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Digital Divide

I’m gonna use EA as an example since I just absolutely ABHOR EA. Alright, EA doesn’t give you full access to their things despite paying the full price. In my world, that’s just complete BS. That right there is economic inequality. I payed the full 20 dollars for this game, only to find out that around 80% of the story and features are locked… Where do you even go from there? I mean, if they just locked features such as character skins, weapon skins, then I’d be totally okay with it. Character and weapon skins don’t really effect the experience of the product. But if it’s something like locking 50% of the story from the players, then that’s just unacceptable. Heck, where do you think all the EA memes come from??

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Plagiarism

Ohhh Plagiarism…… The one thing that every high school and college student is afraid that they might do. Heck, if I had a nickel for every time someone thought that I plagiarised a paper, I would only have one HAHA. But seriously though, taking someone’s work and claiming that its yours is uncool. Years ago, there was this controversy with Justin Bieber and Skrillex. Basically, their song “Sorry” was allegedly plagiarised. The two were accused by Casey Dienel for their hit song “Sorry.” How do we know that it’s plagiarised? Well, if you listen to Sorry and Ring the Bell from Casey’s 2014 album Baby, you’ll notice that the vocal riffs are pretty much the same thing. If you wanna get stomped on by everyone else, then plagiarise. I mean, one of the worst things that you could do in the media is plagiarise. Here’s the thing, people who plagiarise forget that they’re in the media. A place where EVERYONE GOES. Of course some people would notice the plagiarism.

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Computer Addiction

Computer addiction doesn’t just apply to actual computers, it also applies to smart phones, tablets, etc. If you think about it, that small device that you carry around in your pocket is basically a portable computer. Think about it, you can basically access the media from any place. If you haven’t watched Ready Player One by Steven Spielberg, I really think you should watch it. Well basically, it’s about this computer generated world that’s VR. So in short, everyone in the planet is linked to this world. This world is called the Oasis and it’s basically everyone’s dream land. Whatever you can think of, you can have in this world. You wanna meet Batman? No problem! You wanna BE Batman? No problem! You wanna beat up the Joker? No problem! Your only limit is your imagination. But you may be wondering… “That sounds like a great idea! What’s so bad about it?” Well… Everyone is legit on the Oasis 24/7. People don’t know how to put down their controllers. Think of it like this, they basically spend 90% of their day EVERY SINGLE DAY on the Oasis. There’s a reason as to why they closed the Oasis during the weekends. The owners of the Oasis wanted people to interact with others. Let’s be honest here, if such a thing existed, everyone would have a VR set 24/7. How sad would that be? It would be super fun, I’ll give you that. But that’s just not living life. Life is reality, not a computer generated world. I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but if you use the media to hide in your sorrows, you gotta stop. Get your eyes out of your gadget, and start socialising!

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Cyber-Bullying

Look, I’m really against Cyber-Bullying but if there’s one thing that I can’t stand, it’s when people are just wayyyyy toooooo sensitive. Firstly, it’s the media for Christ’s sake. The one place where literally everything can be said. Remember, you’re not the only one that uses the media. Everyone uses the media! You shouldn’t take things way too personally when a stranger begins berating you. However, if it’s someone like a “friend” that’s berating you, then that’s a completely different story altogether. Otherwise, if it’s anyone else, they could just be trolls that are trying to piss people off. I read an article about a girl and her experience in Cyber-Bullying. She posted something on her Instagram account, and a few hours later, her “friends” began berating her through text. Usually, people would tell you that a simple solution would be to get off the media. Well, easier said than done. I mean, let’s be honest here, but everyone on this planet uses the media whether they like it or not. Besides, to make matters even worse, people that she didn’t even know began berating her as well. How exactly? Well, when one of your followers on instagram likes or comments on your post, then their other friends can see it too. From there, a chain effect begins taking place. Look, if you’re gonna rant about someone through media, at least think about what you’re about to do. What you say could ruin another person’s reputation. You wouldn’t wanna be known as that one douchebag that tells on everything would you? Would you? Yeah. Neither would I….

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China Social Credit System

I can see what the Chinese Government is trying to do by implementing this vast system. In a way, this actually eliminates the whole concept of being bias towards the higher classes if implemented well. However, I don’t think that this is a good idea whatsoever. Why exactly? This actually goes back to my first post about Fake News. Remember the whole talk I gave about being biased? Yeah... That’s exactly where I’m going back to again. 

For a system that’s supposed to make things fair for everyone, it’s very vulnerable to bias. The irony am I right? Think of it like this: 

All it takes is for one government official who DOESN’T like you to turn your day into a living nightmare. See where I’m going with? Don’t even get me started with the punishments. I actually agree with the ban of transportation if you are below a certain point. Transportation isn’t something that everyone can have. Learning how to drive and all that is a privilege that you must earn. But I don’t agree with the prohibiting people from seeking aid from a hospital. Medical care should be open to the public, regardless of who the injured/ill person is. 

If you think about it, China is trying to pull off some 1984 stuff. For those who haven’t read the book, it’s basically about a dystopian society that lives under fear. What makes this book really interesting is that there is an entity called “Big Brother” who sees everything. Yes, I am using ‘entity’ to describe Big Brother because the book NEVER states if he is a person or not; that’s up to the reader to decide. Back to topic, how will Chinese officials keep track of so many people? That’s what I’m wondering. I mean, they can’t just make up stories about millions of people, right? 

If this system gets implemented into the Chinese Government, this might be the end of privacy for the Chinese people. I’m sorry, but I’m not really fond of having eyes on nearly every poster or dollar follow me wherever I go. How can I be so sure of this? Take a step back and think about it. China has over 1.42 billion people living within its boarders. China has more people living inside its boarders than even the United States of America. Well, one thing is for certain... I’m definitely not moving to China if I were to flee the country. That’s just scary. It’s ironic because Orwell predicted that something like this would happen in the future. Looks like his prediction is becoming a reality. 

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The Positives and Negatives of Media

Media has done a lot for us throughout the years. Heck, I’d even come to say that Media is one of the main reasons to why we currently have everything. Some people say that Media isn’t good for the public, but I don’t think they fully understand what Media is. Firstly, the Media DOES NOT only refer to social media. So whenever you hear the word ‘Media’ don’t always associate it with programs like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Media is the plural form of ‘medium’ and it refers to the communication channels through which we disseminate news, music, movies, education, promotional messages, data, etc. In short, the Media refers to things that can share or transport information/data. 

As I said a while ago, the Media is one of the main reasons as to why we currently have everything. In fairness, the Media has really made things easier for us throughout history. As our technology evolved, so did our Media. Think about it, cavemen had no way of fully keeping track of what happened in their time. The only means that they had were through paintings and symbols. If you look at us now, I can guarantee that anyone who would be reading this would be carrying a smartphone in their pocket. Your smartphone may be small, but it’s a reminder of how far the Media has evolved. 

Of course, like everything else, the Media DOES have its flaws as well. I wanna talk about this whole idea of ‘millenials’ and why they are looked down upon by some people. Long story short, technology was rushed completely. When they were born, technology during the time was already being rushed. Now what exactly happens when technology is rushed? New products are released. But what happens to those products? People buy them. Why do people buy them? To simply keep up or to catch up to others and evolving technology. So when parents get their children any form of device, that child may already be a slave to the media. If I had a nickel for every time I’d see a child hold a device 5 inches away from his/her face, I’d probably be rich by now. 

The Media has had different effects on me throughout my years growing up. Heck, the first form of Media that I was given was through a video game console called a’PSP.’ That’s probably ancient technology by now, but I first got one when I was only 7. I’ll be honest, like every other kid, I was completely enthralled by it. Hell, until now, I still can’t stop looking at my phone. What I can say is that the Media has a way of controlling you. 

I’ll be really honest though, the Media has really helped me with school work as well. I guarantee you that once a child is in highschool, he will need to find places of information for research, and where will he look? Obviously, through the internet (which is a form of media :^)). 

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Alright, well before I get started, I suppose that everyone here knows what Fake News is? You do? Well I’m still gonna explain to you anyways so deal with it… Well long story short, if you’re looking for a clear dictionary definition of Fake News, then it’s basically a source that INTENTIONALLY fabricates information, disseminates deceptive content, or grossly distorts actual news reports. In short, Fake News are stories that seem accurate but are actually just downright false. I mean, a lot of these sources emerge because of several things. But if there’s one thing that literally spawns dozens of Fake News sources, it would definitely have to be the whole idea of being bias.

Alright, so what exactly is bias? Well, bias is basically prejudice in favour of or against one particular thing, whether that be a person, a place, an idea… I swear the list just goes on. So probably all of you are thinking:

“I really hate it when people are being biased!”

“Why can’t people just be fair for once”

“You know if it weren’t for this whole idea of being bias, we wouldn’t even be in this mess”

“I don’t like Trump!!”

Here’s the bigger picture… EVERYONE IS BIASED. Look, whether you like it or not, I’m sure that there were several times when you were actually biased towards or against something. Heck, I’ll admit that I’m actually guilty of that. As a matter of fact, WE ALL ARE. So why am I telling you this exactly? Well… CLEARLY, this whole idea of being bias happens to EVERYBODY. Dear god, it’s the 14th century all over again, except the black death has now been replaced with this whole idea of being bias. 

There are actually different ways to spot a Fake News Story. Actually, Christina Nagler, a Harvard official did a study on the whole concept of Fake News. So with that being said, let me provide you with Christina Nagler’s 4 essential tips for spotting Fake News.

1). Vet the Publisher’s credibility 

Alright, here are some questions to ask yourself before using a site potential research *clears throat*

-What is the domain name?

-What’s the publication’s point of view?

-Who is the author?

Okay look, are you listening? Okay good. The web is filled with millions, if not, BILLIONS of websites. Now, a lot of them could actually be websites filled with fake news. Honestly, just be wary of websites with names like “.com, .net, or even .com.co." Usually, websites that end with .org or .edu are generally safe to use for research.

*Shows picture of wikipedia*

Except for this one. No one likes Wikipedia

2). Pay attention to quality and timelines

If you see any spelling or grammatical errors on a website, then the chances of you being in a website with fake news is pretty high… Not gonna lie about that… Okay but seriously though, reputable sources really have high proofreading standards, so don’t be fooled.

3). Check the sources and citations

Alright, first of all… How exactly did you find the article? If the content showed up in facebook, instagram, or basically any social media feed of some sort, tread carefully friend… Even if it was recommended by a friend, follow the first tip to see if it’s actually credible.

Secondly… Who IS or who is NOT quoted, and what do they say? Okay, listen up… Something is definitely amiss if you notice a lack of quotes and contributing sources to the source material. Look, you can’t forget that journalism is based on FACTS. Alright? F-A-C-T-S… FACTS… NOT OPINIONS…Got that?? Alright then we’re good.

Thirdly… Is the information available on other cites? If not, then you’re probably wasting your time on that site. The chances are that the journalistic jury is still out on whether the information on that source material is valid or not.

And Lastly…Can you perform reverse searches for sources and images? Okay, checking cited sources are definitely worth the extra 5 minutes… I mean it’s better than getting a zero on that project right? But believe me, checking to see if the information you found is accurate will do you wonders, especially in college… Haha god have mercy on my soul…

4). Ask the pros.

This leaves to my final tip… Have you ever visited a fact checking website? There are actually several good ones like  FactCheck.org and International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and THEY WILL do you wonders in the future.