Post 12: Online Presence

Internet Culture: Is it All That Bad?

As a Gen Z'er, I grew up in a digital environment. I was first introduced to the internet when I was about five years old with Webkinz. I later became attached to other online games, such as Club Penguin, Fantage, and Pixie Hollow; often spending hours upon hours in those miniature worlds. As I grew older, I eventually started using several social media platforms. 

I remember always being told that the internet is a scary place. That it is a void where anything posted is permanent, that it is full of creepy old men, misinformation, scams, etc. I was under the impression that there was not really any advantages when it comes to social media. Of course, it is important to note the negative effects of having access to the internet (especially social media) at a young age. Social media is known to be addicting, with those over the age of 18 spending an average of six hours per day on social networks.

Source

 It is purposely designed this way, using the same neural circuitry as slot machines and cocaine. Like slot machines, receiving notifications produces dopamine, the hormone that increases motivation. Structures of the brain's reward system are found along the dopamine pathways, thus, the production of dopamine creates a positive relationship with the stimuli (which are notifications, in this case). Additionally, it is argued that social media has a negative impact on mental health, as it is often said that it increases the likelihood of feeling lonely or isolated.

Although I can definitely agree that social media has its consequences, I think it is also important to acknowledge its benefits. Social media has created a new way of connecting with people, giving those the chance to reconnect with old friends. In addition, it has provided a creative platform for those to express themselves. In times of the coronavirus pandemic, self-expression and connection has been vital, which social media allows. Furthermore, social media has allowed for others to better understand those around us. It has reshaped feminism; giving minority groups a voice and helping in the formation of large movements. 

All in all, social media clearly has its flaws. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that there is some good that comes out of it. For these reasons, I still use social media and will most likely continue to use social media, as I believe that it has played a significant role in who I am today.

Post 11: Theories (Presentations #2)

Gatekeeping Theory

Gatekeeping theory, conceptualized by Kurt Lewin in 1943, describes the process in which unnecessary information is blocked and filtered through the use of a metaphorical "gate." Those who act as  "gatekeepers" decide as to what information should and should not be publicized. One example of a gatekeeper is a news editor. Those who act as news editors are tasked with figuring out what news is relevant enough to be published. Each day, several note-worthy events occur, however, it is impossible for all of them to be covered. Therefore, gatekeeping plays a vital role in media. Gatekeeping is different than censorship, in that it has to do with maintaining relevant information. Censorship, on the other hand, deliberately removes unwanted information.

Factors of Gatekeeping

According to Shoemaker and Vos, there are five main factors to gatekeeping: 

(1)  Individual: The "force" at the gate, they have the most influence over what is being released. This includes the journalist who makes the report. 

(2) Routine: The themes shown in the media are always in a pattern. News sources typically have schedules for when subjects within a certain category should be publicized. 

(3) Organization: Media organizations have their own narratives they want to portray, all of them have their own views, opinions, and biases. The organizations hire the journalists (the gatekeepers) and make the rules. 

(4) Extra-Media: Many media outlets are governed by related people/institutions who have a say in what is published (i.e. sponsors, advertisers, government, etc). Financial supporters highly influence media companies, therefore, negative news will not intentionally pass through the gate.

(5) Ideology: The media must follow societal ideologies to maintain relevancy.  Ideologies change over time, so it is important that the media respects social norms.

Model of Gate Keeping Theory

Post 10: Social Media Influencers (EOTO)

EOTO: Influencer Marketing

Who is an "Influencer"

With the rise of the internet, social media has begun to see a growth in its number of users, specifically on the platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; all having a reported 80+ million visitors a month in 2019. Social media has paved a more accessible way for the average person to gain fame, allowing them to become "social media influencers". These so-called influencers are internet celebrities who, due to their use of social media, have gained a large audience. Influencers typically gain their following from platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. The rise of social media influencers has created a new phenomenon; influencer marketing. This type of marketing uses social media influencers to endorse and promote their products, typically to a younger audience. The younger demographic, adolescents, are known for easily being influenced, therefore, they play a crucial role in marketing.

Downside of Social Media Influencers

Influencer marketing relies heavily on parasocial relationships, which can be defined as, "one sided connections imagined with celebrities and media figures" (Gleason et al. 2017). These types of relationships mixed with social media celebrity endorsement has made room for fraud. An example of this is influencer Tana Mongeau's 2018 convention, TanaCon. The convention was created as a response to her past negative experiences with YouTube's VidCon. TanaCon was intended to be a two-day free event that would be purposely be held near VidCon and would take place the exact same days. It was supposed to include concerts and opportunities for attendees to meet several influencers including Mongeau herself. However, she was unorganized and planned the convention in less than 40 days. On the day of the event, the event space quickly hit capacity and the hotel was incapable of letting more in. Due to this, thousands of fans lined up in the parking lot and stood there for hours in the boiling sun. Some fans received severe sunburns as well as passed out due to them having to stand in line for hours upon hours without water. Additionally, fans who bought VIP tickets were promised "line skipping, a gift bag worth more than quadruple the price of the ticket [and] private meet and greets".

VIP gift bag worth "quadruple the price"
came with a condom, smartphone grip,
and a wristband.

 

Post 9: Privacy

                    Privacy and Prejudice

As technology has become more available, more people have begun to express their worries with the invasion of privacy that comes with the rise of this new form of media. However, this concern is more geared towards the internet rather than other forms of technology. In Catherine Crump's Ted Talk entitled "The Small and Surprisingly Dangerous Detail the Police Track About You," she mentions that concerns with technology should not be just with the internet. Instead, she expresses that technology also plays a role in knowing your current location. With the existence of automatic license plate readers, the government has access to where you go, "if you drive your car around the United States, it can reveal if you go to a therapist, attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, if you go to church or if you don't go to church," she states. She later mentions that specifically in New York City, the NYPD has used these automatic license plate readers past mosques to figure out who is attending.

Hearing that police used this sort of technology to figure out who is attending mosque left me quite intrigued. This practice seemed to be inherently Islamophobic, in that those who practice islam are targeted by the use of automatic license plate readers. According to an article published by The Associated Press in 2012, congregations at mosques were recorded and reported back to the NYPD. The tactics that were used to target the mosques are normally reserved for criminal organizations. For this reason, it is important to acknowledge that a lack of privacy has a strong correlation with prejudice and hurtful stereotypes. 

Post 8: Diffusion Theory

 Diffusion of Innovation 

Everett Rogers, a notable communication theorist and professor, theorized the diffusion of innovations in his 1962 book, Diffusion of Innovations. The theory seeks to analyze how new ideas and technologies spread throughout society. There are five main categories to this theory: (1) pioneers, (2) early adopters, (3) early majority, (4) late majority, and (5) laggards. 

The theory can be applied to any ideas, including that of women's suffrage in the United States. In this post, I will explore the ways in which the diffusion of innovations can be applied to the idea of women within the United States earning their right to vote.

 

 Applying the Theory to Women's Suffrage 

Step 1: The Pioneers

The first step of the theory is innovation. During this step, those who act as the pioneers willingly take risks in order to achieve their goals. The beginning of the women's suffrage movement in the United States exemplifies this step. The road to women's suffrage in the United States began in July 1848 with the Seneca Falls Convention. Prior to the convention, feminists Lucretia Mott, Martha C. Wright, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Mary Ann McClintock met to assemble the Declaration of Sentiments. The declaration, modeled after the Declaration of Independence, explained the rights women should have as citizens of the United States. It begins by stating that both men and women should have unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It continues by illustrating the 16 ways that women are oppressed.

1848 Senaca Falls Convention

Step 2: Early Adopters

Next is the early adopters. In this step, those who are known to have a higher social status join in on the innovation. Once Stanton announced the declaration at the convention, one hundred of the attendees signed, including Frederick Douglass. The signing of the declaration marked the start of the women's rights movement. 19 years after the convention, in 1867, the 15th Amendment was drafted; which was strongly opposed by Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and other feminists. They made the racist claim that women should be granted the right to vote before former slaves. Other feminists, such as Lucy Stone, disagreed. 

Step 3: Early Majority

After the early adopters comes the early majority. While in this step, those who have an average social status connect with the early adopters in order to hold a position of leadership. The disagreement between between the groups led to the formation of two different suffrage organizations: Stone's American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) and Stanton and Anthony's National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). In 1890, the two competing organizations decide to merge, becoming the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA).  

Step 4: Late Majority 

The fourth step to the diffusion of innovations is the inclusion of late adopters. They adopt the innovation after the average participant. This step is also known as the "tipping point." The 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed woman the right to vote, is an example of this. 

Step 5: Laggards

The final part of the diffusion of innovations is the laggards. Laggards are those who typically do not desire change. Despite the passing of the 19th, women have (and still are) campaigning for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. The amendment, first proposed in 1921 by Alice Paul, states that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." In 1970, the amendment passed the House of Representatives. In 1972, it passed the Senate and went to the states for ratification. However, it received 35 of the necessary 38 state ratifications; ultimately making it fail. Although women have been given more rights, there is more work needed to be done in order to achieve equality. 

Post 7: YouTube (Presentations #1)

History of YouTube

On February 14, 2005, Jawed Karim, Steve Chen, and Chad Hurley registered their video-sharing site, YouTube.com. It was not until April 23rd of that year that the first YouTube video was uploaded. The eighteen-second video, entitled "Me at the Zoo" is of Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo and was uploaded to his channel. A few weeks later, beta testing began and started to attract around 30,000 visitors a day. At its' official launch in December, the website began to see more than two million views on its videos a day. YouTube began to gain more popularity and in Fall 2006, was acquired by Google. 

"Me at the zoo" by jawed 

Post 6: Google (EOTO)

EOTO: Google

Google was founded in 1995, after PhD students Larry Page and Sergey Brin met while studying Computer Science at Stanford University. As students, the two of them felt inspired to build a search engine to navigate the complex World Wide Web in order of its' relevancy. They wanted the engine to show results not only relevant to a search, but also relevant to what other people have claimed to be relevant and valuable. The website was originally called "BackRub," due to its ability to analyze backlinks. It was later renamed "Google" as a misspelling of the large number googol; 1 followed by 100 zeros, referencing the search engine's immense collection of data. 

The domain google.com was registered on September 15, 1997. In 1998, Google began to gain popularity and the computer company Sun Microsystems helped Larry and Sergey incorporate Google, therefore, creating Google Inc. Together, they raised around $1 million dollars and launched their headquarters in Menlo Park, California. In mid 1999, Google began processing 500,000 searches a day and in 2000, it became the main search engine. By the end of 2011, the search engine began to receive nearly three billion searches a day. In 2012, Google became one of the largest American companies not listed in the Dow Jones stock market index. 

This, of course, changed in 2015 after Alphabet Inc acquired Google and became its' parent company. Under Alphabet Inc., Google rebranded from Google Inc. to Google LLC. In 2016, Alphabet Inc. earned most of their revenue from Google advertising, making Google their largest subsidiary. 

Now, Google is the most used search engine with over 70% of all online searches being conducted by Google. Additionally, Google owns over 50 products and services including YouTube, Gmail (Google Mail), Blogger, Google Docs, Google Slides, Android, Waze, Google Chrome, Google Drive, etc. 

Google's services and products, as listed
on their site