Blog Post #6

I am looking at the innovation of TikTok through the lens of Diffusion Theory. Diffusion Theory “seeks to explain how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spread. The theory was popularized by Everett Rogers in his book Diffusion of Innovations, first published in 1962. Rogers argues that diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the participants in a social system. The origins of the diffusion of innovations theory are varied and span multiple disciplines”(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations). 

TikTok is a social media platform that has existed since late 2019 or early 2020. “Since its launch, TikTok has become one of the world's most popular social media platforms, using recommendation algorithms that were better than alternative apps at connecting content creators with new audiences. Many of its users are young and part of Generation Z. The popularity of TikTok has allowed viral trends in food and music to take off and increase the platform's cultural impact worldwide”(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok).

TikTok was able to catch on and spread easily because of viral trends. “In the beginning, users could choose and follow the music to disguise that they were singing the song, then share it with friends. This simple trend ignited a lot of users' imitation. Gradually, the app spawned viral trends and attracted more users into the big social app system”(Here's Why The TikTok App Is Taking Over Other App Downloads - Digital Crew).

There are a few downsides to the app and its popularity. There is a downside to online hatred. People think just because they can be anonymous that they can be cruel. That’s with all online platforms. But TikTok showed how damaging people can be. Creators on the app who are very popular get a lot of hate. People will comment about how they look, and what they don’t like about the person, and others will send death threats. This causes a lot of creators to take a break from the app, or post less due to their mental health taking a nosedive. 

Of course, there are always upsides. TikTok has allowed over two billion people to connect. People can post whatever they want and it will find the people who also like the same things. You can learn how to cook, and dance, learn more about the government, hear what people want and don’t like, participate in trends, watch and create “get ready with me” videos, and more. There is something for everyone. 

Blog Post #5

In this Each One Teach One (EOTO), I researched how The invention of paper changed the world. Cai Lun invented paper. “Paper was first made in Lei-Yang, China by Ts'ai Lun, a Chinese court official. In all likelihood, Ts'ai mixed mulberry bark, hemp and rags with water, mashed it into pulp, pressed out the liquid and hung the thin mat to dry in the sun”(The History of Paper). 

Before paper, people would draw symbols on rocks or walls near them. “Before paper as we know it existed, people communicated through pictures and symbols carved into tree bark, painted on cave walls, and marked on papyrus or clay tablets. About 2,000 years ago, inventors in China took communication to the next level, crafting cloth sheets to record their drawings and writings. And paper, as we know it today, was born!”(The History of Paper).

Paper solved a problem, and since then we have not gone back to before then. “Back then, scrolls of silk were being used as books. But the development of calligraphy and the animal hair brush, and the resulting proliferation of literature, created the need for a writing material that was cheaper and more practical than pure silk”(THE HISTORY OF PAPER – Conservatree). 

Paper was a large invention in our timeline, but it also had many impacts to the world then and now.  “Paper was both an exchanged element as well as a vector for further intercultural exchange as it allowed for knowledge to be transcribed and then transported over large distances and in its many production centres often sparked a flourishing in written culture”(Did You Know? The Importance of Paper Making Technology in Cultural Exchange along the Silk Roads). The invention of paper became currency and allowed for more money to be a part of the economy. 

Paper was not just used to sell, or draw on, or write. People used it to communicate. “As a result, scribes could produce books and maps faster and more efficiently. While it took another 300 years for Ts'ai Lun's invention to reach the Middle East, and 500 more to reach Europe, this invention forever transformed the spread of knowledge and human communication”(National Inventors Month: How Paper Transformed Society - DOMTAR Newsroom).

Even though the invention of paper had many positive effects on the world, it also had negative effects. “We know that paper production creates toxic gasses and wastes. Some of these gasses are greenhouse gasses (GHG). According to research, about 21% of these greenhouse gasses come from pulp and paper mills [10]. Most of the emissions take place during the production phase of paper”(The Impacts of Paper on The Environment - CARTLY). We know now that the paper-making industry has had a part in global warming.

Blog Post #4

 The multiple TED Talks all discussed different security issues. The first discusses how what we post online is out there forever, the second talks about how our location is always being tracked, and the third talks about how our phones are giving the government our information.

The first video is by Juan Enriquez, “Your online life, permanent as a tattoo”. He starts the TED Talk by making an analogy between people getting tattoos and how they can make one feel. They may represent happiness, pain, memory, or a mistake. The main point of the video is to tell us that what is on the internet is always there. There is no way to erase anything. Having my life always on the internet can disrupt my life in the future. Potentially something that was filmed or photographed could be leaked. This can happen to everyone. The government could make more security measures that make everything more private. But this is extremely hard to do for millions of people. The best thing anyone can do is be aware of what you are letting people see. Nothing and no one is safe.

The second video is by Catherine Crump, “The small and surprisingly dangerous detail the police track about you”. The main point of the TED Talk was to show how the police can keep tabs on every person in the United States. They use cameras and surveillance video to get pictures of people's license plates. This all goes into a spreadsheet. This makes it easy for police to track down someone of interest. But it also means that everyone is always being watched, even if they don’t commit a crime. Having the government tracking me while I’m driving is a somewhat new topic to me. I did not realize that police cars and video cameras were getting pictures of my license plate. Once again, nothing is private. The government should make people more aware, that they are tracking everyone’s cars and how they interact with each other. We can’t do anything about this issue. Everyone needs to get to where they are going.

The last video is by Christopher Soghoian, “How to avoid surveillance… with the phone in your pocket”. The main message of the video is to show how no matter what people think is private, there is no way of knowing that. Phone companies were made for the government to use, nothing is as private as we think. Like the first video, nothing is private. We may think there are aspects of our lives that can be private, but there is always someone watching us. 

Blog Post #3

 After reviewing all eight of the speech theories, I have found a couple of theories that I resonate with. The first one is Individual Self-Fufillment. The second one is to Promote Innovation. They both have a few things in common. They both allow for each person to find who they are, and meet people who align with who they truly are. 

Individual Self-Fulfillment is what we all want. We all want the ability to free ourselves and think about things that are important to us. Promote Innovation uses the previous theory but allows people to work together and create without any judgment from others. 

I think that we have both of these theories in our society. But except for one thing. Not everyone is equal. We can all say everyone is equal, but the news and the government would say otherwise. All of the new laws that have been passed in the last few years have made one kind of person equal, and that is a heterosexual white male. Everyone else is not equal. Women don’t have rights to their bodies, the LGBTQ+ community is scrutinized for being themselves, and all minorities can’t do what they want.

Blog Post #2

 In the video, I learned that the Supreme Court of the United States remains the most powerful judicial body on earth. They tell the president, congress, and the states what they may or may not do. I also learned that they pick and choose what cases they will have a trial on. They receive about one hundred cases a week, which is roughly seven thousand cases a year.

The most important key takeaway I learned is they only take about one hundred cases a year. The justices get the case a week in advance, and then the lawyers from each side get thirty minutes to share and answer questions. Within a few days after hearing the case, the justices meet and vote. Then the justices choose who will have to write an opinion about the case. This takes about four weeks to write. Then they will write another draft. The process can take multiple months to complete. 

The most surprising thing I learned is, that in all of America's history, there have only been just over one hundred justices. The video changed the way I thought about the supreme court because, I did not realize how many cases are sent to them, and how little they review.

Blog Post #1

I don’t watch the news as much as I probably should because the world makes me sad. But I watch some programs with my parents. I also follow news pages on TikTok and Instagram.

The first source I use for information and news is CNN. I have always watched CNN. It was one of the news stations that was on in my house. The multiple diverse stories I have seen give me a perspective that I am lucky enough not to have been through what most people on the news have. I think you should watch it because they talk about several current events going on in the world.

The second source I use is TikTok. TikTok has so many different creators. I follow a few different news-centered creators. They can convey information in a user-friendly way, that is quick. They also talk about events happening all around the world. While other sources in the USA do that, this year is mainly focused on the presidential election. I like that I can know what is happening in other countries. I think you should watch it because you can access many different kinds of news very quickly.

The third source I use is Instagram. Like TikTok, Instagram has many different kinds of creators. I follow a few different accounts that post about the LGBTQ+ community, women's rights, and the different events that are happening around the world. I think you should use it because the sources differ and you can find all kinds of information.