Blog Post #11: Relationships with Technology; Individual and Societal Experiences

    If I were to open my computer and search the name ‘Madison Mae Miracle’, hundreds of results would pop up within seconds! Links to my different social media accounts, records of my athletic accomplishments, and articles from my high school. However, if I were to search up my fathers name, only professional results pertaining to his career would show up. Now, where this difference arises is the way in which we each use the internet and the many applications that come along with it.

    As a Social Media and Digital Communication major, I have always had a passion and certain level of intrigue with social media and the different ways to utilize it. I grew up watching different lifestyle creators on youtube, taking note of the talent that went into the photography and editing of these clips. After watching these relatable people online for years, I finally decided to put what I had subconsciously learned to the test. During the COVID-19 quarantine, I purchased a Canon G7X Mark III camera, which was one of the best vlogging cameras at the time. I began filming pieces of my life and tinkering around with different editing softwares such as Final Cut Pro and Premier Pro. Though my Youtube career did not immediately take off and lead me to fame, it brought me something much bigger and more valuable than views or money. I had finally found my passion. Growing up, I was convinced that college was not for me; I was going to go to cosmetology school instead. However, through exploring the different platforms and media outlets that the internet had to offer, I was determined to learn more and to be more. From Youtube, I then tried my hand at TikTok when the app first launched. What started as a fun and creative pastime quickly turned into something much bigger.

    That is what brings me here today. At 20 years old, I have a collective social media following of over 90,000 people. My TikTok brought me the most success and opportunities with over 89,000 followers. I now work full time from my phone, bringing in more money in one month than I have ever made in a year at an in-person job. I work with High Point University as a Student Influencer and Social Media Ambassador, allowing me to work directly with the school on their social media marketing. All of this goes to show that I openly live my life online. I am very well accessible on the internet. I am linked to Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Youtube, LinkedIn, and more. However, I do have guidelines and boundaries that I am very careful to never cross. I will never give out my address or the name of my small hometown, and I do not share my phone number. Additionally, I always strive to be authentic, and honest.

    Where I have frustrations with influencers is when they are not transparent and when the realities and hardships of life are not addressed. It is important to share that I have experienced poor mental health, which was in large part a result from social media. Comparison truly is the thief of joy, and social media knows exactly how to target their perfect fragile market of young women. I have found myself feeling isolated and lonely while doom scrolling on social media. However, I was able to pull myself out of this vicious cycle when I went from scrolling behind the camera to then producing content in front of the camera. I took a negative and potentially harmful habit and turned it into something truly beneficial.

    With the way that the world is progressing, social media will continue to grow. Forms of paper marketing are being transferred to online, overtaking what has been done and perfected for years. To put this into perspective, I asked 10 of my friends when the last time they picked up a newspaper or magazine was. The answers varied from “I have no idea” to “Where do I even find one of those”. This general study shows that the newer generations completely and solely rely on social media and the internet for information. As a whole, the world is reliant on the internet and social media. Though people utilize them in different ways, we all have access to it. The next time you pick up your phone and scroll through social media or surf the internet, I urge you to think, “What would I do if all of this was inaccessible tomorrow?”. Where would you get your news from? How would you contact your friends? How would you spend your newfound 7 hours of free time that you typically spend daily on your phone?

    I often worry about the things that we as a society miss while our nose is in our phones. We are so widely trained to check social media throughout the day that we unknowingly miss out on real, face to face connections and conversations. Though I am impressed by the power of the internet, I believe it is slowly taking away human and personal skills. We are so impressively dependent on the internet in ways that we struggle to acknowledge, such as for GPS maps while driving, and as an endless data bank to store loved ones cell phone numbers. Where one advantage of progression and possibilities comes, a disadvantage of loss of interpersonal skills surely follows. 

Blog Post #10: Antiwar

     Is the government providing us with the true and accurate information, or with only what they want us to see? After spending some time browsing on the websites The American Conservative and Antiwar, it became apparent that there is a large amount of government information on the internet that we never seem to see. Additionally, reputable news sources that the country depends on do not share these anitwar perspectives and information. 

    Today, we must go out of our way to find full perspectives and stories because the government has the full ability to shape what we are exposed to. Antiwar views are oftentimes seen and unpatriotic, therefore they are suppressed. Information that the government does not want the general population to be exposed to is difficult to find, therefore suppressing them below reputable, perfectly crafted sites and sources that shares views with the common government beliefs. However, since the sites and stories are still visible on the internet after some deep diving, this is not classified as prior restraint since the information is not fully banned. However, it is a clear example of the government executing their powers to reach the top and infiltrate public opinions with their power and visibility tactics. 

    The idea of antiwar views dates back to the Progressive Era in the early 1900's. This period in American history is also known as the Roaring twenties, a time where civil social and political reform was at the forefront. During this time, America was beginning their involvement in World War I, which sparked major controversy and differing opinions from the citizens of the United States. Many people did not agree with the US involvement in the war, and formed strong Antiwar opinions. Riots and protests broke out due to these strong differing opinions and dissent. 

    It is no secret that the United States is a melting pot. During this time especially, we welcomed in people from all nations, increasing our immigration rates. However, when immigrants spoke up about their disagreement with Americas involvement in World War I, their patriotism was questioned. A majority of the US immigrants at this point in time were from Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe. 

    Prior to this assignment, I was unaware of the strong antiwar voices that still remain active today, as well as the longstanding battle that they have endured. While I understand that the government censors what agenda is pushed out, it seems as though they are extra concerned about the antiwar voices as they do not want public opinion to be swayed in any other way than what the government puts out for us to consume. 

Blog Post #9: EOTO 2 Reaction; Online Influencers

With social media taking over the internet, online content creators and influencers have created strong and widespread platforms. I have watched and followed many social media influencers throughout the years on Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok. Recently, within the last 3 years, TikTok has become the easiest site to grow on. With over 1.5 billion users on the app, the range of content varies. However, there have been celebrities created from this one single app alone. One of the most notable and watched online influencers is Alix Earle. Earle began on TikTok in 2019, posting videos yet only receiving a thousand or so views. She began to go viral in 2021, reaching millions of people with her videos about fashion, college, and lifestyle content. Now, Earle continues to reach fame with over 7 million TikTok followers. 

As someone with an interest in social media, I enjoy watching other online influencers. However, viewers tend to believe everything they see and hear from these well known users. Unfortunately, oftentimes online influencers speak and post without double checking the accuracy of information, which can lead to a mass spread of misinformation. Additionally, another issue that can arise in this position of online power is difficulty being transparent. Many brands want to sponsor and work with these large creators, oftentimes in exchange for money and free products. This results in false reviews, and influencers promoting things that they do not truly like and enjoy. 

As social media continues to grow, more and more people are able to make money off of these platforms. In the year 2023, Earle reportedly made nearly $5 million dollars through her position as an online influencer. Social media is providing people with full time jobs, accompanied by excellent payments. By building personal brands and gaining large followings, these influencers have a large sway in public opinion and spread of information. 

Blog Post #8: The Illusory Truth Effect

    Carrots drastically improve your eyesight, and per year, you swallow 8 spiders while you are asleep. If you have ever heard any of these common sayings, you are a victim of the illusory truth effect. This theory states that the more frequently you hear a piece of information, the more likely you are to believe that it is true. The reasoning behind this is that repetition increases familiarity, tricking your brain into believing the validity and accuracy of the familiar claim.

    The illusory truth effect was first established in the early 1970s through a series of psychological studies. Lynn Hasher, David Goldstein, and Thomas Toppino are credited with the initial research on this theory. They tested their subjects to see if repeating a statement would increase the likelihood that others would believe it. Participants were shown a series of claims by the researchers, some of which were true and some of which weren't. Researchers discovered that people were more likely to trust things that had been presented more frequently, whether or not they were accurate, after hearing some of these comments repeated several times.

Researchers observed that, under controlled conditions on a series of tests several weeks apart, each time an incorrect statement was repeated, participants' confidence in the validity of the statement rose; judgments of the validity of assertions presented uniquely on each test never changed. This theory applies to both information that is true and false, however, the false information that is recognized to be true aids in the spread of misinformation and swaying of public opinion. 

Recently, the world was exposed to the illusory truth effect throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the claim that this pandemic was created as a deliberate biological weapon was rapidly shared and gained traction as true, despite a lack of credible evidence. While information and medical statistics were rapidly shared on line, the accuracy of the information was not often confirmed by reputable sources. Due to an overload of posts regarding the health crisis, it was reported that over a quarter of the posts shared on Twitter regarding the COVID-19 pandemic were false information, yet it was globally perceived to be accurate. 

While the illusory truth effect can benefit the spread of correct information and aid in educating the public, it can be far more harmful to the spread of false and potentially harmful information. Younger generations who utilize various online and social media platforms are at a higher risk of intaking false information, yet processing it as true through repetition on multiple sites. However, older generations may escape the negative effects of this theory if they rely on receiving their news and information for reputable sources. 

The illusory truth effect is pervasive, and appears in our daily lives without our acknowledgement. While this theory can help to process and retain important and correct information, it can be just as damaging with the reverse and incorrect information. No one is excluded from this theory, as every person has been exposed to this memory and recognition game.

Blog Post #7: The Age of AI

 "It is the future of this, not the past that scares me. We are in the early decades of a multi-decade adjustment". The world will never operate as it once did. Where hundreds of workers were needed for one job, they have all been replaced by one, large machine generated by AI. These new machines will soon run the economy. 

In this day and age, Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has made its presence stronger than ever before. However, this new advancement is only it its beginning stages. Over the next few years, AI will continue to grow, taking over human jobs and turning the world to a place ran on solely technology. While these advancements are impressive and truly unbelievable, there are negatives that come along with it. 

As AI will overtake offices, grocery stores, data analytics and everything in between, ethical problems are sure to follow. Job displacement is a leading concern, with the country turning to a place ran on machines, rather than humans. While the machines are being crafted to be far more efficient than any human ever could be, this leaves humans in a place of helplessness and low to no income. This is changing the common idea that 'America is the land of opportunity'.  

Additionally, privacy is among one of the top concerns that come with this AI development. Companies that we use daily such as Facebook and Instagram, study us and our information. The world and internet will adapt to us without us even knowing it. 

"We came into this world thinking that we were users of social media, however, social media was using us". This powerful quote from the Frontline documentary is eye opening and sets off a certain sense of alarm in my head. Though we believe that we have control over our online information and what the internet knows about us, it is genuinely the opposite. The internet is an endless data bank, filled with information about us that we are not even aware of.

Though the developments that society is making is astonishing and new, these advancements need to be approached with a certain level of fear. From exploiting personal information to affecting our livelihoods and incomes, technology is truly at the heart of it all. 

Blog Post #6: EOTO 1 Reflection

 

    How many times a day do you send a quick text message and end it with a cute smiley face or other quirky emoji? These fun little graphics are pervasive in society today and help us to communicate emotions and reactions. However, where did the idea of an emoticon originate from? Back in 1979, computer scientist Scott E. Falhman created the first widely used emoji which was created with a colon, dash mark, and a parenthesis, the direction depending on if you wanted the emotion to portray happiness or sadness. Later in 1988, Japan released the first full keyboard set of over 100 emojis, beginning the worldwide emoji spread. Since the launch of this emoji set, they have continued to grow and evolve, with new emojis continuing to be released every year. As of September, 2024, there are over 3,700 available emojis.

    Emojis are most commonly used to express emotions, which can be helpful when interpreting text messages which has become a more popular mode of communication than phone calls. Additionally, emojis have been found to help build emotional intelligence, which in turn can result in increased self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, social skills, and improved mental health. 

    Lastly, emojis are inclusive, allowing everyone to participate in this universal language. What originated in Japan is now utilized daily around the world, allowing for people of every background to understand and interpret these graphics in the same universal manner. The large variety of emojis allows for self-expression and customization of text messages, enhancing this form of communication. 

    The next time that you use an emoji, I challenge you to stop, pause, and reflect on why you chose that particular emoji. What message are you hoping to send? Why does this emoji fit better in the message as opposed to one of the other 3,000? This presentation opened my eyes to the daily communication form that I have taken for granted, and helped me to better understand the origin and intention behind these small emoticons. 

Blog Post #5: Privacy Online & Off

 

    Taking photographs and posting them online for friends and family to see is a pervasive practice in this day and age of social media; however, who all is really seeing these posts? Where we think that we are being safe online and utilizing private accounts so that not everyone in the public is able to view our content, the wide reach of the internet is always one step ahead of us. 

After watching an incredibly eye opening Ted Talk video, presented by Juan Enriquez, he shared frightening insight on how our personal photos and images are being utilized in a data cloud larger than we could ever imagine. Enriquez shares a company with us called 'Face.com'. Have you ever heard of it? Probably not, but, your face is probably on it! This website was sold to Facebook in 2018 with other 18 billion photo images of peoples faces from around the world. Where we are getting impressed by facial scanning and recognition in our personal photo apps on our phones, those images and information is being shared across the internet without our knowledge.

    If Enriquez's insight did not frighten you enough, let me share with you one more astonishing piece of information. When we think about the police, the average person considers them to be a safe haven, helping to protect us and our information. However, what is your reaction when I share that every day, police are capturing images of peoples cars, faces, and whereabout through small license plate reading cameras on their police cars? Mike Katz-Lacabe was intrigued about the alleged storing and tracking of information by police cars, and went into the station to see if his local police department had any information on his vehicle. The findings were more shocking that he could have ever imagined. The police department had dozens of instances where Lacabe's car was caught on camera, including the date, time, and location of where he was. One of the examples showed him in the driveway at his own home, with him and his 2 daughters faces clearly captured in the image. This example of data tracking and storing is overwhelming to comprehend, and impossible to avoid.

    Although we all think to limit and censor what information we voluntarily put onto the internet, it is vital to consider what personal information hits the internet without us sharing it or knowing about it. The rise of technology is incredibly useful, however, at what point has technology and the internet gone too far?

Blog Post #4: EOTO: The Carrier Pigeon

 

“Look up in the sky! It’s a bird……it's a plane……it’s……Superman!” Well, as much as I would love to educate the public about Superman, this topic is almost just as unbelievable. Dating back to 2000 BC, Carrier Pigeons, also known as Homing Pigeons, were the main form of long distance communication. The ancient Mesopotamians and Egyptians first discovered this impressive mode of long distance communication, then extended this remarkable communication system over to Greece and Rome. The Greeks recognized the internal compass of this bird, and relied on these creatures to fly and deliver important news, such as the winners of the Olympic games. Rome began utilizing this form of communication shortly thereafter, and relied on the birds to deliver messages to soldiers, as well as share the news and outcomes of battles. As we see in these examples, these birds were trusted and tasked with the most impressive duty. The birds' accuracy and consistency gained them popularity, as carrier pigeons became the main form of long distance and high speed communication for decades to come. Due to their impressive internal compass, they earned the name “homing pigeon”, due to their ability to always find their way back home to where they began their journey. These pigeons are originally raised in a home cage, learning this to be their safe spot, home, and starting destination. When they are sent out on their message delivering journeys, they are trained to return back to this originating point.

Carrier pigeons made their overall lasting impact with their leadership in warfare. For years, these birds were used to send and deliver messages relating to enemy movements, tactical plans, and general wins or losses. Messages were sent back and forth between European military units, dating into both World War I and World War II. In order to deliver a message, the note was placed into a very small capsule, then tied to the bird's foot. These amazing animals were more reliable than a human messenger, due to the fact that they could navigate through any terrain, dangerous battlegrounds, unfamiliar territory, or cross over enemy fire. Most impressively, they always knew how to return to where they started. 

While the birds were mainly used for communication, they were also extremely valuable to scientists, as they studied these creatures to understand more about migration and navigation. They discovered through these multitude of tests that these birds have an impressively sharp memory, aiding with their ability to seamlessly find their way back home. Additionally, scientists discovered that these animals could fly over 60 mph, covering hundreds of miles in a single trip. Their internal magnetic sense helps them to innately detect the earth's magnetic fields, along with using landmarks and other visual aids, allow them to have one of the most impressive navigation and location awareness. 

While the homing pigeon was a turning point in communication, this form of communication has been overthrown by modern technology. The telegram was the next technological development that threatened the use of the carrier pigeon when it was created in the early 19th century. Though we look at these inventions today and question the practicality, the helpfulness of these tools back in the day were viewed in the same manner that we view our smartphones today.

Blog Post #3: 8 Values of Free Expression

 

    The 8 Values of Free Expression are fundamental ideas that help to guide the nation in civil manner, creating the foundation for a healthy democracy. These 8 values emphasize the importance of checking power, self-government, and free speech. Without these core ideals and values, our right to free speech would be harmed, and what we say, think, post, and share would be censored and blocked. These 8 values are used and relevant in daily life, however, we do not realize how important they are, until we consider what happens when they are taken away.

    One of the 8 values is the Marketplace of Ideas, which was first proposed by John Milton. This value emphasizes the belief that it is beneficial for society to be allowed to share any belief, whether it is controversial or common. Through this practice of free expression, ideas can be agreed with, challenged, or contradicted by anyone. In todays modern digital age, the use of social media for sharing opinions and beliefs is pervasive. Since the world has moved towards utilizing social media outlets as a way to share news and beliefs, Twitter and TikTok are two current examples that come to mind when considering the current online practices on the Marketplace of Ideas. These 2 social media platforms allow for people from all around the world to post and share opinions, leaving them up to scrutiny from anyone. As a Social Media and Digital Communication major, this practice deeply resonates with me as I see current, daily examples of this concept online. 

    I came across an intriguing news article from CNN, which shares that the Supreme Court and White House are pressing social media companies to remove disinformation.

Following trends in the past, the internet and online media platforms tend to gain attention around elections, as well as national health crises, as there are so many people which so many opinions who flood the internet with their hardcore bias beliefs. However, allowing these posts to stay, no matter how many people disagree with them, is the practice of the Marketplace of Ideas. When analyzing this topic with the Marketplace of Ideas in mind, this appears to be very concerning, and creates a bias internet space. Over the last 10 years, it has been amazing to watch the internet grow. Every day, there are thousands of new posts, a majority of which are controversial or unpopular. However, it is these risqué posts that keep diversity and conversation continual online, allowing people to continuously practice their free speech and the Marketplace of Ideas. Working closely with the Marketplace of Ideas is.a similar Value of Free Expression, "Promote Tolerance". Promote Tolerance is an idea that was first proposed by Lee Bollinger, where it states that hate speech can benefit society, as it teaches people to become more tolerant. When coming across bias, hate speech, or even inaccurate information in a post, society can benefit in other area of life, because a generally tolerant society is a stabler society. 

    The '"Marketplace of Ideas" works alongside "Promote Tolerance", which I view to be the 2 most important and relevant values from the 8 Values of Free Expression. Both of these ideas are ever evolving  with the rise of social media, and are put to use and challenge each day. Together, these 2 values help to keep the internet diverse and open for opinions and scrutiny in a peaceful manner, from all. 

Blog Post #2: The Supreme Court

         

     Throughout my Middle School and High School career, we were taught about government, and the different powers within it. I recall doing a research project on the topic of the Supreme Court in my eighth grade American History class, however, now that I am older and have deeper levels of understanding, I begin to see the true importance and impact that this area of government holds.

    The Supreme Court is made up of 9 Justices, who serve a life term once they are elected by the President. While this is uncommon, I believe that it is essential and an important defining characteristic of this highly respectable position. The Constitution states that Judges serve during "good Behavior", which entails a lifelong sentence or until otherwise retired, convicted, or deceased. The main objective of this position is to to uphold the Law. Each year, the Justices are presented with over 7,000 petitions, of which they must carefully analyze and decide which 100 are worthy of their attention. There is great variation in the types of petitions that they receive, ranging from unjust previous rulings from a lower court, alleged wrongful convicting of an American citizen, to general State Court appeals. What I failed to understand about the Supreme Court prior to this lesson is that the Justices review each case that comes to their door, however, they only take a small amount to trial. Additionally, the Justices must review each case in a non-biased manner, allowing for complete transparency. This allows for each Justice to make their own analysis about the case prior to discussing the matters at a conference with all 9 Justices. These weekly conferences, only the 9 Justices are allowed in the room, excluding secretaries and other aids. I learned that the first and most important step in these meetings is to shake the hand of each Justice to connect on a human level, and create an understanding that even if there are differing viewpoints, that no grudges will be held. Oftentimes, it can be hard to acknowledge that people in such high powers of authority are still people, and this small but impactful action humanizes each one of them. After the conference, the Justices then take to trial, where the case is argued before them with lawyers representing both sides of the case are present.

     Ruth Bader Ginsburg shared her account of arguing her first case in front of the 9 Supreme Court Justices. Ginsburg was the second woman elected to the Supreme Court, and she served from 1993 until her death in 2020. Ginsburg shared that at her first trial experience in front of the Supreme Court, she was terribly scared for the first 2 minutes. After that, she realized that people were there to listen to what she had to say, and ever since that moment, she loved the power that she held during these moments. I recall the passing of Ginsburg in 2020 and remember the distraught emotions that fell upon our country, however, I was too uneducated to understand why. Now, after this lesson, I understand the power and respect that the Supreme Court holds, and how they are essential to upholding the law and protecting the Civil Rights and liberties of the American citizens. 

Blog Post #1: Top 5 Sources of News and Information

In this current day and age, it is a constant struggle to find unbiased, accurate news sources online. Social media has corrupted online news, sharing inaccurate information to users at a record speed. Though I do still find myself utilizing certain Social Media platforms to stay up to date on current events, it is always essential to cross check information with a well known and reliable source.

1. AllSides  

In my freshman year of high school, I took a Digital Journalism course. A main focus in this elective was finding neutral, unbiased news sources, and comparing articles on the same event to try and find differences and hidden opinions. Discovering AllSides has changed my perspective on news and media coverage, as the website acknowledges the bias in the news, and works to provide news articles from the left, right, and center views. Having the ability to read multiple sources on the same topic allows you to form your own opinion with all of the given material. 

2. FOX6 Milwaukee   

I have utilized FOX6 for over 10 years, as it helps me to stay up to date on the current happenings in my hometown. Having lived in the Milwaukee area for 18 years of my life, it is important to me that I stay knowledgable about any changes, events that occur back home. Now that I attend school in North Carolina away from WI, the accessibility of the FOX6 website, app, and daily livestreams allows me to easily utilize this news source, no matter where I am.

3. TikTok   

As I purse a degree in Social Media and Digital Communication, I have inevitable spent a large amount of time on social media platforms, such as TikTok. TikTok is a unique platform, as each user is exposed to different videos depending on their specially curated algorithms. Though the accuracy and relevancy of the news videos are often questionable, this platforms delivers news in a fun and engaging way. Rarely are the younger generations seeking out news sights, and social media is turning to become their number one source for news delivery.

4. BFFs Podcast  

Every week, I like to keep myself informed on pop culture, and the current events in the influencer world. The BFFs Podcast is a weekly show with 3 well-known hosts (Brianna Chickenfry, Dave Portnoy, and Josh Richards) that updates the listeners on the current trends, events, and news from the week. Though this form of news and content is not the traditional news source, it is a way to make news fun and appeal to a different audience. In my opinion, it is important to stay knowledgable on current events, however, you can pick what area appeals to you. 

5. Apple News  

Apple News is an app that comes included with any Apple device, making the content widely seen. Though I do not often search through the Apple News app, I receive daily notifications of current news. By seeing these notification, I am exposed to brief news headlines that oftentimes peak my interest and lure me to research more and explore the app. Personally, I view Apple News to be incredibly smart, as such a wide age range of people utilize Apple devices, and are exposed to current events and news headlines daily. From the notifications, it is up to the user if they want to learn more on the easily accessible app.