Diffusion of Innovations

Diffusion of Innovations is a theory that aims to explain the how, why, and speed of the diffusion of new ideas and technologies. It explains the manner and rate with which new concepts, behaviors, or goods diffuse among a community. The innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards are the main participants in the idea. It talks about the transfer of 'new' concepts, things, and social behaviors from one society to another and throughout society.

One of the products with the longest adoption cycles is the cell phone. Martin Cooper, a Motorola engineer, invented the mobile phone in 1973. Majority of people in the world own a cell phone. It is interesting to note that, as of 2021, 97% of people use a cell phone, and 85% use a smart phone. 

For a majority of my grandma's life, she used a flip phone for communication. As most people in this generation have moved to smart phones, my grandma has never cared to upgrade to a smartphone because the flip phone was her first and last cellular device. All of my family has an iPhone. It is crazy to see how the iPhone has improved and expanded on the various versions of an iPhone. I remember when the iPhone 3 came out. It was so small and easy to use as we can call and download any app we wanted to on it. Today, we have the iPhone 14, which is bigger and has various camera updates. The cell phone is a fast and efficient way for people all over the world to communicate. People caught on quick to this innovation because it provided a way for people to talk and get in contact with people instead of traveling to someone in order to have a face-to-face conversation. 

Only those who could afford a $4000 cell phone would purchase one when they initially became available. They were mostly used by wealthy businesspeople who needed to be near a phone line. I would argue that tech reviewers and product experts are among the first to upgrade to the newest edition of the smartphone due to its yearly adjustments. These are the individuals who would evaluate the goods and provide reviews for customers who intended to upgrade.

Due to the expense cost of the device, there were few early adopters of cell phones. Men and women were among the first to own a cell phone in the 1980s when they first became available since they were frequently away from home. Many women carried a mobile phone in order to connect with the other members of the family through the home phone because they wanted to be sure that their husbands were safe at all times. Typically, the working member of the family carried this device. People who can afford to upgrade their phone every year because of their plan or job are the early adopters of the smart phone. The early adopters are also those who, rather than upgrading to a phone that merely offers speed increases, are the first to go out and purchase the new features-packed smartphone of the next generation. 

The group of consumers who purchased a cell phone just as they were beginning to gain popularity is known as the early majority. Due to the high number of people using cell phones while out and about in the 1990s, early majorities bought them. They desired constant knowledge on the whereabouts of their relatives. When Apple sold the iPhone 4 and 4s, which was my first iPhone, the early majority of smartphones were produced. Like yesterday, I recall the iPhone 4s. When the iPhone first came out, every one of my teachers and family members owned one. The majority of those who were ready to upgrade could afford an iPhone 4, but not those who did not want to learn how to use a new phone and operating system. Some members of the early majority believed that their smartphone would outlast their old cell phone. While his partner consistently upgraded her iPhone, my grandfather, who travels and lives abroad, continued to use an iPhone 4. He was one of those individuals who was trapped in the iPhone 4 era. If you ask someone about their first smartphone, they will likely answer that it was an iPhone 4, as the newest iPhones serve as a constant reminder of the iPhone 4 era because the iPhone 4 is where it all began. 

People who solely own smartphones and have never felt the need to own a cell phone make up the late majority of cell phone users. With the iPhone 6, the late majority gained significant ground. The most popular item was the iPhone 6. Many older folks in the 1960s who had previously been hesitant to get an iPhone now felt comfortable to do so. My mom who was born in the 1960s got a phone not too long ago. She did not get a phone until she was 35 and she is not 50. Most of her life growing up, there was no cell phone. When cell phones came out, she never felt the need to buy one until all of her kids got one. She realized it would be easier if she bought one so she can text and call her kids to make sure they are safe and to notify them about an important situation.

According to research, excessive phone use causes relationship problems, anxiety, sadness, stress, and sleep disruptions. Cell phones are a distraction. When I am in school, I see everyone on their cell phones. Nobody tries to stir a conversation or talk to the people beside of them because they are too busy looking at their cell phones. Cell phones have had a negative effect on our social skills and how we perform. I have a hard time studying sometimes because my phone is right next to me. I constantly look at my phone if it is on my table next to my homework. It is a major distraction that decreases our attention span. This is why some people do not get a cell phone. They see the generation of today always on them and they lose interest in getting one. Cell phones take you away from reality and you lose the connection you once had with people because we are addicted to our phones. No cell phones can help us appreciate the environment around us and make us more comfortable with the people and environment around us. Most people have said that cell phones have been more positive than negative in regard to the attitudes toward cell phones. People can access the web and research information with their cell phones and keep in touch with relatives that are miles away. We have access to information from all over the world. Even though cell phones can be a negative aspect of people's lives in regard to distraction and inappropriate content with social media apps on cell phones, they are a vital part of living in our society and have been beneficial to society as a way of being informed and sharing information. 

The laggards are the people who do not have a cell phone. There are also laggards that own a cell phone but have never updated. My grandma has not updated her phone as she still uses the first phone that she has owned for 8 years. She barely knows how to work her flip phone and only uses it for calling someone. She has no interest in getting an iPhone and does not care about social media or the apps that comes with it. Laggards do not like change and are not interested in getting the new products until the traditional alternatives are not available anymore. They make investments to survive and do not care about the latest and newest gadgets of technology.

Comparing expected or estimated costs and benefits connected with a project choice to ascertain whether it makes sense from a business standpoint is the process of a cost-benefit analysis. Cost benefit analysis entails totaling up all expenses associated with a project or decision and deducting the sum of all anticipated benefits. You want a new communication technology to be efficient, affordable, and accessible to anyone who needs it. The cell phone has been successful so far in providing an impact on everyone who has bought the product. Cell phones continue to be one of the biggest innovations and has provided the world with a way of being connected to our society around us.

Online Privacy

 Technology has a vital impact on our lives as we use our phones, laptops, and tablets on a day-to-day basis. We make social media accounts and google accounts that hold and contain valuable information that includes private information. What we do not realize is that it can be dangerous and harmful when we encounter privacy violations. Viruses and hackers get into your accounts which can make your life miserable when a stranger has full control over your important information. It is important to protect our privacy to ensure that we have safety and human dignity. Online privacy issues can affect anyone and everyone as privacy concerns continue to increase when we continue to use technological advancements.

From the TED Talk, "Think your email's private? think again", Andy Yen discusses how there is an astounding amount of personal information online. Our data continues to last forever, even when we are no longer on earth. In our generation, we are being taught to share information online. On Facebook, we communicate with our friends and families as we share pictures and information of our lives. Social media has become an outlet for people to talk about information that should be kept private because you never know who is watching or what hackers and spies could be trying to take your information. The rapid increase in technological innovations has outpaced the protection of privacy. Digital footprints are easily tracked and handled by corporations, as well as the government. Digital footprints are consistently and rapidly growing. It contains large amounts of data that contain the most intimate and personal aspects of our everyday lives. 

Online privacy issues affect me in many ways. I am always on social media as it is a big part of my life. I share information about myself online whether that is Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. I am more likely to be a target for hackers and people online who can easily take and use my information. My Instagram account has been hacked several times and the only way I can get it back is to change my password. Nowadays, it is hard to freely develop and openly talk about my personality without someone taking that information and ruining my reputation or boundaries. These issues affect my friends and families when they all have phones and technological devices. One of my family members has dealt with surveillance issues in our phones. In the Ted Talk, "How to avoid surveillance... with the phone in your pocket", Christopher Soghoian talks about how surveillance backdoors are built into the phone system by default to allow governments to listen in on everything we see and do. We are never safe in these types of situations and every conversation and move we make is being watched and recorded. Dangerous hackers and the government agencies are violating our privacy to the point where we have to cover our cameras on our phones and laptops so we cannot be seen. 

The government should be educating the public. Everyone can be easily gullible when it comes to hackers and stolen information. In addition to ensuring the businesses disclose any potential privacy or security issues and follow their states rules, the government should safeguard its own network. The government should not be destroying our privacy as they should be in charge of protecting our information that is held online. The main issue with our government is that they are taking data from us without our permission. We are being watched and monitored with our emails and online activity. The government needs to secure our information without opening or sharing our information. The government should take cautious steps in order for our online security to be secure. Political reform is required. Governments will simply be one step ahead by learning how to crack the technologies if we try to rely solely on technical answers. Companies must do their part as well as stand up. By encouraging governments to implement these changes, spending more in device security, and by default protecting data sent to and received from connected devices.

A major and important way of protecting ourselves from invasions of privacy is to clear our search history. I clear my search history almost every hour. One thing I need to work on that can protect my privacy is to not overshare information about myself online. It is hard to do that because I like to overshare. When I go on Facebook, I like to tell people that it is my birthday and what I did that day.  We need to be more cautious about posting and sharing personal information online because we never know who might be watching. We should deactivate and ignore the ability to save our password. When we log into Google or a social media account, we sometimes get a feature that allows us to save our password. This can increase your chances of privacy invasions, so ignoring this conveniency can save you from trouble. One thing I have done recently is deleting apps I do not use. I delete my apps to improve the performance of my phone. I never realize that removing apps can also help with security flaws. We should limit the apps that we use so we do not receive any updates or cookies from websites that can be a threat for getting private information from your device. Accounts that are private can be a more trustful way when we limit who sees your content and information. Private accounts have to accept a follow request in order for the person to see their account. This is a safe way for people to cut off the public viewings and share content with people that they know personally. Most importantly, be careful where you click. Devices can easily get viruses that can steal your information. Always be aware of what websites you are using and research what browsers and search engines are reliable. 

Privacy online has always been a significant issue. Privacy is important for keeping our information safe and hidden from the evil world. Online privacy protects our safety from not just online, but in public. In our homes, we do not want anyone coming to our doorsteps because they found out private information that was stored online. It is so easy to share our locations, especially on Snapchat. I can look at people's locations on Snapchat by going to an icon called snap maps. I have that option hidden so no one can see where I am at, but a lot of my friends and random people I have on Snapchat have that option on. It is scary how easily we can locate someone and see where they are from or what they are doing at an exact moment. Privacy protects us as a society and as individuals. Data mining is a way for your data to be stolen when someone tries to get as much information out of you as possible. Data can be stolen in a matter of seconds, and we need to be aware of the ways in which we can limit how much information we store online and how we can protect ourselves and society.

Smith-Mundt Modernization Act

As one of its provisions, the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act forbade the domestic distribution of any materials prepared by programs intended for international audiences and broadcast in accordance with State Department guidelines. "Modernization" refers to the removal of propaganda safeguards and the enabling of government employees and agencies to provide "news" and "opinion" for the American people. The Smith-Mundt Act was first introduced in 1945 by Congressman Karl E. Mundt. On May 10, 2012, American Congressman Mac Thornberry introduced it. The Co-Sponsor for the act was Adam Smith. It was introduced in 2010 and became a bigger piece of legislation in 2012. In order to change specific sections of the 1948 Smith-Mundt Act, the act was included in the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bill as section 1078. It repealed the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948. The 1948 Smith-Mundt Act was repealed by the Obama administration. The Smith-Mundt Act requires the media to report truthfully, but Obama first enacts the 2012 Smith-Mundt Act, which permits the media to fabricate news and much of it to be slanted. According to U.S. Congressman Adam Smith, the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 would enable the U.S. government to use the State Department to communicate public diplomacy information in Arabic to counter in other countries where al-Qaeda was infiltrating the internet to spread anti-Americanism. 

The United States Information and Education Exchange Act of 1948 was amended by a bill sponsored by Representatives Mac Thornberry and Adam Smith to allow for the domestic distribution of information and materials about the United States intended primarily for international audiences, among other things. The bill lifts the ban on allowing Americans to access public diplomacy materials, removing a fictitious barrier to American global engagement while raising home understanding of international matters and encouraging supervision and accountability of the same. The bill underlines the true "anti-propaganda" protections in the legislation, which call for the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors to make the best use of private resources and avoid monopolies.

Greater audience participation and global connectivity will be made possible by the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act, which will increase transparency for publicly supported media. The law will make it possible for individuals all around America to see and hear the important news that the Agency's skilled journalists report, it considers contemporary content distribution channels including the internet, mobile delivery, and satellite television that are not constrained by geographic borders. Given the changing definition of "publicly available" for media organizations, the Act may now be in violation of the First Amendment right to access material that is made available to the public. The U.S. State Department is prevented from executing an efficient and education 21st century public diplomacy strategy, according to arguments that the efficiency of present public diplomacy initiatives a deteriorating and that the domestic dissemination ban is to blame. The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 enables the American public to be the target audience for information efforts funded by the U.S government.

Given the economic, political, and technological changes that have occurred in the 61 years since the Smith-Mundt Act was passed into law, many experts today contend that the Act is not only out of date but also has a negative impact on 21st century public diplomacy strategies. The growth of the internet has made it practically impossible for the American governments to shield its citizens from learning about American propaganda campaigns carried out abroad, especially radio and television shows that are readily available online. 

To stop the government from shaping and promoting public opinion through the media, the Smith Mundt Modernization Act was created. This made it possible to hear opposing views and voices. For example, there is only one collective "expert" voice about Covid-19 and its remedies in the mainstream media because of the current environment, which silences any voices that challenge the dominant narrative. The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act now permits the government to influence public opinion by using the media. This may affect different people in my generation. It allows the media to form a story and create biased news that can be fake. This leads to "terrorist" events where there is false misinformation. 

Every statement made by this propaganda machine is false and represents the worst form of existence. At my high school, I have heard of several fake shooting threats from classmates. Students get scared and they leave, even though nothing happens. Especially on social media, news can get sent around really quick. We see fake news and tend to believe it. This can influence me to believe it too since I get my information from social media. My family and friends tell me about what they heard from Twitter, Facebook, or someone online. They never step back and research just how accurate the information is. In our society, rich people have more privilege and power to do everyday things. People who are poor get silenced because of their status in society. Americans have this idea that the rich create more value for our society and make our businesses become successful that creates products. The rich have more dominance which lessens the value of the poor. On the web, we hear that America is "richer" than other places without acknowledging the poverty this country has. In political news, we see more male figures. There is little to no female political voices and figures in our country. It is mostly male dominated. On social media, we get to hear everyone's voices no matter what gender they are. We hear opposing views from people who may not have been heard with the Smith-Mundt Act. Females may not feel like they are valued and feel shushed at times, but news is being sent out to everyone around the world. We all have access to information and opinions from different news sources. Everyone has the ability to access news and take into account all of the non-restricted reports and journalists. All audiences are engaged with world news that provides audience connectivity in our society. Fake news can happen anywhere at any time which affects how our society functions and responds to information.

Anti-War and American Conservative Websites

 When I first clicked on Antiwar.com and American Conservative, I was overwhelmed by the loads of information on the site. There is always false information going around in the news about specific topics. We have access to media no matter if it is accurate or false information. It covers information from all over the world which is very useful and cool to see. It has everything from highlights to breaking news and YouTube video attachments talking about the latest news, including Biden and Ukraine and other political news. The website contains information that you typically would not see on national headlining news. By reading these sites, I am becoming more educated on worldly news that I most likely would never find while scrolling on social media. But the real question is, why do we have to dig out information in order to hear strong antiwar voices. 

The reasons why you would not see these websites when you search anything on the internet is because of backlash or threats. Antiwar.com has unedited and honest news and analysis. They do not edit or censor their content. They do not push their specific viewpoints into a protected template. A lot of stories and media these days focus on information that will result in higher viewership and will get more monetization. Sites like these are being covered up by news that will spark interest in the public because the "more important" news will make more money and create more attention. If it is not interesting enough, it will not get revealed to the public. The news likes to cover up information. It is getting more difficult to find voices that question and go against the media and investigates the truth. There is little to no mainstream coverage on antiwar because mainstream media is managed by huge companies who are mainly interested in their own interests and not on people who want social change. Anti-war voices are being silenced on purpose and large companies are wanting to control the media as they are getting in the way of spreading information from all sides.

From my personal stance, I believe that the government does not have an issue trying to mute different viewpoints that are not for what they think is right. We do not see most information and news sites because it is hidden from the public. America shows itself as a land for opportunities and where dreams come true but does not talk about the failures and concerns of human rights. There is news that gets covered up because it can ruin reputations and spark controversy. 

The American Conservative website provides unbiased material. The layout of the site was more organized and not dispersed everywhere on the page to where it is super overwhelming. This website contains information about the future of American Conservatives, the past events, and there is even an article about The Conservative Wisdom of the Infield Fly. It is about how the infield fly rule, like the Senate filibuster, reflects the conservative impulse. I have never heard of these articles and events because the website is not pushed out to the public. The government has so much control over the news and only wants you to see certain topics. I believe the government makes big and popular companies, as well as sources like Google Scholar easy to access. Both the Antiwar and American Conservative website are vital to look back on because the information given is not typically seen on national news outlets.

Based on my observations and discoveries about the two websites, I realized that strong antiwar websites suffer by never getting the recognition the same way that pro-war voices do. Especially when doing research, we always want to hear both sides of the story and get specific viewpoints from each side so people can base their opinions upon that. People want to get factual and accurate news. We hear about people's opinions all the time which can turn into a big controversy because not everyone is going to agree with everything. I want to learn more about the opinions of others and be more open to listening to different stances on specific subjects. We need to be provided with a variety of viewpoints so we can make our own decisions about what we stand for and believe in. Being shoved away from all viewpoints would do us more harm and we need to make a change in order for voices to be heard. 

EOTO Technology Presentations: The Smartphone

As I was listening to the presentations of all of the technologies that our society has invented, I was fascinated about the history and evolution of the smartphone. Smartphones are used by people of all ages all over the world as a way to communicate. There are many different brands of smartphones, but they are all important to our daily lives. Smartphones are efficient and portable tools that allow us to access the internet and check social networks. Here is what I learned about the smartphone and its impact.

The first smartphone was invented in 2007 by Steve Jobs. The first debut occurred on January 9th, 2007, at the Macworld convention in San Francisco. From 2007 to 2022, the smartphone has greatly improved in how it looks and functions. For example, iPhones have evolved immensely as they have grown in size. I remember when the iPhone 3 came out and it was super small. Now, there are iPhone 13s and 14s which are way bigger and more advanced. The iPhones that we have in 2022 are completely touch screens. The iPhones in the early 2000s have a home button at the bottom of the phone. Everything we own when it comes to electronic devices are mostly full touch screens. From walkie talkies to our touch screen smartphones, the evolution of technology has become a vital use to people of all generations. 

The iPhone is a combination of a computer, iPod, digital camera, and cellular phone all into one device with a touchscreen interface. It was created to combine all these devices into one handled device that people could take with them everywhere. I can do a lot of tasks like writing a paper on my phone like I would on a computer because the iPhone is like a portable computer. It has the same apps and functions like a computer does. The first ever smartphone included a touchscreen and multiple apps that included a calculator, an address book, a notepad, and several more. It does not have many of the features that the current iPhones have, but it was the starting point to revolutionizing the look and use of smartphones.

We all know that society has an addiction to their phones, but I did not know the percentage of people that are addicted to their devices. 75.4 percent of users of the iPhone would state that they have become addicted to their devices. That is way over half which is a negative aspect of our world. We are glued to our phones that we do not realize the addiction that we have. Everywhere I go, I see people with their phone in front of their face. Whether it is in class, out in public, or with friends, phones are causing a problem that interrupts our everyday lives. We cannot concentrate when we feel the need to check our phones every 5 minutes. 

I learned that more than 5 billion people around the world are using these handheld smartphone devices on a daily basis. That is almost everyone on this earth. It is crazy to think about how iPhones have impacted everyone and how we live with the technology. This changed the game of communication by becoming a handheld communicator device that people could take with them everywhere. No more wires or antennas to help capture the best cell signals. This iPhone changed how we communicate and made it so much easier for us. I hardly use my home phone because my smartphone is always with me in my hand. Instead of being connected to a wall, we have made a device that can be easily transportable from place to place. 

Smartphones are a crucial tool that serves as our entertainment and way of communicating. With my iPhone, I use google maps to help me get to places and I surf the web if I need answers about a specific topic. From listening to the presentation on smartphones, I have learned that within the 15 years that iPhones have existed, we all use it for the same purposes. They are efficient tools that make our lives easier as we have the ability to connect with people from all over the world with just a touch of our finger. I never realized how much iPhones have changed. I have never seen the first smartphone ever invented until the presentation. The first smartphone looks so boring and not the most advanced portable device. The new and latest smartphones that come in different colors and have cool features within the phone that people can use are much more efficient and better. There is a big change between the two phones, and it is important to learn about how it started and how much of an impact it has had on society.

The Evolution of YouTube

 YouTube was invented on February 14th, 2005 in San Mateo, California. It is among the websites with the fastest growth. The first YouTube video to ever surf the internet was posted on April 23, 2005. The co-founder of YouTube, Jawed Karim, created the video that is only 18 seconds long. It was titled, "Me at the Zoo." Today, it has over 90 million views and the only video he has posted on his channel. YouTube has been around for over 17 years now and it still is a popular way of sharing videos to people all over the world. There are more than 50 million channels that are still active today which shows just how much of an impact the invention of this social media app has had on society.

YouTube is a platform where people can share their videos online. It was invented by Jawed Karim, Chad Hurley, and Steve Chen. All three were PayPal workers before the foundation of YouTube. The inventors claim that the concept was conceived in 2004, a year before it was invented. The concept came about at a dinner party in San Francisco. They found it hard to send the videos and photos they took to friends over the internet, even though they were both taken from digital cameras. It was easy to send the photos over email, but difficult to send the videos. They started to talk about how to share quick and short videos as there could be an easy way over the internet. Chad Hurley said, "On their cell phones, people were gathering video clips, but there was no simple way to share them." The three men were annoyed about how challenging it was to discover and distribute videos online at the time. The problems of distributing videos soon vanished because of the invention of YouTube. The first idea for YouTube was a way for people to be able to express themselves and tell the world what they like to do. Since this idea, YouTube has skyrocketed greatly from the numerous milestones it has accomplished since 2005. Users of YouTube have access to a variety of features, including the ability to publish, watch, comment, share, and subscribe to other users' content. Anyone can publish any type of video content on YouTube, which is how it was first designed. Users should be able to upload, share, and watch content on the website without any limitations. By selling ad space before or on the videos people produce and post to the website, many creators nowadays are able to make a respectable income including millions. The platform's underlying ideas is to enable anyone to operate a personal broadcasting station similar to television. 

The meaning of the word, YouTube, can be easily solved by anyone. The "You" indicates that the content is produced by the user themselves rather than the website. "Tube" alludes to an earlier title for TV. With hundreds of hours of video content being posted every minute, it exists in more than 70 countries and can be accessed and watch in over 60 languages. There are over a billion users and has taken over as the primary online video sharing service. It is used as an educational tool especially in schools where students learn about information as there are lectures and professors that post on their own accounts. YouTube provides the connection of researchers and knowledgeable individuals to engage and provide fascinating content to educate users about the world we live in.

Several amateur animators, filmmakers, music critics, teen lifestyle experts, and others have been able to create films that are viewed by a large audience thanks to YouTube. Most content on YouTube has helped people become more conscious of social concerns like bullying, suicide, and LGBTQ-related problems. According to reports, YouTube can help people better understand the personal experience of others, gain access to specialized health data and information, receive emotional support, reduce their risk of depression and loneliness, and give them a productive outlet for self-expression, self-identity, and building a safe and respected community. As a everyday YouTube user myself, I always love to read comments under influencer's posts about how their videos have helped them become more like themselves and to be more confident. YouTube influencers and users has made so many people not lose hope in themselves and has inspired many watchers to create their own accounts. "YouTube is improving our memories", says Don Tapscott, one of the world's foremost experts on how technology affects business and society. It is a publicly accessible visual record of a significant portion of what is happening or has occurred in the world. I go on YouTube to watch livestreams of the beach or watch videos of a country that is currently getting destroyed. I have also watched parties that are from creators who are celebrating a milestone and it felt like I was there. YouTube has given us a much deeper, more accurate understanding of the past than we could have obtained from reading our history books, viewing documentaries on television, or simply being verbally told about it. 

According to reports, watching YouTube had a negative impact on people's sleep, as well as their self-esteem, ability to deal with bullying, and fear of missing out. Social media is an addicting place. When we watch YouTube too much, it can affect how we work and perform in our lives. Parental guidance and content that is not made for children is a negative attribute of YouTube. A lot of videos on the internet are not made for children and when they browse the web, it can create problems in how they act and view the world from the one video that was made for a mature audience. Users are constantly making violent videos that are made to ease past the kids filter on YouTube. This can have a negative effect on children as they can be traumatized and easily disturbed. 

One of YouTube's most revolutionary effects on communication was its capacity to make the globe smaller than it actually is. With just a mouse click, users of the platform can not go anywhere in the world and broadcast it to millions of people. Brand messaging can be quickly and effectively communicated through video. Videos are a medium for expressing the feeling and physical characteristics of what you are marketing since people respond positively to visual cues. Concepts that are difficult to express in word form can be effectively demonstrated through video. To assist viewers in winning prizes made by their favorite creators, YouTube encourages video replies, comments, and contests that allow watchers to win prizes and get in contact with their favorite creators. Many users also post their talents like singing and dancing that allowed them to rise to fame. For example, Justin Bieber who posted a video of him singing a Ne-Yo some blew up on YouTube and allowed for him to get noticed by celebrities like Usher who eventually signed Justin Bieber to a record deal. YouTube has changed the way we communicate by allowing normal everyday people to be heard and seen by famous people or people around the world. We can direct message people and collaborate with other influencers to grow each other's channels. Instead of face to face communication, we can share self-made videos and publicly address a topic or a person who the video is directed to. Without YouTube, there may have been a possibility that we would have never known who Justin Bieber or a lot of internet sensations are. People from all other the world can come together and share the same interests and passions by sharing their videos.

One of my favorite YouTubers is Baylen Levine. Most of his content consists of prank videos and videos of him having fun with his group of friends. I like this creator because he does not care what other people think. Haters can have a negative effect on YouTubers, especially when they are recording their life and expressing their interests. Levine does not let that stop him from chasing his dreams. His fans or subscribers are like his family. A lot of them think that they have known him his whole life because his fans can relate and look up to him. A lot of fans have met him by reaching out to him on YouTube or commenting on his videos. This has allowed communication to be more effective. Levine's weekly postings get sent out to his 3.72 million subscribers and over millions are watching them. The invention of YouTube has allowed people to gain a voice and a following so that they can inspire and make a change for the younger generations. Baylen Levine and many YouTubers have the freedom to post any content they want or desire in hopes that it will reach out to numerous amounts of users. 

Individual Self-Fulfillment and the use of Social Media

 Social Media is a way for people to express themselves. We see people on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter who have the freedom to say what they want and give the public a taste of their personality. We use social media as a form of communication and it has allowed us to be able to exchange information. Theories help us to describe what we see and figure out how we can make a change. Freedom of speech from the First Amendment has allowed society to be themselves and stand up for what they believe in so that there will be change in the future. We can see wrongdoing, and then describe it in a way that everyone knows that it is a problem that needs to be solved. 

Technology has provided a whole different and new reality within a virtual stance. Technology and social media can prevent us from fulfilling our needs and sometimes drives them. 

How does Social Media hinder our abilities? 

The way society overuses social media can be damaging and harmful. We use social media to find acceptance, inspirations, and to use our voices. We replace face to face conversations with the virtual world of social media. We do not stop judging ourselves and comparing how we look to other people. Everyone's lives are different and not everyone has a perfect life that it seems like they have when they post online. Unrealistic images online can be harmful to young kids of our generation who feel like they need to be a certain way in order to fit in. With this, we start to become dissatisfied with ourselves and change our appearance or personality for other people. When I go online, I always see people arguing and creating rumors. I wonder why they even brought it up online instead of handling it in private. We have the freedom to put everything online which can be tricky and harmful at times. instead of having face to face interactions, we decide to project it on social media where millions of people can see and form opinions about someone even when they do not know both sides of the story. Technology and social media is addicting just like any drug or alcohol. Once we use it, we cannot stop. The addiction to social networking sites can make become more comfortable to hide behind a screen and send hateful messages across a platform. 

How can we use social media in developing our self fulfillment?

1. A consistent image of yourself

Society should always represent themselves well. You have to be consistent with your image or it could be damaging to your reputation. A lot of influencers are seen as a positive and happy person who could do no wrong, and then a certain image or video leaks where they are making unwise choice. This can lead to damaging your reputation and you could potentially get cancelled online where everyone will be against you and your values. It is beneficial to express yourself with pictures that show people your personality and what your interests are, but certain photos can hurt your image and create a situation where less opportunities are thrown your way. 

2. Engage in discussions

Society should never be scared to use their voice. You might think your opinions or yourself in general does not matter, but you are definitely a vital source in our society. There is a reason we are all on this earth. Everyone can provide insights that are unique and different. We have the freedom to express how we think and feel about things. Everyone should be open to the idea of putting yourself out there. Never be afraid to show who you are and what is on your mind. Most importantly, we should respect other's choices and opinions. Negative feedback or arguing over something that only going to get you into a sticky situation is never the right answer. In order to build your brand or social accounts, you need to be able to express yourself and give positive feedback to people who may have the same goals and insights as you. Do not just lurk around the web. Add your voice because everyone matters and is equal in having that autonomy. Especially with news that has been talked about for months now with the case Roe v Wade, many people on social media are expressing their opinions about why people should be against or for abortion. We have the freedom to express how we feel online and any speech we project onto the media. 

3. Study and take notes on influencers or people around you

The best way to grow and get inspired is by looking at the people around you. You should be engaged with influencers in order to grow your brand. Life is about getting connected and building relationships to get yourself out there. Influencers need to be able to trust you and want to work with you. There are so many fake people out there who just want to use someone for clout or to get what they want. You need to automatically create those connections and analyze the individual's networks. Human dignity is all about being respectful in regard to how someone lives and what they believe in. We should be open to new possibilities and not judge too quickly. We are all unique with different purposes in life and our self-fulfillments should be free of judgements and taken seriously. 

How should we utilize social media as a way to help us reach our full potential?

For me, one thing I do is follow people who do not bring me down. I like to follow inspirational accounts that lift me up and make me fill good. In order to grow as a person, we should be following people who encourage us to reach our goals and become happy when we achieve them. This is also a big problem for me, and it is the use of social media. If we all were not on social media 24 hours a day, then there would never be a distraction for achieving our goals. We should be able to express ourselves and say what we want without it becoming a distraction or a necessity. Society needs to take some time for themselves and limit the amount of social media that are exposed to everyday. I am trying to create good habits by only allowing an hour of social media in the morning and at night. This allows me to have the freedom to find myself and what I really want in life. I can strengthen relationships without the distraction of social media and technology like my phone. I stop comparing myself to others when I am not on social media and it has made my mental health so much better. Instead of relying on the messages and posts of individuals to make us happy and fulfilled, we need to focus on ourselves. We need to discover ourselves first in order to reach our full potential and self-fulfillment.

I believe that individual self-fulfillment is important because it allows us to be able to express ourselves. Social media allows us to reach our full potential and accept who we are without thinking about our limitations and failures. We have the freedom to be creative in all parts of our lives and seek faithful and deep connecting relationships with people through the web or in person. Censorship can prevent someone from reaching their personal growth and being able to accept who they are. The internet provides different views or values and it gives people the opportunity to express themselves with a comment or thought. We can share how we view a certain topic and have the bravery to post about a certain topic that expresses ourselves in a way that may help someone else to do the same. We have free virtual access to what is happening in the world and we should use that to our advantage. 

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The U.S. Supreme Court

     The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court which means that they have the power to make constitutional decisions and make sure that the United States citizens are guaranteed equal justices under the law. The President of the United States gets to nominate and decide who the Supreme Court's justices are and the Unites States Senate approves or rejects them. The article was interesting to explore new facts of information that I did not know prior to reading and how it changed the they way I thought about the Supreme Court.

What did I learn about the Supreme Court that I didn't already know?

I did not know that several  of the Supreme Court justices were different for several reasons. I am not a political person and do not keep up with the Supreme Court so I do not know too much about the Supreme Court and why it exists. I have heard of John Marshall and how he was chief justice but I did not know his role and influence in the Supreme Court. He was the one who explained the relationship between the judiciary and the remainder of the government. In Marbury v. Madison, he confirmed the Supreme Court's authority to examine and decide whether federal laws passed by Congress are constitutional. I never knew how long he served as chief justice before reading. He served 34 years in that position which is the longest term for anyone who has played that role in the Supreme Court.

 I knew the court has dealt with and contributed with more than just civil rights matters, but I never heard of some of the vital cases. I knew of Engel v. Vitale case but I have never learned it in depth and how the Supreme Court took action. Within this case, the First Amendment is violated by prayer that is promoted by and conducted in public schools, according to the Supreme Court. Additionally, it determined in 1963 that defendants who cannot afford legal representation must receive it for free. This was provided in the Gideon v. Wainwright case. Again, I have heard of these cases but have never really studied them or gone in depth about how the Supreme Court was involved with many issues so that everyone has equal rights and laws.

What is the most important take-away point about the Supreme Court?

The most important take-away point I took about the Supreme Court is what they do and why it is so important. Created by the United States in accordance with the Unites States Constitution, the Supreme Court has final authority over all domestic legislation and is charged with determining whether they are constitutional. The Supreme Court, which now consists of nine justices, has the authority to check the activities of the president's executive branch and Congress' legislative branch. The Supreme Court makes the most important decisions for our country. All nine justices are the people who we have to count on and trust them to make the right decisions, especially the chief justice. The Chief Justice, who oversees the Supreme Court and sets the agenda for the justice's weekly meetings, is the nation's highest judicial official. The Chief Justice has the power to choose who will draft the court's opinion in situations when he or she is a member of the majority opinion. The Chief Justice is required to serve on the Smithsonian institution's Board of Regents. The Chief Justice is very important to the Supreme Court in making decisions that will lead the United States into the right direction. Without the Supreme Court, the United States would be chaotic and have no regulatory procedures of how to handle a situation that is controversial or a problem in our community.

What was the most surprising thing I learned?

The most surprising thing I learned is how many times the size of the Supreme Court has varied. Although the initial court has six justices, Congress changed the size of the Supreme Court six times over the years, from a minimum of five to a maximum of ten. Congress set the number of seats at nine in 1869, and that number has not changed since. I was a little surprised with that information, but more curious as to why they kept changing it. I think that the more people they have within the Supreme Court is better than a few because you have more voices and opinions in order to make decisions for the laws of the people. Why did it keep on changing? Six times is a lot and it seems like they could never make up their mind. Since 1869 the number of people have stayed the same. We have stayed pretty consistent but I am surprised that they would not want more voices within the system. I am surprised and not surprised by the gender ratio within the Court. 3 women and 6 men is not a perfect ratio. Every gender has their own opinions and views on certain subjects and I would expect them to consist of an equal amount of men and women, as well as a larger range of people that have a role in the Supreme Court. The fact that they changed the number of people involved made me curious as to why they did that and why did they settle for 9 justices.

How did the Article change the way I thought of the Supreme Court?

The article changed the way I thought about the Supreme Court in a number of ways. The Supreme Court's role is very complexed. The overload of topics and cases that they have to deal with has to be a lot of stress for them. There is a lot of pressure that they have to go through because the United States is expecting a lot from them. Americans are waiting for laws to pass and they can be very opinionated and get offended by the final decisions from the Court. The Supreme Court justices were obligated to travel at each judicial district twice a year for more than 100 years following the court's founding. Congress formally eliminated this onerous requirement in 1891. Throughout history, the Supreme Court has had big shoes to fill and roles that only a few can handle because of the commitment to making decisions that can make or break our country. I never thought about how important the Chief Justice role is and how they are vital for Supreme Court. As was the case with Presidents Andre Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump, the Chief Justice preside over impeachment proceedings against the President of the United States in the U.S. Senate. The Chief Justice has an important role in the case selections and choosing's to review, as well as case discussions between the justices. I never put much thought into the Supreme Court because for the longest time I never cared about what they do and their role in society. The article helped me to think about the history and significance of how much power and control the Supreme Court has with what is happening in the world right now.