My Online Footprint

Sonia Bokhari, only 14 years old, shares her story of joining social media for the first time. Bokhari unexpectedly comes to find that it is not her first time on social media, as her sister and mother have been sharing photos, stories, and even direct quotes from her since birth. 

As just a reader, I immediately felt slapped in the face when Bohkari, unintentionally, proved to me that I hadn't done enough reflecting when I was younger. My parents followed the same script, that we weren't allowed to have social media until we were 13, even though I didn't get my first smartphone until later. 

I had experienced the same realization, though, first and foremost stalking my mom's social media, only to find that many aspects of my life had been posted. Even if it isn't an "embarrassing" photo or story, or just a good photo of me that my mom wanted to share for my birthday, bottom line, it is a photo of me. It's a photo that starts my online footprint when I wasn't even aware it was starting.

Bokhari expresses that she felt it was a violation of her privacy, as her permission was never given. Thus, I think it is only fair to conclude that while teenagers are limited till a certain age, or lectured on a day to day basis, especially when social media as a whole struggles, many begin to wonder when parents get lectured; When they get told how dangerous online presence can be and how much, while they can't take back, they can slow down for the future?

In reflecting, then, on my online footprint, I'd admit that I'm very proud of it. While probably relatable to others, I posted things when I was younger that I wish I hadn't, but my online presence is insanely limited since growing up. I have deactivated more than half of my social media accounts, and have settings on my phone that only limit me a certain amount of time using them, before manually closing out of the applications. 

On them, I don't share any locations, any information about what I'm doing or where I've been, and sometimes don't even tag my friends or family unless they specifically ask me to. I am very "walking on eggshells" when it comes to my friends or family online because I don't want to do the same thing that was done to me, where my presence starts earlier than I wish it to. Thus, I don't think a stranger could get much information off me other than my face and maybe a bit of sense of humor, which is what anyone could on the street. 

When I google myself, I don't find any of my profiles, past or current. The only thing I found on myself was my high school's award page, listing my name as a part of the Yearbook Committee. However, you would have to know the city I'm from to find this, and again, I don't include my locations in any of my posts. 

I've given out my email address to Instagram, as that is the only social media I have. However, that doesn't take away from the email address I gave to Facebook and Twitter when I had them.

So while it is clear that I have a decent-sized online footprint, you might be wondering, as a reader, why I said I was very proud of it. I am proud of it because it is so much improvement and personal growth since I was younger. So much desire for social media and sharing photos of myself and my life, to now a bad taste in my mouth whenever I think about it. 

I think social media is isolating and makes people hurt. I think that it is embedded with ways to co-compare yourself to others, which can turn into a very nasty feeling, especially for a young girl. I grew up thinking my hair was too thick, my eyes were ugly brown, and I was too fat. I thought the scars on my body needed to be removed by a painful laser, and when I fought for it, I said "beauty is pain", to laugh it off. 

I don't see myself going back to using social media heavily, and I definitely will be smart about how I implement my children and allow them to use social media. 

 

TED: Privacy, Online & Off

Juan Enriquez paints a haunting but reality-adjusting picture of tattoos and online media. We know tattoos are permanent, they're loud, and they quite literally paint a picture that we don't have or get the chance to explain. Many people frown upon them, many people judge them, and many people get them to signify part of who they are.

Enriquez, then, compares tattoos to online media, asking viewers to imagine if their online media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, Cell Phones, or even your GPS is a tattoo. Where you go, what you do, what you say, what you like, what you don't like, who you see, who you talk to, who you follow; Just about every move of your life, tattooed for the world to see. 

I am 21 years old, and I have 3 tattoos, planning to get more as I get older. I got my first tattoo the day I turned 18 years old, and it was legal for me to. I remember my mom telling me before I left for my appointment, "Are you sure you wanna do this? It's permanent", and I shrugged it off and said, "Yes, I really want this". Can I say the same for the electronic tattoos, knowing what I know now? Knowing that every single thing I do, say, like, dislike, is permanent? I don't think my answer would be the same.

These concerns of privacy are extremely unsettling, especially knowing, possibly cowardly, I can't hide from them. The facial recognition that gets me into my cell phone and laptop every single morning does just that: recognizes me. 

As I said, I'm 21 years old. I've made plenty of mistakes growing up, and being realistic, have plenty more to go. Knowing that everything I've done or said, controversial or just subject to other's opinions, is permanently out in the public eye and in my "file", if you will, is unjust. 

I am harassed by advertisements and commercials online, trying to sell me a product I just browsed at 5 minutes before. I am subject to people's opinions on how I look. I am almost asking for a fight, political or unpolitical, when I say how I feel about something because anyone is allowed to tell me I'm wrong or they don't agree. 

Besides personal scrutiny, there is the obvious risk of safety. Anyone who has access to the internet, a cell phone, even a laptop, which is just about everyone, could look up and gain information about just about anyone: Predators, criminals, exes, or past friends. 

The conversation of what can the government do become telling, as the government has encrypted "default" surveillance into tech products, thus, making encryption democratized. If the argument is that we live in a dangerous time, with dangerous people, then why not make more safety laws? Why not enforce the law harder on those who are guilty of putting another citizen at risk, rather than giving someone with a marijuana charge a lifetime sentence, while you're going to give a murderer 20? 

Absolutely NO communication is government property, not my communication. Not my friend's or family's communication. 

In The Age of AI

Nicholas Thompson, Editor-In-Chief of Wired, explains the AI system "- And because it's an AI system, it's not just following instructions, it's figuring out its own instructions, it comes up with moves that humans hadn't thought of before. So, it studies games that humans have played, it knows the rules, and then it comes up with creative moves." 

Artificial intelligence, AI, had proven it could marshal a vast amount of data, beyond anything a human could handle, and use that to teach itself how to predict an outcome. It seems as if everyone jumped on the bandwagon and embraced its maturity, without questioning its power. 

In China, customers can now shop in stores without clerks or employees, but instead, use a face recognition system for their currency. I have never heard of this- and the first thing I thought of wasn't "Cool!" or "Awesome!", but what about national security? What about identity theft? 

Everything in society, including people, is becoming autonomous- Robotic, even. As the advancement of technology already has drastically minimized and limited human connection and communication, now the AI system comes into play, where it is argued that a system is going to be able to function and communicate better than we can, as humans. 

If you disagree with these ideas, you're referred to as a "huge pessimist", according to MIT Researcher Andrew McAfee.

In case no one understands the severity of this, in just 8 seconds, the AI system can assess 5,000 personal features from all your personal data. Where is the privacy? Where is the line that shall not be crossed when it comes to people's personal data? Where is the morality that a system is argued to know more about me than I know about myself?

When contemplating the pros and cons, the main pro that is discussed from Frontline is the medical advancements that can occur, and have already. The AI system has answered Dr. Lehman's medical thesis, asking, "Does this woman have cancer now, and will she develop cancer in five years?". 

It is a no-brainer that a system like this can save so many lives, and I would be remiss to ignore the possibility and say that it wouldn't be a gift. But at what point does a gift become a responsibility? What is it going to take for people to realize that for one good thing, a thousand things have to be handed over? Is it to say that we don't have trust in our medical staff, or that we don't care to sell our souls and personal lives over for the sake of others?

The scariest part of it all, to me, is the fact that the development of the AI system is nowhere near done, and it will only get stronger from here. More power does not mean more maturity. 

Online Influencers Are Taking Over

What do you think of when you hear the words online influencer? 

If you ask me, my answer will dramatically vary based on the online platform in focus. If it's TikTok, I picture the famous Charli Damelio, a young girl who made her name known by her impeccable dance skills. If it's on Twitter, I picture someone funny with an attitude of "no filter", who will post what they want when they want it with no repercussions. If it's Instagram, however, I think of a woman in a bikini. I don't think of what they do for a living, or even what their name is, but just one thing: That they're skinny, skinny skinny. 

That doesn't mean that there can't be other influencers on those platforms, however, but that those are the most prominent and impressionable. Different types of influencers work better on some online platforms than others. For example, if you see a woman in an itsy bitsy yellow polka dot bikini on Facebook, it probably won't be digested as well as if it was on Instagram.

Being an "Influencer" has completely taken over the approach of online media. Younger generations, specifically, have completely reshaped their childhood around reaching the goal of becoming an influencer and sharing their life online for the rest of their lives. 

When I was a kid, my life was all about playing outside in the treehouse my dad and brother built for us, or playing "Manhunt" with the neighbors and getting in trouble for running around outside without shoes on. I wasn't allowed access to the internet until I was a later teen, and while some of these platforms weren't present when I was growing up, my presence on online media was still extremely limited. 

So what does it mean to be an online influencer? Is it literally to influence? 

Once again, my answer will dramatically vary, this time, based on the influencer in question. 

Some people believe that influencers do not revolve around popularity or their following count. Instead, it revolves around the alignment of the audience and the influencer. Others, then, believe that influence has everything to do with the topic at hand: who brought it up, who's leading the conversation, and who has beliefs that are most agreeable with. 

The way this affects society is more within an individual than interpersonal. In the concern of those who are trying to influence, especially at a young age, it becomes every aspect of their being. They can't enjoy simple things without trying to make them influential or be someone they are not to be influential themselves. 

For those who witness, it becomes overbearing. To have someone who receives more likes than you, more encouraging comments than you, may look different than you, it is bound at some point to make you wonder, especially if you don't realize how dangerous it could be. 

One of my best friends is an online influencer, and even though we are the same age, we live completely different lifestyles. For one, I work a 9-5 job while she records herself running errands or going shopping all day. I wake up and don't want to be put on a camera until I look presentable, and she wakes up and pulls out her camera. After living with her, in all transparency, we have run into issues over this. I felt like the camera was always in my face, and I don't like a lot of aspects of my life online, while she loves sharing online, and never really asked to see if I was okay with being recorded. 

We are still best friends. I support her and would never see myself not doing so. The point of it all, though, is to prove that it really does become a big effect on everyone's life. So if it affects my best friend and I living together, how many other people does it affect? Does it affect you and a friend? 

To what measure are people going to realize that being an online influencer may be more pricey than they think?

Social Media through the Diffusion Theory

 

    The most important aspect of the Diffusion Theory, to me, is the tipping point, and when analyzing social media through its lens, it seems that the tipping point may be steeper than one realizes. 

   As technology seems to be everlong developing, advancing, and overtaking our society, it is easy for being to hop on the bandwagon and spread. A chance to express yourself online? Share photos of yourself for likes and comments? Tell everyone what you're doing, from wherever you are, at any time? Most people would say "Sign me up!", and that's what they did.

    However, most people became these early adopters without realizing the stakes at hand in having an online presence. Thus, certainly not making late adopters any safer, but at least making them more aware of the issues. 

    The risks of putting yourself online seem to all fall under the category of safety. You are putting your full name, photos of yourself, and sometimes even your address online for anyone in the world to see. You are posting photos of yourself that leave room for anyone in the universe to analyze and draw opinions about, even if they are harmful to you. You also indulge in a lot of informative digestion, even if it is information that you wanted or didn't. With this, comes a lot of information that you have to draw conclusions about to be either true or false. 

    With all these risks, it is important to note that there are positives. Some being the wonderful platform of being able to share content, communicate with others all around the world, and share experiences. You can put yourself out there, and that might help you secure a dream job, or even make new friends. It helps you keep tabs on old friends, and stay in touch. It may even help you build up your confidence, or in other cases, thick skin. 

    So, when analyzing whether or not the positives outweigh the negatives, it truly depends on the person. It depends on whether or not a person is self-aware enough to be able to differentiate true from false, or positive to negative. It depends on whether or not you live a lifestyle that this new communicative technology would benefit you, and allow you to have stronger communication skills and experiences. 

ANTIWAR

 

    As the United States of America is waging military operations all over the world, as well as engaging in extreme foreign policy, it is probably true that as you're reading this, you don't know much about it. ANTIWAR.com and America Conservative are sites that are devoted unconditionally to non-conventionalism. Their opposition is imperialism, targeting their audience of "greens", and independents.

   

    In simple terms, the goal of these sites is to act as a tool, or a platform of honesty, to keep the world and American people in the loop of the overseas policies and "happenings" of the U.S. Government. While some more mainstream outlets blame the lack of the Antiwar movement on the lack of military, it is important to stay curious. So why is it that you have to go to extreme lengths to be able to hear strong antiwar voices?

    Perhaps it is for the same reason the antiwar movement exists: Just like people of the movement wish to dismiss any war, the people of the U.S. Government wish to dismiss any discussion of their decisions. "What they don't know won't hurt em" seems to be their type of motto. For anyone who argues this, well, it seems then that you are against your country. The question, then, becomes is it anti-American to be antiwar? 

    

    You have your First Amendment rights, to speak freely on your beliefs and thoughts. However, when it comes to the state of American war policies, you are hushed. You're muted for even "conspiring" against a country who has brought you so much. 

    

EOTO Com Tech Timeline: Hulu

 

    If you want to watch your favorite movies and stay up to date on your favorite TV shows, then Hulu is a good option for you. Hulu is an American based company that offers a wide selection of TV shows, old and new movies, as well as their own "original" TV shows, and other media. The platform allows its subscribers to watch anything, anytime, anywhere, including HD episodes from channels like CW, ABC, NBC, and Fox. You can download the platform on your computer, gaming consoles, iPhone, or TV.

    There are monthly subscriptions to Hulu that range in offers. The first offer, at a higher price, allows no interrupting advertisements and unlimited amount of guests who can stream different medias on your profile at once. Another subscription offer is to still stream anything wherever, whenever, but with a limited number of guests on your profile and with advertisements to intrude. Nonetheless, you can still watch movies and shows. 

    Hulu was founded by Jason Kilar and Beth Comstock, both major CEO'S and business-folk. Hulu was created in order to get a piece of the online streaming services, or in better terms, the direct-to-home space, which was founded in 2006. Hulu, then, came around in 2007 to deliver its exclusive network shows and working to create additional material due to the heating competition of other streaming platforms.

    Online streaming, as a whole, has completely changed the way that viewers consume television shows and movies. Having any movie or show at the tip of your fingertips is a very first-world, amazing gift. However, it does come with some negative impacts. 

    The most negative or harmful impact of such streaming platforms, and their heavy consumption, is the effect of the distribution services affecting major cable companies and more "generaic" streaming services that are, now, struggling to stay in buisness. With constant advancements in technology and consumer trends, it is easy to believe that once someone hops on the bandwagon, most will follow. Thus, if you are technical enough to understand how to operate Hulu, you are most likely going to use Hulu. 

    Not to mention, algorithms have a strong effect in keeping one subscribed to a streaming platform. Hulu tracks a persons algorithm, like almost all online media does, to provide recommendations and percentages of matches to movies or TV shows, based on what the consumer has watched before. The attempt is to make it almost impossible to be able to ever let go: To not be able to find something that interests you.

    I have had friends or family that began using Hulu, and then, inspired me to do so. It is all about the viewers watchlist, and if that show or movie is available to them on that platform, which all streaming services strive to achieve. My mother, even, has purchased a subscription to Hulu, just to watch a show that was being released on television, because Hulu uploads a new episode each week as it is being released on TV. 

    So why Hulu? Why not Netflix or Disney+? Hulu has made its mark on streaming turf when its original drama series, The Handmaids Tale, became the first original streaming series to win an Academy Award for "outstanding series". Much of the streaming service may have been an afterthought, or a second or third option for service up until then, where it the heat of competition was definitely risen and thus, in favor, of Hulu.

Aliloupour, Nicole P., "The Impact of Technology on the Entertainment Distribution Market: The Effects of Netflix and Hulu on Cable Revenue" (2016). Scripps Senior Theses. 746.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/746

    

Freedoms of the Black Lives Matter Protests

     

    The past two years have been one of extreme change and hardship: Amidst a global-wide pandemic emerging, and drastic noise in the Black Lives Matter movement.

    As everyone should know, the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement protesting against all racially motivated violence and crime against black people, and drawing eyes to the horrific incidents of police brutality against black people. This movement, according to The New York Times, may be the largest movement in United States history. Suggesting that about 15 to 26 million people in the United States have participated or shown out in demonstrations of the death of Travon Martin, George Floyd, and countless others. These numbers do not begin to include surrounding countries in support of the movement.

    The freedoms of the First Amendment are extreme workers when looking to empower change. These freedoms protect our beliefs, our ideas, and most importantly, our ability to vocalize these ideas to inspire others. It allows us to vocalize these ideas in the press, assemble others among these ideas, and provenly, start a movement. 

    With a prominent online ability, the movement reached more people than it could've without it. Petitions began online, and people of each major city were reached and invited to no longer sit in silence, but to reveal their support and their frustration with the horrible injustices that have been, for too long, occurring in our world. 

    It has, then, been reported at multiplicity that even those who showed their support online were systematically silenced. Many people had their posts, or even their entire profiles flagged and removed due to a "violation of community guidelines". An article from Buzzfeed News shares the story of an activist, Doran, who had her personal page removed for "spam", due to practicing her right to freedom of speech. She explained, "Black folks are talking about their experiences in this country right now, and they are being systematically silenced" (BuzzFeed News). 

    However, there have been a series of conflicts that arise from this movement. Thus, raising the question of just how far our freedoms can go or how much of them we can access. According to the Press Freedom Tracker, in the year 2020, there were about 1,000 incidents reported of aggression against the press, including denial of access, equipment damage, physical attacks, and over 120 arrests. Most importantly, there have been clear and horrifying violations of a peaceful assembly, where several protestors in several major cities, were attacked with tear gas and rubber bullets, at the fault of our own "protectors" and government. 

    The most surprising thing that I learned so far in the BLM movement, among the countless violations of our First Amendment rights, is that so many that are protesting don't know their complete rights. The Free Speech center explains, "Only one in 10 Americans know that assembly is one of our First Amendment freedoms- but the public definitely knows how to exercise this right" (Free Speech Center). 

    With this, I found an extraordinary article, laminating the major takeaways from this movement, that with at the rate of our world, sadly, has no end in sight. The article is linked below.

https://www.mtsu.edu:8443/first-amendment/post/837/5-takeaways-from-the-black-lives-matter-protests

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/facebook-silencing-black-lives-matter-activists

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/03/us/george-floyd-protests-crowd-size.html

https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/the-power-of-protest/

Eight Values of Free Expression

    Freedom of expression is a foundation, or a placeholder, for several other human rights. Freedom wouldn't be worth anything to us if we could be overthrown by anyone who doesn't agree. 

    While it doesn't protect speech that holds much hate or applauds the idea of violence, there is no room for such speech in our country anyhow. The most important protection that the freedom of expression holds is that of original thought, and thus, original expression. 

    One of the many values of free expression that I find the most valuable is individual self-fulfillment, or in other words, self-actualization. This value laminates free speech, enabling every person to express themselves, be creative, and best identify with who they are, individually. 

    While it may seem so second nature or "basic" to most, it is important to reflect on and think about it. Every thought that you have is your own. Imagine, then, someone telling you that your thought isn't free. What would be the cost of having a thought, then? Would it be the risk of imprisonment or shame if your thought wasn't digested well by others? What if you thought of something that you believed was a big part of who you are, and someone told you it wasn't accepted? What if you couldn't form an opinion of your own, or form an opinion that you could share with people?

    These are all things that I think of when I think of the value of individual self-fulfillment. 

    I think that the most prominent platform of free expression is social media. As technology seems to be a never-ending development and advancement, outlets online are becoming easier and easier to operate and create. 

    It is how many people communicate with each other. Whether it be a direct message, commenting, or mentioning someone on their page, or even leaving a comment on someone's post. It is how many people share their opinions, and learn from others. Even something as simple or forgotten as an Amazon review, or a tweet about a product. People share their experiences or their opinions of a product or person and people listen! It is how people digest news or get informed about the world. Whether you learn about free reports on politics, economics, or even societal events around you! It is important to note, however, with a lot of platforms, and a lot of voices, it is important to recognize what information you are reading, and what information you can digest and take to be true. However, once you find them, it allows people to discover the truth through speech. 

    Without freedom of speech and expression, reporting would be completely restrained. There would be such strict limitations on news and discussions. There wouldn't be a prominent platform to discuss, learn, and share. 

    Social media is like a megaphone throughout the world, where you have the ability to hear everything going on. This is only possible through the freedom of speech and expression. Everyone can be heard, and no one can be hushed. Freedom of expression is the gift of celebrating each other's talents, opinions, and stories, and to me, that is one of the most important aspects of life. It is how you get to learn about each other, and what makes someone who they truly are. 

Photo: https://lifeandletters.la.utexas.edu/2014/12/defending-artistic-expression/

The Supreme Court

    The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest federal court in the country, as well as being the judicial branch of the U.S. government. The Supreme Court was established in 1789, with six justices who would serve on the court until they died or retired. This, teaching me that there have not always been nine justices on the court, but actually, it began with six. 

    I think, quite possibly, the most notable power of The Supreme Court to take away is judicial review. This is the ability of The Supreme Court to declare a legislative or executive act, or the power to review and rule, on acts that are considered in violation of the U.S. Constitution. This was established not in the makeup of The Supreme Court, but in the doctrine of Marbury v. Madison of 1803. 

    The most surprising thing that I learned in History's piece of SCOTUS was that the decision of banning school segregation was issued by a landmark decision, not a civil rights decision. 

Five Top Sources

The first top source of news and information is WikiLeaks. It is a nonprofit organization, beginning in 2006, with the motive of dispersing original documents to its viewers received from anonymous sources and leakers. WikiLeaks strongly states on their website that they do not spend their time on rumors, personal opinions, or any information that is available to the public somewhere else. While WikiLeaks has come under fire in the past, for releasing classified material and thus, questioned as a journalist, it is one of the very few sources where you know what you are reading is not fabricated or embedded with personal influence. 

https://wikileaks.org/ 

The second top source of news and information is The New Yorker. The New Yorker is quite possibly most known for its iconic illustrative covers, which many are initially intrigued by. The New Yorker can also be applauded for celebrating, or including short stories and literary reviews. They also attract more of a wider audience by focusing in on today's hits, or "Hollywood" stories. They also hold a strong platform for their journalists, who discuss politics and social issues. 

https://www.newyorker.com/

The third top source of news and information is BuzzFeed. While BuzzFeed may not be considered real news, or controversial, even, to others, BuzzFeed does so well in succession because they break away from traditional media. With big bright headlines, sharable gifs, and its other creative aspects, it is nothing like every other news source out there. They make news like trivia, with fun and easy-to-read stories. While it may not be the most factual source, it is the most lighthearted. I mean, come on, how much can you really trust on the internet anyway?

https://www.buzzfeed.com/

The fourth top source of news and information is The Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal features new types of feature writing in the world of journalism. They started as business news, but later shifted to cover more general news, probably to gain more audience. Most notably, their editorial page follows the phrasing "free markets, free people", which is something attractive to most readers.

https://www.wsj.com/

The fifth top source of news and information is The New York Times. The New York Times is quite possibly the most known news article there is to date. It is one of the very few news sources to take a stand and take a left-leaning, progressive and modernized view of the world and news, all while following the traditional elements of classic journalism. 

https://www.nytimes.com/