it's so important to draw news from multiple sources, and why it's important to understand an issue/story from all sides. Projecting biased views and opinions for the world to hear is dangerous, and is how misinformation is spread. 

Blog Post #3 - 8 Values of Free Expression

The Eight Values of Free Expression elucidate the ins and outs of the First Amendment of our U.S. Constitution. While the First Amendment seems clear cut on the surface, it can be rather complex with some intricacies with it. There's more to the concept of freedom of speech than just the idea of being able to say whatever you want (within reason, and potentially with consequences). I find all eight of the values interesting, but there is one that I find most important and most personal to me. 

I find that the third value of free expression is the most important. The concept of "Stable Change/Safety Valve" is the one that I find most valuable to me. As Americans, we are fortunate to have a Constitution that provides us with a Constitutional right to be able to say what we want about the government, both verbally and through forms of legal/safe expression. This is a right and privilege that most Americans (including myself, more often than not) take for granted. There are several countries in the world where this is not the case for its citizens. In some countries, it is not protected to openly speak against or negatively against the government or a head of state. According to this article by euronews.com, in countries such as Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand, citizens can be punished for publicly speaking out against the government. The map inserted below is from the article, and it shows which EU countries have non-protected laws against speaking negatively towards the government/heads of state.

In some of these countries, citizens can be punished in a variety of ways. In Switzerland, citizens who are found guilty of this criminal offense could potentially only have to pay a monetary fee. In Thailand, citizens arrested for this crime could face anywhere from three to 15 years in prison. According to Saudi Arabia's laws on the matter, speaking out against the government is considered an act of terrorism, which is also punishable by potential prison time. These are just three of several countries in the world where it is illegal to speak freely about the government. 

Our U.S. Constitution protects our right to speak against the government. In other words, the Constitution says under the First Amendment that the government legally and constitutionally must allow us to say bad things about it. I find this extremely important, and I believe we are beyond lucky to be protected by law to do so. It's important to know and understand that the government can't penalize you for speaking against it if you are an American citizen. It's hard for me to imagine living in a place where I'm not safe to talk about how I feel without the fear of being arrested for my opinion. It's easy to become accustomed to having the flexibility with verbal expression, and it is even easier to take that opportunity for granted. As someone who is very opinionated, I feel strongly about the right to be able to speak my feelings about the government and people in the government without penalty.

This value can be applied to what's going on in the world right now. As the war in Ukraine rages on, and the U.S. continues to stick its nose into Russia's ongoing business, I think that the right to talk about the government (no matter what your opinion may be) is more important than ever. The freedom to express your opinion on what the government is doing is important, and is also a constitutionally protected right that we as Americans should take advantage of, but not take for granted.