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Final Blog Post- Due 11/18💻

1. Determine what kind of social media site or digital platform you are creating. Then answer the following questions, explaining your decisions. (Remember the key here is to create an ethical algorithm model).

The kind of social media site I would like to create is aimed for college students and high school seniors. It will work as a mentee program where college students or alumni’s can help connect students with the campus. It can either be helping seniors getting accepted into the school, or students already in college and helping them which classes to take in order to graduate. This platform can help students get letters of recommendation, ask any questions they may have for the major they chose, get connected with other students, or know about any social events the school may be having for prospective students.

2. What will you measure?

I will measure age since this website is aimed for college students and high school seniors. I feel demographics would be important to measure as well. I feel that some people who come from similar backgrounds will want to connect with people who have the same background with them.

3. How will you weight these factors?

Before signing up for the platform, there will be questions they need to answer. The first couple questions will be basic questions about who they are like name, email, phone number, to upload a photo, what school they would like to be part of, and if they would like to be a mentee or mentor. Then there will be an optional part of questions that will ask about their demographics.

4. What factors will not be measured?

Some factors that will not be measured is religion and political party. I do not feel like these two subjects will be necessary in knowing.

5. How will the model learn or adapt to new information?

I think there should be a person specifically in charge of knowing the new information in order for this platform to work. Someone should be in charge of knowing what is new in order for this platform to be kept standing and up to date. There is constantly new information and guidelines to keep up with which that person would be in charge of.

6. What biases will be built into the model? How will this change the algorithm’s outcome?

The biases that will be built into this will be knowing which school the person would like to be part of. This will change the algorithms because they will not be getting information about other schools they did not apply to; they will only get information about the school they selected. How it will be built would be by the questions that are asked before making their profile.

7. How will the model live out the (un)ethical practices we have discussed?

This platform will not tolerate any racism or any hateful speech. There will be words that will be flagged before posting or commenting. If there are any racism or hateful speech keywords then the comment will not be displayed and will go under review; if it was a misunderstanding then we display the comment, but if it was hate that was being displayed, their account will be flagged and the comment will be deleted. If their account if flagged, that would mean to keep a look out for their comments, and if they do it again they can potentially lose their account.

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Blog Post- Week 12 Due 11/11

Is using surveillance considered as something useful?

I think using surveillance online is something that is very useful. If there was no surveillance online then there is a chance in an increase of hateful speech, bullying, and it would not be a safe space to express oneself. Now, with the surveillance we have online, it is monitored, and people can report certain circumstances that may have happened online. It feels like a semi safe space for one to express themselves because if they do receive any negative responses, they can block the person or report their page.

Should people censor themselves while posting things online?

People should really censor themselves before posting online because they never know the full effect, they might have on someone. What someone posts online about another person, it is potentially there forever, which can influence their mental health. People should censor themselves before posting things online to create a safe space to avoid negative actions that others may do. What people post online can also affect them later on in the future. For example, getting s a job, getting accepted into a school and it can be used in court against you. Like Power stated, anything you tweet could be used against you, which means people should filter themselves before sharing anything online.

Will an increase in surveillance distress people?

I think an increase in surveillance would be beneficial for online hate to be monitored, which can help people be online without fear of being bullied or receiving unwanted messages. It can also have its repercussions like people protesting about their freedom of speech being affected or people may stop using the internet so much. It can also bring fear if surveillance was increased.

Have you seen something online that shouldn’t be allowed online?

I have seen many things online that should have been filtered or not shared at all. Many things I have seen online are people harming others, harming themselves, bullying and many other things. Some people are not afraid to share experiences that might affect others, some situations may be worse than others, but it can still be damaging in seeing. When I saw the disturbing things I have seen online, my first instinct was to report the account. I remember being on TikTok and someone recorded hanging themselves. I remember people getting very traumatized by this specific video which should have never been allowed online.

References

Parenti, C. (2004). The Soft Cage: Surveillance in America from slavery to the War on Terror. Basic Books.

Power, M. (2010, March 11). How your twitter account could land you in jail. Mother Jones. Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/03/police-twitter-riots-social-media-activists/.

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Blog Post 9 – Due 11/04

Is Animal Crossing showing users about how to sustain a real life living?

Personally, I have never played Animal Crossing, but the way Bogost explains the game, it can give players a type of exposure to real life living. Bogost stated their son was five years old and needing to decide in taking out another loan for their mortgage, what kind of five-year-old knows about loans and mortgages? I know when I was that age, I would play video games but never knew the concept of loans, let alone mortgages. Even now in adulthood, I barely know about loans and how to manage them and know nothing about mortgages. Of course, Animal Crossing does not actually show players about the real concepts of making a living, it does expose them to real life problems, which can help in the future.

Do hashtags help create more attention towards the movement that people are advertising?

I feel hashtags have helped people get the word out and make people more aware of some situations. For example, the hashtag #blacklivesmatter made a huge movement last year and gained more exposure. It also helps that when we click on these hashtags, it takes us to more posts that have used the same hashtag. Of course, there would be some people who use to the hashtag and their post has nothing to do with it, but it is still attention that is given to the movement.

How does online activism help create more awareness?

Online activism helps create more awareness by using their platform to inform people about their cause. I feel using social media to bring awareness is essential for people to become aware of certain causes. It depends on which cause we are trying to promote, for example if the population they are trying to reach are the older community then social media is not the best option, but overall it is a good source to use in order to get awareness out. Many people are on social media and use the internet as a source of news which can help them find activists that they can relate to and potentially share their profile.

If social media was not a place to form activism, how can people spread awareness about protests going on or certain situations that have taken place?

There have been forms of spreading awareness before social media, for example setting commercials on television, putting information on the newspaper, or talking about your form of activism any time you can. The more people communicate, the more awareness it creates, if people communicate regularly they will also be able to spread the information to people who needs it.

References

Fuchs, C. (2018). Communication Power in the Arab Spring and Occupy Movement . In Social Media: A Critical Introduction

Lee, L. (2017). Black twitter: A Response to Bias in Mainstream Media.

Vegh, S. (2013). Classifying Forms of Online Activity . In Cyberactivism: Online Activism in Theory and Practice.

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💻 Blog Post 8 –Due 10/28🎃

Does harassment and cyber harassment have the same impact?

According to Citron, Cyber harassment involves threats of violent, privacy invasions, reputation-harming lies, calls for strangers to physically harm victims, and technological attacks. I feel both types of harassment have their similarities, but one is it being online. Citron stated the difference can be, if someone receives a harassment letter, they can throw it away, no one will know and memories can fade within time, while receiving harassment online can be different because those posts can be there all the time. In conclusion, both have the same types of short-term impact, but different long-term impacts.

Can we do anything to control trolling?

I think we can minimize trolling by calling them out or reporting their accounts. No matter where the trolls are, I feel there are rules and regulations that people need to follow, and if their account is reported they can potentially get their account banned which will make them more cautious of what they do if they make another account. For example, being on TikTok, we cannot say certain words without TikTok taking initiative. As for ourselves and calling out people who are trolling, it can be a way to control it because it shows that we are anti-trolling which can have an impact on the person who is trolling.

How can trolling or cyber stalking affect someone’s mental health?

I feel people being trolled or cyberstalked can have major effects on someone’s mental health. In my opinion, I feel their anxiety and paranoia can majorly increase by overthinking before they post anything or go anywhere. Citron also stated cyber stalking can disrupt victims’ lives by adding fear. There was a 22-year-old woman who did not feel safe leaving her home because she was not sure something bad might happen.

How are trolls problematic?

As stated before, trolls can be problematic because it can affect someone’s mental health and create conflict. Citron stated online trolls can quickly become a team sport, which I have seen firsthand. When I have seen this, it was on TikTok, a person created a video where it made someone look bad, then people would go on to the “bad” persons comment section without knowing the whole story. This is very problematic because people can easily lie on any platform and create chaos.

References:

Bergstrom, K. (2011). “Don’t feed the troll”: Shutting down debate about community expectations on Reddit.com

Citron, D. K. (2014). Introduction. Hate Crimes in Cyberspace, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674735613.intro

Phillips, W. (2015). Defining terms: The origins and evolution of subcultural trolling. This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Silman, A. (2016). A Timeline of Leslie Jones's Horrific Online Abuse.

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Blog Post - Week 7 - Due: 10/14

Comparing in the printing era vs the digital era, how do they differ from the information that is given?

I feel now a days, information is passed on more easily than when it was in the printing era. Majority of society have phones with internet and can easily access any website with any information. In the digital era, we can find anything and can go into any website, rather comparing to the printing era, it was a bit more controlled and not as easily accessible as how it is now. Daniels stated, “My investigation into these two gendered illustrations leads me to conclude that the print-only era of white supremacy featured a more top-down, tightly controlled ideological articulation, whereas white supremacy in the digital era, and particularly the involvement of women online, offers more openness and dissent within white supremacist discourse.”

Describe what a cyborg is in more detail.

Starting off with the definition of cyborg, it is a cybernetic organism, which means it is a combination of machine and an organism. It is a creation of social reality and a creature of fiction. The cyborg has been part of modern medicine and contemporary science fiction. Haraway states since a cyborg is both a machine and an organism, we are technically cyborgs as well. “The cyborg is our The cyborg is our ontology; it gives us our politics. The cyborg is a condensed image of both imagination and material reality, the two joined centres structuring any possibility of historical transformation.”

How do online screen names give someone an identity?

According to Daniels, white supremacists using the website stormfront. Org, the majority of new members were 50 percent female. In finding usernames, men tend to emphasize a cult of heroes and martyrs while the women were reported finding more satisfaction in feeling selflessly engaged in a struggle for what they see as right. Some examples that were given were females who chose their usernames as Classic Goddess, WarMadien, Driven Sno while the male usernames were Spartan, Ironman1, and Von Bismarck. We can see the that the men choose to have usernames that represented honor heroes.

Can we judge someone based off of their username?

We cannot judge someone based off the username they have chosen. Of course, if it is a website like StormFront, we can assume they are white supremacist. We can choose our own usernames in other websites like Instagram, Twitter, etc. which we cannot judge someone based off their username. The study that was done above, said men chose heroic and names with honor, but how will we be able to tell if they are white supremacists if they are on a regular site.

References

Haraway, D. (1991). A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century. (354-359).

Daniels, J. (2009). Gender, White Supremacy, and the Internet. Cyber Racism: White Supremacy Online and the New Attack on Civil Rights (pp. 61-86). Rowman & Littlefield

O’Riordan, K. (2006). Gender, Technology, and Visual Cyberculture. Critical Cyberculture Studies (pp. 243-252). New York University Press.

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Discussion - Blog Week 7 - Due 10/7

Do websites reform racial biases?

Although some websites do not know what we look like, it can make assumptions which can implement on what we see on our feed. The first example is from Theresa Senft and Safiya Umoja Noble, they talk about OKCupid’s data. Which results were, although people say they are not racist, they prefer people who “look like them” and will react more positive to people who looked like them which can create a bias in the internet and what we see. The next example is from Tailoring: Targeting, and how Netflix has these biases on what we would like to see. Like stated before, they make assumptions on what we may look like, which can be by the shows we have watched. “The Netflix movie recommendations that pop up on your screen can entice Black viewers by using tailored movie posters of Black supporting cast members” meaning if Netflix assumes you are Black, in the picture summary of the show/movie a Black cast member is more likely to pop up although they barely come out.

How does White Supremacy influence what we see on the internet?

I feel the White Supremacy can have a bad influence on what we see on the internet. According to Daniels, white supremacy online leads to violence, harassment, intimidation, and racial terror which can be damaging to us. They talked about a case that took place in August 1999, where a white man armed himself and opened fire on a Jewish daycare in Los Angeles. He ended up wounding five people and three small children. How is this relevant to white supremacy? It is because he got his inspiration by entering white supremacist websites. Any hate, violence, harassment, and terror should not be tolerated online. There will be people who can act upon what they read online, like the shooting in the daycare, innocent people got hurt due to words that were understood in these websites.

Knowing about White Supremacy and their association to certain websites, can we trust the internet and the information that is given?

We can trust certain websites, but not all websites. For example, pages like Wikipedia cannot be fully trusted because people can go in and edit them without accreditation. For example, some Martin Luther King Jr websites online are owned by white supremist, which can allow for false information to be given. Daniels talks about if a sixth grader is doing a report on Martin Luther King Jr., they will find these websites easily. It would be hard to distinguish if a website is credible or not because some websites may seem credible, but it is giving false information.

Although there can be biases and the internet can be untrustworthy, can it still be helpful to stop racism?

I feel the internet is powerful enough to shame racism and to eventually stop it. Now, there are repercussions for being racist online which can be helpful in stopping racism. From my own experience, in TikTok, there have been racist people online which has gotten them into trouble. There have been other people who has found out where they work and has gotten them fired because they are being racist. Going back to the articles, On the article of Race After Technology, they talk about the show Roseanne and how the lead actress tweeted racist messages. She said racist slurs that were directed at Valerie Jarett (Obama’s former advisor). Of course, it received backlash which made the show get cancelled. The internet can be untrustworthy, but it can be helpful to stop showing racism as an okay thing to do.

References:

Benjamin, R. (2020). Race after technology abolitionist tools for the new jim code. Polity.

Daniels, J. (2009). Cyber racism: White supremacy online and the new attack on Civil Rights. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Hunsinger, J., & Senft, T. M. (2015). The Social Media Handbook. Routledge.

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Week #7 Blog Post, due 09/30

How are people of society racially targeted by social structure?

Society is now built upon a social structure where race and ethnicity are usually based on a color sequence. By this I mean that people usually pick and legislate a person’s race or ethnicity based on the color of their skin or different phenotypes. “While we typically see racial difference residing in physical traits that are genetically determined (e.g., skin color, hair texture and color, nose and eye shapes, etc.), attempts to map out those traits across the world’s population (a) generate patterns that don’t match up with the racial categories we already have, and (b) don’t add up to coherent patterns that would support any model of people as racially distinct from one another” (Fickle, 2020). What Kolko is trying to explain is that the way people now judge a persons racial identity has no background to it and also doesnt make sense; its a form of discrimination and misinterpretation that can be ignorant. It is an unfortunate event that now if a person encounters a person with a light complexion they automatically assume they are Caucasian or when they encounter someone with a language barrier they automatically point fingers to a Latinx ethnicity. This form can lead to many other problems both for society and the self of the individual(s) involved.

How is race and ethnicity tied back to language ?

It comes from Mark Warschauer and Joe Lockard on how they followed through the point directed by Jacobs-Huey. “Warschauer traces some of the roots of how language materially affects ethnic and racial identity in personal and political terms, and he establishes a basis for considering how language affects cyberspace interactions and constructions” (Fickle, 2020). In other words, he performed a study to which rules how language and identity unite in conjunction to each other. This is how people tend to bring their real life identity to the “cyberspace representation”. They take a piece of what they know and have lived through and use it as prior knowledge to communicate via online forms which can sometimes be gendered. This can sometimes include particular sayings, particular values and behavoiors one shows, and also the personality one obtains. Language is the answer towards what the person is - the self within the language.

In what ways do video games perpetuate women and so minorities?

Video games have a good way to be compared to the basis of technology since the majority of them evolved from so. They have algorithms, like learned before, like any other form of social technological structure. They are made by humans and consequently have certain perspectives and biases to which can sometimes be seen. “the popular belief that players who suffer in-game discrimination or bias, particularly women and minorities… sexist and racist gaming cultures is the cruelest type of optimism”(Kolko et al., 2000). In other words, instead of video games exposing and informing about certain cultures they give the interpretation that women and minorities at the end are always the ones who suffer; they give no form of positive outlook instead a cruel form of perspective. This is how such implementation is embedded in society since things that are constantly exposed, to say, children are bringing misrepresentation that are racist and sexist. It can be seen as a mock behavior towards women and racial identities. In fact, even if so do come and question why such discrimination is embedded the simple answer from game creaters woudl be: sorry its due to algorithms of technology which we have no control over.

Even if games do exploit certain minorities and women, how can people become so blind towards it?

After reading the overall lectures for this week, it has come to my attention that such problems are still in play due to ignorance and form of mockery. By this I mean that, for example, games show such issues society faces and how divided we are by barriers made by mankind. But why is no one really pointing it out? Well, that is due to the fact that if seen in a game it is viewed and portrayed as a game and nothing else. It is a form that many game producers use to blind side many people in society- by presenting them a game with stories to unlock to which people don’t notice is what we face in society on a daily basis. People in society are numb and blind to such issues and instead of speaking towards it, play along with it.

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Week 6 - Blog - Due 9/30

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Can the way someone perceives themselves online affect the way they get treated online?

The short answer would be yes. Specifically, in Dr. Lisa Nakamura’s TED talk, she went over many experiments people have done where they change a part of their own appearance online, which led them into getting treated differently. For example, there was a white woman who had an avatar displayed who represented herself. There was an upcoming artist who was doing skins for those particular avatars and asked her if she can demonstrate one of his skins on her avatar for he can get more exposure. The woman changed her white avatar to a woman of color avatar, she did not change the way she talked or how she played, just her skin color. She received hate, people were treating her differently, her friends were asking her when she was going to change her avatar to her real self, or in other words it made them feel uncomfortable seeing a person of color as an avatar. This demonstrated how people can treat you differently based on the way you appear to them online, which makes them want to be cyberbullies.

How are people using the internet as a way to hide their identity?

As Kolko, Nakamura and Rodman stated, we all go online without anyone knowing who we truly are. “Cyberspace is in many ways a semi blank slate upon which users write” which means anyone can go into the internet and become or portray anyone they would like to be. People can create avatars, post things they would like the internet to know. For example, Tiktok is a place where people record themselves, but people have different personas they show on their videos versus who they really are in real life. It can be a place where people can choose to actually be themselves or not, so they can either choose to become another persona or just be themselves.

How do video games influence people’s mental health and actions?

I feel video games can have a heavy influence on people’s mental health due to the communication they all have. If someone is not good at video games while playing online, or the username they have, or the sound of their voice, mostly anything can get them to be bullied online which can affect their mental health. The online video game world is known to be mean, and people tend to ignore it and not fix the problem. Dr. Nakamura was showing a clip where a man changed his name to ‘xxxGayBoyxxx’ and he received so much hate and many derogative terms. He was often called names, and there were some contradictions towards that experiment, like blaming the man who changed his name asking for all the mean statements because everyone knows the online gaming is mean. I feel people should be able to choose who they want to portray online without any shaming.

References

Kolko, B. E., Nakamura, L., & Rodman, G. B. (2000). Race in cyberspace. Routledge.

Fickle, T. (2019). The race card: From gaming technologies to model minorities. New York University Press.

Ow, Jeffrey A. “The Revenge of the Yellowfaced Cyborg Terminator: The Rape of Digital Geishas and the Colonization of Cyber-Coolies in 3D Realms’ Shadow Warrior.” Asian America.Net:

TEDxUIllinois - Dr. Lisa Nakamura - 5 types of ... - YouTube. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2021, fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT-G0FlOo7g.

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Blog Post: Week 4 - Due 9/16

How does the name you are given control you?

In the article of The New Jim Code, it reminded me of readings from last week. The author stated he was having a newborn baby and wanted the baby to have an Arabic name but found himself worrying for the baby and the discrimination they will get. The author stated Arabic names have been flagged in airports, like last week’s reading where names were also flagged but the police went to their house and gave them a warning although some of the names were babies. The author gives lessons on picking out names for babies, and some students, usually white, do not understand this lesson because they state they were named after someone or do not have a unique story after their name. The author also stated google will have a set algorithm based on the name on their profile. This created certain biases towards people who had different names. The basis of it is the more basic your name, the less probability you have in being labeled in the algorithm.

How are people of color more at risk of being labeled wrongfully than whites?

Technology has really been moving forward, while racial inequalities have not moved at all. We have algorithms, facial recognitions, and many advanced technologies, but these technologies have put people of color more at risk for being labeled a criminal, or dangerous when they really have not done anything wrong. Having a nonwhite name, looking a certain way can make you get stopped for anything. The authors newborn baby was given an Arabic name, and he knows they are going to be stopped and flagged at the airport because of it. POC are more at risk and will be labeled and not getting certain jobs because of the algorithm and labels.

Can intersectionality help?

I believe intersectionality can help us because it creates multiple forms of inequality within people. For example, in the video of Kimbrelé Crenshaw named The Urgency of Intersectionality, she talked about her friend named Emma. Emma felt like she was being discriminated against because she did not get hired at a job. The judge dismissed her claim because they stated that African Americans and women were both hired at the job. Intersectionality was the piece that was missing from this case because Emma was undergoing double discrimination at this workplace. The African American people that were hired were black men, working at the back and the women who were hired were all white and in the front office. Emma needed this intersectionality term in order to prove the point she needed in her lawsuit. Intersectionality can provide people being double discriminated against which could have helped Emma in her lawsuit.

References

Benjamin, R. (2019). Race After Technology.

NAIS. (2018, June 22). Kimberlé Crenshaw: What is Intersectionality? [Video] YouTube.

TED. (2016, December 7). The Urgency of Intersectionality | Kimberlé Crenshaw [Video]. YouTube.

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Blog Post #3 - Due 9/9/2021

How do algorithms affect health care?

What I have normally known about algorithms are the ones on social media, like Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. They create an algorithm for you based on the content you would like to see, and your social media is heavily based on your likes. Nicole Brown started there is an algorithm that is being used in health care that can determine who needs more healthcare. Although the US had the highest cost in healthcare, it has its worst outcomes specifically in the people of color. We see whites in the US receive more healthcare because of this algorithm they use. White people tend to spend $1800 more on health care than blacks. In this algorithm being used, it is seen white people need more health care services than people of color, which is not necessarily true. All the algorithm is seeing is who is spending more money, which does not fully indicate the demand.

Do algorithms create a racial bias towards POC?

Yes. There have been different incidences where the algorithm has been wrong and created a bias. The first racial incident is when law enforcement partnered with universities to use algorithms in their social media, and their goal was to identify and target citizens and predict their behavior. In Chicago, there was a case where an algorithm was being used to mark people as being violent. How can anyone indicate if a person will be violent? These officers went to the houses of the people labeled as ‘violent’ and give them a warning that they are being watched, yet some of these labeled violent people were children. Not only has the algorithm been wrong labeling people, but other people have spent thousands of dollars trying to protect their innocence because of the facial recognition being wrong. In the article of the New York Times, by Kashmir Hill, they talk about an innocent man who was accused of a crime he did not commit. He spent 10 days in jail and paid $5,000 to defend himself; all because of a failed facial recognition. Hill states he is the third person known to be falsely arrested due to failed facial recognition.

Should we still be using algorithms?

I believe using algorithms has created a bias towards people of color and cannot be used to fully incriminate people. The article by Kashmir Hill stated there have been 3 cases with failed facial recognition, and those are only the cases that were known, what about the people who couldn’t prove their innocence? Using facial recognition can be helpful to police but should not be used to incriminate people or to label anyone. In healthcare, whites get more services because the algorithm states they pay more. I believe we need a better system in order to not create these biases and label innocent people.

References:

Hill, K. (2020). Another Arrest, and Jail Time, Due to a Bad Facial Recognition Match. The New York Times.

Brown, N. (2020). Race and Technology. YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8uiAjigKy8

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Week 2 - Defining Social Media (09/02/2021)

How has social media been changing over the years?

Social media has drastically been changing over the years. According to Fucs (2014), if we compare platforms from the year 2000 to the year 2013, they are completely different. Fucs (2014) stated that in the year 2000, MSN, Yahoo, AOL, Microsoft were all platforms that were being used, which are all either news outlets or messaging. Comparing to 2013, where we get platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Amazon. If we compare the two, it is currently more about social networking, videos, and blogs. In addition, Gonzalez (2014) also states in comparison to earlier years to now, we have easier access to news. Our smart phones can receive news fast, comparing when people would get their news only on newspapers.

Is social media helpful?

Coming from a student, I do feel like social media is helpful. This is where we get our news, keep in contact with people, do group assignments, and many other things. Fucs (2014) stated that social media can help with collaboration and cooperative work, like GoogleDocs. Being in online courses where there are group assignments, it can be hard to get together and work on assignments. GoogleDocs makes it more convenient for everyone to do their work on their own time while working together.

Does social media create bias?

As helpful as social media is, it can create racial bias. If people commit a crime, the journalists use certain words to describe a person. If a person is of color, they call them a “thug” which creates stereotypes. Gonzalez (2013) states there is racial bias in the news media, there are reporters that need to get the latest news and report it, but in every journal written there is bias from the writers. Gonzalez (2014) states, “The less the journalist knows about the event or the subject, the more likely he or she is to produce a crude or blurred representation of it” (p.3). This means if the journalist does not fully understand their assignment, they are going to put their personal thoughts and opinions and misinform anyone who reads it.

How much influence does social media have on society?

There are fake ideals that are shown off in social media that can affect how people view themselves. Not having that perfect body, perfect relationship, perfect friendships, or travel as much as the people they see. This has created an impact on society which influences people’s mental health. All people see are the good side of stories which makes them compare themselves to everyone and can make them not happy with the life they are living right now. This can increase anxiety and depression because it has created an unrealistic expectation for everyone.

References:

Fuchs, C. (2014). Social Media: A Critical Introduction.SAGE Publications Ltd, https://www.doi.org/10.4135/9781446270066

Gonzalez, J., & Torres, J. (2013). News for All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the American Media. European Journal of Communication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323113476985c

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Week 1 - Story time! When technology did not live up to the hype.💻

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There have been many times where I feel like Patrick in this photo. When technology fails us and has been very frustrating to deal with. Although there have been many technological failures, one story I will be discussing is when I was writing a 5-page paper and my computer decided to shut down. It was my first semester here at CSUF, and I have had my laptop for about three years. I did not have any problems with my computer prior to this incident. I was enrolled in an English course and needed to write a 5-page paper. Of course, I procrastinated, and it was going to be due in 2 days. I knew what I wanted to write about and knew the format on how to write it, but I did not know how to word everything. I found the four sources I needed to cite, and I also downloaded all the journals. I spent about a day reading all the journals and taking notes, highlighting all the quotes I found to be useful and that agreed with my paper. Now, there was a day left into writing. I was writing my essay, and everything seemed to be going well when all of a sudden my computer started to turn very HOT and I stopped typing. A little after a min, my laptop completely shut down. At first, I did not think of anything until I realized I never saved my paper! I swear my stomach sank, I started to freak out, plus my computer was not turning on. So many thoughts were going through my mind- I needed help! It was late at night, nowhere was open. I waited until my computer cooled off and turned it back on. My essay was nowhere to be found, as well as my journals and some personal pictures. I would be lying if I said I did not cry (lol). All my hard work, my hours of writing, my pictures were all gone! Still to this day I am not sure what happened. I learned my lesson on always having a backup and making sure I save my work. I now use Word on their website, which saves it online, and I can access it anywhere I go. And of course, it saves the documents automatically.