Post #12: Final Post (Society's/My Relationship with Technology)

Technology's connection to society is multifaceted, constantly evolving, and inextricable from all aspects of modern existence. With the ongoing advancement of technology, it has revolutionized the way people communicate, work, learn, and even imagine themselves. Aside from creating immense goodness, these changes have also come along with their own host of problems and required significant ethics issues.

Perhaps the profoundest impact of technology has been on communication. Social networking websites, mobile phones, and messaging have revolutionized the way people communicate with each other. Distance no longer plays a role in maintaining contact, and information is communicated faster than ever. This has generated global consciousness and community but has also been the source of issues like misinformation, cyberbullying, and reduced face-to-face social interaction. Many people today rely on electronic communication as their main means of communication, which has changed social expectations and norms.

In the workplace, artificial intelligence and automation have increased productivity and efficiency but also disruption. Activities that were once requiring human labor are now being performed by machines, and this has come with economic development and job loss. This technological shift forces society to grapple with questions of the future of work, income inequality, and how new education and skills models would be needed.

Education has likewise been a field heavily impacted by technology. Electronic textbooks, virtual classrooms, and online learning sites have made it possible for individuals worldwide to be more readily accessible to education. Nevertheless, the digital divide remains central to the issue, and many communities lack the devices and connectivity necessary to play a full role. The more society relies on digital technologies to learn, the more that the gap between the digitally included and excluded is likely to widen, further entrenching current divides.

Healthcare has also undergone tremendous technological changes. From telemedicine to robotic surgery, technology has boosted patient care and expanded the reach of health care. Health apps and wearable fitness trackers allow an individual to monitor his or her condition in real time, so that individuals can take control of their own health. But all this is accompanied by privacy concerns, data security, and ethics of emerging technologies like gene editing.

At a more general level, society's engagement with technology is an articulation of underlying values and priorities. The speeding-up rate of innovation tends to overtake legislation and regulation creation, so society ends up playing catch-up with issues surrounding data ethics, spying, and the control of public discourse by tech companies. There is always tension between a readiness to embrace innovation and safeguarding human-centered values.

Finally, technology is not good or bad; it is a tool determined by how society chooses to use it. The relationship between society and technology is two-way—technology changes society, but society controls the path of technological progress. Looking ahead, we need to be responsible in developing technology so that innovation serves the greater good and maintains common ethical standards. This entails the development of discussion, participatory policy-making, and a commitment to using technology not merely to propel convenience or profit, but to advance equality, justice, and human flourishing.

For me, I have a very significant connection with technology because the apps that I use on my phone are some of the main apps that I use to communicate with my parents, friends, etc. Not only do I use my phone to communicate with whoever I need to, but I am also a videographer as a part time job, filming athletics for not only High Point D1 teams but for local high school, club, and MLS Next teams creating highlight reels for players to send in to college coaches to get noticed as athletes. I have been heavily surrounded by technology my whole life and have used all of it to have a positive impact on other people. If I were applying for a job and my employer had to look at my social media as a background check I feel like I would have a good impact from what they see because besides my film account on Instagram, I also have my own personal account where I have posted pictures with me and my friends and then also pictures of myself playing sports since I was a student athlete up until my freshman year at High Point.

EOTO REAX #2

In the second EOTO presentation, I learned about the Illusory Truth Effect and what it was. The Illusory Truth Effect is the human tendency to believe any repeated statement as being true. It is the repetition of the message that influences human perception of validity. It happens regardless of whether or not the person knew it was false to begin with, regardless of plausibility, regardless of intellect, and more. The processing fluency, which are the repeated statements that are easier to process, and things that are easier to process, are naturally associated with the truth. The similar cognitive effect is information that is presented in easy-to-read fonts that is more often rated as true than the same information presented in low-contrast fonts. Then the implications: With social media and the internet, propagandists can employ the illusory truth effect with a greater reach and greater effectiveness. They use this effect to spread disinformation and convince society of false claims. Then onto the Paradox which is correcting a lie that involves repeating the falsehood which only solidifies it more further, which can also be called a "Truth Sandwich" which is truth, the false statement, describe the truth.

EOTO 2 : Terms and Concepts

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think, learn, and solve problems and answers brought by humans. These machines are designed to mimic cognitive functions such as reasoning, learning from experience, understanding language, recognizing patterns, and making decisions. AI has evolved rapidly over the past few decades and now plays an integral role in various aspects of modern life.

At its core, AI can be divided into two main categories: narrow AI and general AI. Narrow AI, also known as weak AI, is designed to perform a specific task. Examples include virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa, recommendation systems on streaming platforms, and fraud detection systems used by banks. These systems may appear intelligent, but they operate under predefined rules and lack the broader understanding or consciousness of human intelligence.

In contrast, general AI (or strong AI) refers to a type of AI that possesses the ability to understand, learn, and apply intelligence across a wide range of tasks—similar to the capabilities of a human being. As of now, general AI remains a theoretical concept, and no system has achieved this level of intelligence.

AI works by using algorithms, data, and computational power to identify patterns and make predictions. One of the most prominent subsets of AI is machine learning (ML), where computers learn from data and improve over time without being explicitly programmed for every scenario. For example, an email spam filter learns to identify unwanted emails based on data from previously labeled messages.

Another major field within AI is deep learning, which uses neural networks modeled after the human brain to process data. These networks are especially effective in tasks like image and speech recognition. Applications of deep learning include facial recognition software, language translation tools, and self-driving car technology.

The impact of AI spans numerous industries. In healthcare, AI helps doctors diagnose diseases, recommend treatments, and analyze medical images. In finance, it is used to detect fraudulent transactions and provide investment insights. In manufacturing, AI enables automation, predictive maintenance, and supply chain optimization. Even in creative fields like music, art, and writing, AI tools assist in generating new content and ideas.

Despite its benefits, AI also raises important ethical and societal concerns. Issues such as privacy, bias, job displacement, and autonomy are at the forefront of public debate. AI systems are only as good as the data they are trained on, and biased or incomplete data can lead to unfair outcomes—especially in areas like hiring, policing, and lending. Moreover, as automation continues to grow, many fear that AI could replace human jobs, especially in routine or manual labor sectors.

To address these challenges, governments, researchers, and organizations are working on frameworks for responsible AI development. This includes creating transparent algorithms, ensuring accountability, and incorporating ethical considerations into AI systems.

In summary, artificial intelligence is a powerful and transformative technology that continues to shape the world around us. While it offers countless opportunities to improve efficiency, innovation, and quality of life, it also requires careful management to ensure it is used ethically and equitably. As AI continues to evolve, its success will depend not just on technological advancements, but also on how society chooses to guide its development and use.

Post #7: The Progressive Era

I think that the reason we have to look to obscure websites to hear powerful antiwar voices is that mainstream political discourse and mass media in America—and really, most of the West—are inextricably tied to interests of military and economic power institutions. Antiwar perspectives, especially those which conflict with underlying presuppositions of American foreign policy, are often sidelined not because of a lack of merit, but because they challenge narratives which affirm the status quo.

First, we need to get that the media world is not a neutral location. Most major news networks are controlled by gigantic corporations with intimate ties with defense contractors, lobbyists, and political elites. These ties have to leave their impression on editorial decisions. For example, if a news outlet is receiving ad income from Boeing or Lockheed Martin, or if its parent company is profiting from foreign markets created by American military strength, then cutting defense budgets or closing global military bases threatens the bottom line. That power doesn't necessarily equate to outright censorship, but it certainly prescribes the boundaries of "acceptable" speech.

Second, there is the issue of narrative control. The mainstream media enjoy framing American military interventions as defense, humanitarian intervention, or counterterrorism. These narratives are effective at maintaining popular support or at least popular apathy. Strong antiwar voices, however, find such narratives hard to counter on their own terms. They argue that US military actions have more to do with domination—of oil, of strategic locations, of ideologically motivated influence—than democracy or freedom. Those are criticisms that fall into the sound of radicals in a culture of patriotism and militarism.

Therefore, when these arguments are being made by voices—especially in a clear and uncompromising way—they are pushed to the margins. They end up on esoteric websites, alternative media platforms, or social media with low viewerships. These places don't tend to have the resources or glitz of corporate media, which decreases their access or "credibility" to a wide public, further ghettoizing them.

The other reason is that strong antiwar critiques tend to emerge from groups and communities who are already at the margins—Black activists, Indigenous peoples, working-class activists, and voices from the Global South. They are not providing an ideological analysis but an experience-based one: the recognition that militarism begins at home in the form of police brutality and surveillance, and that U.S. military action abroad tends to mirror domestic repression. But the opinions of such groups have always been refused access to the mainstream media debate. Their antiwar stances are overlooked not on their own merits of accuracy and acuteness, but merely because they come from people that the system never wished to listen to.

There is also a cultural factor. During conflict or when it feels under attack, societies fall behind nationalism. War is made to be something that must be done, and dissent is characterized as being unfaithful. After 9/11, for example, antiwar sentiments were not just ignored—they were demonized. Those who protested the occupations of Afghanistan or Iraq were called unpatriotic or even terrorist-supportive. That social coercion continues. Even now, expressing strident antiwar opinions—particularly concerning American support for Israel, NATO expansion, or the conflict in Ukraine—can easily lead to accusations of naivety, anti-Americanism, or sympathy with repressive regimes. Such a climate makes it particularly difficult for critical voices to penetrate in the popular media.

So why secret locations? Because they're the last remaining areas where people can speak their minds freely, without needing to appease advertisers, corporate bosses, or state patrons. They're the places where complexity is tolerated, where moral principle trumps political expediency, and where the cost of speaking truth isn't professional suicide. They're often bad, occasionally muddled, and occasionally even sloppy—but they're vital. These sites keep alive the kind of criticism on which democracy relies: the ability to ask not only how we fight war, but why we fight it.

Ultimately, marginalizing antiwar dissent is no oversight—it's part of a system that gains something by not being listened to. Digging for such dissent can require greater exertion, but it's always worthwhile. It makes us recall that war does not necessarily exist, peace isn't stupid, and people will always stand up for themselves no matter what. It takes searching that much further to actually notice them, of course.