Final Blog

Technology is an amazing thing. As the years go on, technology keeps increasing. From the launching of the man on the moon to everyday technology like cell phones; technology with no doubt has made extraordinary things happen. You can find out any knowledge with the typing on a computer. You can call someone on the other side of the world. You can share photos with friends and family with just the click of a button. So much of technology is amazing, it is almost unbelievable. So much of what we have today is taken for granted, it is hard to think that computers did not exist until hardly 40 years ago, and even then, they were rarities but now almost everyone has their own computer. The same goes for cell phones. It is incredible what can be accomplished all thanks to technology and its advances.

However, there are downsides. It can’t all be amazing and perfect. There are unintended consequences that have risen with the increase in technology. The biggest being social media consequences. Don’t get me wrong, I am an avid social media user, but I am aware of its downsides. I feel like almost everything can have a downside, like I said, it can’t all be amazing and perfect.

People spend an average of over 2 hours a day on social media. This number increases to 3 hours a day for people aged 16-24. Projections for social media use estimates the average adult will spend 6 years and 8 months of their life on social media. That is A LOT of time and this is a problem.

As a 21-year old female, I will be the first to admit I spend a lot of time on social media. But I also will say I do not always like it or like how it makes me feel. For example, over the holidays I was with 3 of my friends. At one point, we all were on our phones Snap Chatting, or scrolling through some social media platform. This is one little look in to how people now interact and it shows how harmful social media can be. Another example is how people look perfect in all their social media posts. I sometimes feel that other people’s lives are better or more fun, and I know it is not just me with this feeling. The social media posts are picture perfect. Eating disorders, suicide rates, and depression and anxiety have all been increasing and it can partly be due to social media. Society is connected to social media; it is a hate love relationship. Everyone must be on it, but it does not always make them happy.

Endless studies have been done that prove how bad social media can be, especially for one’s mental health. People spend too much time scrolling and it negatively affects them. This doesn’t go to say it is all bad. It is good to be able to easily stay connected to friends and family, especially when you cannot see them all the time. Technology is amazing, but with anything there can be a downside and in this case, it is too much time on social media.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2017/06/30/a-run-down-of-social-medias-effects-on-our-mental-health/#446345a52e5a

https://review42.com/how-much-time-do-people-spend-on-social-media/

Fake News and the Coronavirus

Fake news is old news. We know what it is and we have heard so much about it. When it comes to fake news and the novel coronavirus, Dr. Thomas Ken Lew says, “The internet is a wellspring of hoaxes, half-truths and misinformation on the coronavirus. No age group is immune, and we all need to be skeptical”. Just one more thing to think about in this stressful situation.

The coronavirus pandemic is taking the nation by storm. Everyone’s lives have just been halted, thrown around and disrupted. The virus has gone global and people have been scared, annoyed, upset, etc. It is not a light subject and it is all the news sources talk about. People want to stay up to date on the changes and effects that are happening. People also want to do whatever they can to stay healthy. With this, comes the wave of fake news revolving around Covid-19.

In an article, I found they shared a story of their father telling them that if you could hold your breath for 10 seconds, you were proven to not be infected by the coronavirus. This information is not just wrong; it is also potentially dangerous. The 70 year old father got the information from Facebook; of course. The internet is full of sources and knowledge on the subject, but unfortunately it is also full of fake news on the virus.

With such a serious subject, you would think that there would not be fake news about it. But that is just not the case. You must be checking sources and reports. When you should be worrying about the pandemic, you also have to worry about whether the information you see is true or not. Just remember to stay smart and stay safe.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/04/13/coronavirus-fake-news-health-hazard-column/5132921002/

Whistleblower

When you hear the word whistleblower, the first thing that might come to mind is a referee or umpire. While the word does sound like it refers to someone who officiates a sports match, that is not correct. According to Wikipedia, a whistleblower is a person who exposes secretive information or activity that is deemed illegal, unethical, or not correct within a private or public organization. The information on the alleged wrongdoing can be classified in many ways: violation of company policy/rules, law, regulation, or threat to public interest/national security, as well as fraud, and corruption.

Whistleblowers often face scrutiny, legal ramifications, and are left ostracized and isolated. This begs the question, is it worth the consequences? Many whistleblowers defend their actions with ethics. They believe that it is of the utmost importance to expose the wrongdoings of the organization they are affiliated with even at their own detriment. 

An example of a whistleblower in action is with Pfizer. Pfizer is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. The company made a drug called Neurontin. This drug was meant to be used only as an adjunctive epileptic medication. Pfizer claimed it could be used for other disorders though, such as bipolar disease. There was no approval for this by the FDA or NDA. Pfizer decided to focus heavily on marketing the drug for off label use rather than spend the money for additional studies to get it approved for bipolar disease. Paid Physicians to promote Neurontin for off-label uses and to prescribe higher doses than what was approved safe. An employee at the time became a whistleblower. The (now former) employee saw the illegal actions and spoke up, causing a hefty lawsuit. The company made 2.7 billion dollars a year off of the drug and paid $430 million in criminal fines which is not a lot in comparison to their profits off the drug.

Whistleblowers can be good for society as they tend to do what is ethical. On the other end, it can be bad for the companies who get called out on illegal activities or malpractices. The Pfizer example shows how whistleblowers can help society because the drug being illegally marketed could have proved harmful. Whistleblower cases are often seen in politics too. When someone on the inside of an organization comes forward with information that proves the organization to be doing wrong, they are helping those on the outside. For myself, being an average individual in society I am unaware of false information. I go by what companies or organizations say and trust them on their word. When it is false, it is the whistleblowers that help the average individuals outside of the organization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistleblower
https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/14/business/pfizer-to-pay-430-million-over-promoting-drug-to-doctors.html

Privacy

The theme of privacy has become more and more popular over the past years. It is the most vexing issue of the digital age. As discussed in my post the week before, part of the problem when it comes to privacy is the information we voluntarily put online. Then another part of the problem is how companies like Facebook use that information we gave them. Clearly there is more to the problem and that is just the beginning.

Today's technologies enable people, corporations and governments to violate our privacy on a massive scale. Technology is a great thing and has changed lives for the better; but also for the worst.

As stated in Juan Enriquez Ted Talk, your online life is as permanent as a tattoo. Jan Enriquez looks at the permanent effects of digital sharing on our personal privacy. He says that tattoos are loud. There is not much that needs to be said, because the tattoo says it all. He then compares it to social media platforms. He calls the information of these platforms are electronic tattoos. Meaning that they provide much information just like a tattoo would. The companies have so much information about people that can be scary. The technology knows your preferences, face, and personal data and info.

He then talks about the Greeks because the Greeks have though about gods, humans and immortality for a long time. Sisyphus, Orpheus and Eurydice are examples he compares to the issue of technology.  Such as the electronic reputation, past history, and accomplishments or failures. When posting or sharing information on platforms, users must be aware of the consequences that can come with it. He ends by saying we are all threatened with mortality because of the electronic tattoos we all have.

https://securitytoday.com/articles/2019/09/03/3-major-internet-privacy-issues-and-how-to-avoid-them.aspx?admgarea=ht.wirelessnetworks

https://www.ted.com/talks/juan_enriquez_your_online_life_permanent_as_a_tattoo?language=en

Online Footprint

I have an average online footprint. I use social media, but I am not constantly posting or scrolling. I have a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Pinterest and personal website. This seems like a lot, but I am not very active on most of these platforms. I post to Instagram once and a while to share a photo of myself and friends doing something interesting. I browse through Facebook and Pinterest every once and a while to kill time and see what is happening in the world. I snapchat every day, and use LinkedIn and my website for networking.

If a visitor were to visit my Facebook and Instagram page, they would be able to learn quite a bit about me. They would know where I have been, how I have been with and more. This seems a bit frightening when really thinking about it. If a person were to go to my LinkedIn or website they would learn about my skills and job abilities. This is beneficial since I will be job searching soon. This helps me network and helps employers find me, and see my talent. The other platforms I am on, I do not post or do much with. Visitors would not gain much information about me through Twitter or Pinterest. When thinking deeply about what my social media presence can do, does make me question if it is worth it.

When setting up my profile on these platforms, I have given out a lot of my information without even thinking twice about it. I have shared my phone number, email, address, likes, dislikes, and more; all because I thought that it was okay and that I needed a profile on the platform. The companies get my information and sell it, share it or use it for their own advertising. This can be seen as a privacy issue for many.

Along with privacy issues, the questions posed by The Atlantic article shows that social media does not always have a good impact on users. It has been proven that it can make people feel lonely, depresses and isolated. Social media is such a big part of the world today, but maybe it shouldn’t be?

https://www.fastcompany.com/section/the-privacy-divide

Diffusion of Innovations

Roger’s Diffusion of Innovations explains how, why and at what rate new ideas and technologies spread. While it is just a theory, it is widely adopted and popular. According to Roger, “diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated over time among the participants in a social system” (Wikipedia contributors, 2020). His theory comes with graphs to show his thoughts in an visual format, like the one below.

Snapchat is an example of a newer innovation that can be viewed through the lens of the theory. It was founded in 2011 and it has quickly become one of the leading social media platforms in the world in 2020 and it is still so new. The theory claims that is an innovation is too complicated reduces the chances it will be adopted. Snapchat is the complete opposite of complicated. It is a simple platform that lets users send pictures and videos for a maximum of 10 seconds to their friends.

A downside to the innovation of Snapchat is that it does not make tasks easier. The theory claims that innovations are more likely to be adopted when they help with everyday tasks. It also claims that innovations that are disruptive to routine are less likely to be adopted. Snapchat can be a distraction to routine.

The theory dives into to characteristic of innovations. That is how the innovation are adopted (or not adopted). The diffusion of innovations has strong and valid points that show the value of innovations from the past to the innovations of now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations
https://www.thestreet.com/technology/history-of-snapchat

Works Cited

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, March 24). Diffusion of innovations. Retrieved April 3, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations