Blog Post #10

 In this age of technology, I think it’s difficult to say whether or not I have a good or bad relationship with technology. I have grown up with it my whole life. I do think that I use my phone and computer too much sometimes. But it can be difficult to put technology away. 

“A 2022 study in the United States found that consumers were spending on average 13 hours 5 minutes with media and technology per day. Out of this, 5 hours 17 minutes of this was with video, 2 hours 51 minutes with audio, 1 hour 47 minutes with gaming, and 1 hour 33 minutes on messaging and social media”(Daily time spent using media and technology in the US 2022-2026).

Technology informs me and also misleads me. I have learned a lot. There is so much information out there. It can be difficult to dissect and weave through information that may or may not be factual. 

I worry about our society. Technology has been amazing and beneficial for everyone. We can communicate with everybody at any time. We know what is going on in the world within seconds of it happening. 

But I worry that we are going down the wrong path. We are all so connected to technology that we don’t look up from our phones and tablets. We are becoming a society that can communicate using technology, but we struggle with face-to-face communication. 

We all need to take a look at ourselves and understand that the use of technology might be making us isolated. 

Since Covid-19, we have all needed to stay home. But now that all the bans and restrictions have been lifted, we can explore the world around us and be with others. But this does not mean that it did not impact society's ability to communicate. 

“When technology takes the place of in-person relationships, it has been found to increase loneliness and disconnection and reduce well-being…High social media use is linked to reduced positive mental health outcomes–especially feelings of well-being…Maintaining control and self-monitoring technology consumption may be a fruitful strategy to combat loneliness and help people cope with stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done. Heavy internet users may interpret their compulsion as a minimal problem, while a disconnection can lead to anxiety and feelings of loss”(Technology Use, Loneliness, and Isolation | Psychology Today).

Blog Post #9

 After watching the second hour of In the Age of AI (full documentary) | FRONTLINE, I have a few comments. Women are being underrepresented. In discussions of robots and automation, almost all photos are of men, even though women are the majority of the ones doing the work.

Women are overrepresented in marginalized occupations like cashiers or fast food workers, as well as in a large number of clerical positions in offices like HR departments, payroll, and finance, these all have potential for automation. Advances in technology are going to take over jobs. 

AI is going to do some of that. software robots are going to do some of that. They are both going to have a role in the workplace. 

Most Americans can not afford a $400 unplanned expense, so if people want to advance in a certain field, different hiccups can make it difficult.  

New machines will penetrate every sector of the economy, from insurance companies to human resource departments, from law firms to the trading world of Wall Street. We are all going to see how and how many robots it takes to take jobs from people.

Blog Post #8

 I think we have not heard of these antiwar websites because the government wants us all to feel the need to go to war. In America, we have had to draft people for wars in the past. I think the government wants us to want to fight for our country. That's why antiwar-related media sources are always somehow harder to find.

All of the normal news sources we watch on television every day like:

• CNN

• MSNBC News

• Fox News

• NBC News

• CBS News

• ABC Live Stream - ABC.com

We also look at newspaper and journalism-oriented news sources. 

• The New York Times

• The Wall Street Journal

• The Washington Post

• BBC

• The New Yorker

• USA Today

Even though all of these different new sources have different perspectives and sides they latch onto, they all talk about war. 

If The American Conservative and Antiwar.com talked about war in a better light, I think we would have better access to these websites overall.

Blog Post #7

 The Spiral of Silence Theory is “a political science and mass communication theory which states that an individual's perception of the distribution of public opinion influences that individual's willingness to express their own opinions. Also known as the theory of public opinion, the spiral of silence theory claims individuals will be more confident and outward with their opinion when they notice that their personal opinion is shared throughout a group. In other words, from the individual's perspective, "not isolating themself is more important than their own judgement", meaning their perception of how others in the group perceive them is more important to themself than the need for their opinion to be heard”(Spiral of silence - Wikipedia).

The biggest implication,  and the worst part of the Spiral of Silence is that no one will voice their opinion that they view to be in the minority. People have a “fear of social isolation that prompts them to constantly monitor the behavior of others for signs of approval or disapproval”(Spiral of silence | Social Psychology, Communication & Group Dynamics | Britannica). 

The good thing about the Spiral of Silence is that “those who sense that their opinions will meet with approval tend to voice them fearlessly and at times vociferously” (https://www.britannica.com/topic/spiral-of-silence).

The Spiral of Silence “occurs only in connection with controversial issues that have a strong moral component. What triggers a person’s fear of isolation is the belief that others will consider him or her not merely mistaken but morally bad. Accordingly, issues that lack a moral component or on which there is general consensus leave no room for a spiral of silence”(https://www.britannica.com/topic/spiral-of-silence).

The theory affects minority groups because of the fact they feel like they can’t voice their opinions. They feel that if they say something that is not what others think, even though many people might feel the same way, they will be isolated from society.

The Spiral of Silence affects different groups of people in different ways. Concerning women and men the theory impacts us differently. A good example is in “A popular movie Mean Girls is a classic example of the theory. Where everyone in the school is afraid to stand up against the majority group “The Plastics”. An important scene when all of the girls in the high school are asked to gather at an assembly on bullying. They are to close their eyes and then raise their arms when asked specific questions. When asked to open their eyes while their arms are risen, all the girls look around and immediately put their hands down in fear of rejection or judgment. This is a prime example of this theory, if they were asked to keep their eyes open, they would have most likely answered dishonestly or not at all. Eventually though, the movie ends peacefully after everyone realizes their feelings are similar and they aren't alone in the minority”(Spiral of Silence: Mean Girls). While this is not real life, the feelings and how they showed it are similar to what it feels like. 

The Spiral of Silence can affect me at home with my family and friends. There are times when there is an argument between me and my family or friends, and I feel scared to state my opinion. My opinion may be valid, but when multiple people feel the same way, and I do not, it can feel uncomfortable to speak up.