ronniec3-blog

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Youtube Kids

Parents has finally caught onto the problematic programming on YouTube kids. Similar to Facebook and Google, YouTube kids use algorithm to filter relevant videos for users who are 13 and above. However, parents found out there is violent or lewd videos with children show titles. In addition, YouTube Kids uncover majority of its users are under 13, which required parent to acknowledge and give consent to YouTube Kids to collect and utilized children’s data. As a response, YouTube Kids is implementing parental control that allows parents to set a child’s account to have access to verified and approved channels. This article reveals the flaw in algorithm, software is not able to identify the relevant or content quality of its video before recommending to its user. The general idea of technology automation is to cut down cost. However, this case reveals the importance of human observation of online activity. Technology can only identify literal or numerical value and that allows people to use as loophole to mask inappropriate video with kid friendly show name. Technology is a great tool that is speedy and accurate, but there is also flaws when applying to areas where it needs cultural understanding. Technology is still far from being able to comprehend the unique aspect of culture, even though artificial intelligence is very capable of machine learning and beats a world champion of Chinese Chess game. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/25/business/media/youtube-kids-parental-controls.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftechnology&action=click&contentCollection=technology®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=7&pgtype=sectionfront

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Time for school to tell kids when to logoff

Maryland is currently in the process of passing a legislative law that requires schools to monitor the amount of screen time for their students. Even though there has been evidences and researches to support the negative consequences of excessive screen time on children. There is a lack of mainstream news outlets covering this topic. Pediatricians have raised concerns about physical consequences, like vision problems, interrupted sleep, and device compulsion, all of which could also contribute to mental health problems among children. My own research takes up this topic of excessive consumption of social media and its connection to mental health issues. Nowadays, a child’s best friend is his or her cellphone, since parents are busy focusing on their livelihood and social media offers an alternative means for children to connect with others. In addition, children are occupied with extracurricular activities, such as after school tutoring, which depletes the time they spend with peers. The education system struggles to address its own involvement in the problem, as it takes an  overly optimistic view of the role of  technology in the classroom. This overly optimistic viewpoint fails to teach students about the potential pitfalls of online involvement. Our society needs to set up program to educate children about proper online etiquette. Do you agree that schools should play a greater role in managing children’s screentime? 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/18/technology/maryland-computers-schools.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftechnology

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New Target for China’s Censors: Content Driven by Artificial Intelligence

Similar to social filter bubble that filters different types of news/information to interest you, China’s new artificial intelligence powered social platforms primarily use algorithms to determine what to displays to entertain its users. Since artificial intelligence is a software based on programming, it’s unable to distinguish what is socially valuable to the society. For example, China recently shutdown a mobile app that mostly features teen pregnancy, a trend that is socially undesirable due to higher chance of school dropout among teen parents. Which goes against the government’s advocacy for education and parents’ hope of elevate socio-economic status through higher education and better job position and placement for their children. This points out the flaws in algorithms, its inability to differentiate positive and negative social values. It could be detrimental during the process of young digital native’s maturing and teach the wrong social values and inappropriate moral principle. This could tie to the concept of excessive online violence video games and animation that glorify violence and paints a false perception that violence is a common practice and is okay to do so. It’s undeniable that violence and teenage pregnancy happens in our society, however, with the excessive exposure on online social media it misrepresents the proportion in population and prompt people to have an ill-represented picture about the society and how it works. The social media needs to reflect what is real and accurate of our society to better serve its role it has taken as informal news carrier. 

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Taboo topic on China’s social media

In the below New York Times article, teenage mom has been a taboo in China, it is consider a shameful topic and despiteful act. However, it has become a popular trend online on niche social platform. Teenage mom are bragging about its young age and live streaming their baby and love lives, and they have many viewership and fans subscribing to their channel. This trend triggered thousands of teenagers seeking for middle schooler other half online, specifically age 13-15 years old. People are blaming the social media platform and accusing the developers of the app that features those videos, saying it is miseducating its teenage kids. Is social media triggering or contributing the trend of teenage mom? In my personal perspective, the social media is only reflecting what’s happening in the society. Social media is a tool that aid the spread of news, however, it is the users that decide whether or not that topic is relevant or attractive through viewership, likes, and sharing. The fact that it has became a trend online reflects the lack of proper health education/discussion in China’s education system that lead to the teenager’s curiosity being exploded online. #TheSecretLifeofTheAmericanTeenager  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/06/technology/china-censor-teen-moms.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftechnology&action=click&contentCollection=technology®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront

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Three questions you need to ask about your Brand

A product has its brand, a name or logo that distinguish it from its competitors. What about us? We are not a product, but everyone has unique name and features that distinguish from one and another. Except we called it reputation, what people think of us behind our back. In the article, there is three key points a marketer can ask to assess the performance of a brand; frame of reference, points of parity, and points of difference. Frame of reference is determining what industry a product is competing in, and company usually uses its competitor as frame of reference like T-mobile and At&t. Points of parity is the basic standard or minimum requirements of a product, the must have fundamental that makes a product that belongs in the same category. Like digital native and digital immigrant, only people who grew up with technology qualify as digital native otherwise digital immigrant. Points of difference is what’s unique and standout about the product that other company’s product doesn’t has. Even though this is intended for business’s purpose, it can apply to us. Those three points can help us understand how we are doing socially and most of those happens online through social media like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Frame of reference, are you surrounding yourself with people who you want to become? People often follows inspiring artist on Instagram. Point of parity, do you have the common similarities? If not, mimic what your idol is doing. Point of difference, is there anything special about you that make your standout among the group? After asking myself that three questions, I realized I am not performing well. I am not reaching out to alumni in the marketing industry to gain more insight about the field. I am not involve in anything related to marketing or advertising, nor posting anything relevant on Facebook. There is also nothing that can differentiate me from my peers, while my peers has so many different things that make them unique. In our competitive society, not doing anything is like preparing ourselves for failure because everyone else is moving forward. Our reputation is also important, because is how other will perceive and think of us. Yet is so fragile especially with online platform, we could spend years building our reputation and one stupid picture could ruined it. Should we carefully craft an outline and maintain it or let it be base on ourselves then? We are bound by morals and expectations, what should be driving us to do things? Other people’s expectation? our own desire?  

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Retailers race against Amazon to automate store.

In this New York Times article, Amazon has launched a test automate convenience store in Seattle. The store is full of cameras and sensor that enables the computer to detect what the users puts in their carts and during check out it is completely automated through scanner and Amazon account. Technology has been on its path to be part of our lives, not just our online-selves are being monitor. Soon in the future, Amazon or another giant tech company will be able to compile a complete profile about each person by cross linking our online activities and reality to better make assumption about our likes and dislike and to predict what we will fall for. This is giving me a false assumption that Black Mirror might one day come true. Technology will make human either more competitive or felt useless and fall even more deeper into the virtual online world where marketer sells their attention. To what degree should we allow technology to be corporate into our lives? Should we make ourselves immobile and rely on technology to be our arms and legs and part of ourselves that makes decision for us? Like how technology enables everyone voice online, yet also make information less credible and meaningful. The overwhelming amount of information online makes it harder and harder for people to take every piece of information equally and useful.  

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Uber’s Self-Driving Cars Were Struggling Before Arizona Crash

 The New York Times article talks about self-driving car and how Uber race to the technology competition with an inferior self-driving car, and it contributed to a car crash in Arizona and one death. In the article, it mentioned Uber’s self-driving car was struggling with performance before the Arizona crash. This kinda ties to the PBS documentary about internet usage. The two can be connected through the concept of participating in technology race where the future consequence is unclear. In the documentary, Korea introduce digital era shortly after its economic crash hoping to bring up the sluggish economy. The internet did its magic and brings Korea’s economy up to standard. However, there were unforeseeable consequence follow the digital transformation in Korea, many teenagers are becoming obsess with online gaming some time pulling all nighter at internet cafe to play games. The gaming addiction has become a generation plague that the government has to intervene and set up internet addition camp for teenagers. I feel like in the near future the same thing will apply for self-driving cars, when flaws will start coming out and require governmental control. The backlash of technology on writing also apply, writing used to be credible source but nowadays there is many unreliable articles popping up on the internet.  

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If You’re Not All-In About a New Opportunity, Just Say No

Have you ever in a position that someone request/invite you, and you think for a moment asking yourself should I go and thoughts popping up in your head how this could benefit you? Well, we have all there before, reluctant to turn down invitation afraid we will miss out on things/opportunity. Then at the event finding yourself not enjoying yourself as much as you though and question why you are still there. The New York Times article talks about the importance of asking yourself how you feel about the invitation before answering it, because majority of us nowadays overcommit ourselves to things. Which takes time away from what’s important to us, hindering our productivity toward working our goals. There’s many factors play into it, but peer pressure occupy a huge portion in our decision making. We care about what other thinks about us and want to maintain that image, however, sometime what we think we are in other’s eyes may not fully reflect the truth. Don’t tide yourself up and say “No” if you need to.

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Welcome to the post-text future

There seems to be a trend of using images to express our thoughts, opinions, and political standpoint via memes, video, and photograph. There is an increased emphasis on online streaming service, this is showed through the increasing investment in show production such as in Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. News nowadays is becoming more and more graphic with photos and graphs to demonstrate the seriousness through numbers and photo of the reality. People are losing the patient to read a longwinded article. Instead, they are going to Snapchat, Instagram, and other graphics apps as a distractions/entertainment tool. Words are losing attraction and its meaning since people are not paying attention anymore. An iconic or exaggerated image sparks more conversation and actions, which can be biased and misleading if you just look at a piece of information out of context. Technology such as cell phones and laptops has changed the platform where we express ourselves and apps like Snapchat and Instagram are changing the form of communication we interact with each other. Then will the next evolution be emoji replacing our wordy reaction?  

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“What Happened When I (Almost) Gave Up Facebook, Email, And Texting For A Month” - Medium

 The narrative of the article was a freelancer, and he challenges himself to do a social media detox. He set up three simple rules for himself, no Facebook, Twitter, or Linkin for a month, check email only twice a day, and check message once in the evening. When he starts his detox, he had many moments and urge of checking out Facebook and other social media, but he gives himself a power speech and resisted. He accomplishes his goals for the first week, then the second week, and he now likes the new lifestyle he habited. He was a lot more productive and have time to reflect his day. In his reflection of how his detox went, he realized that social media like Facebook, Twitter, or Linkin didn’t really connect people, it was just simply a medium that lets people update shares memories. He went back to engage in face to face conversation and acknowledge that it was more meaningful and fulfilling than a like on Facebook or a retweet on Twitter. This makes me question did social media enable us to effectively communicate to other or a tool that sucks us into likes, streak, or retweets contest with friends and strangers. Did social media do us more harm than benefit or the other way around?

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First Post

I am a traditional intellectual, the majority of the knowledge I acquired is through schooling. In my neighborhood, there lived an accountant who is always busy either filing a tax return or answering clients questions about the tax return. His answer is plain and dry and information that could be found in the tax return policy, his work day repeat itself. There is also this lady who lived in our community that travels a lot due to her job(though I was never told what her occupation is). She has been to many places and know a lot of little interesting things. I admire her life styles and ability to travel to different places and explore the unknown. I want to be an organic intellectual, trying things that have no standardization and appreciate life as an experience. P.S. dance is a really interesting organic activity. 

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Sitting in a room and wondering what’s up next.