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Technology, Technology, Technology

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Technology is born from the seeds of innovation. Innovation is what has pushed society as a whole forward, growing on old ideas, or creating new ones. When looking at technology or innovation and how it has progressed society forward, I instantly turn to the Internet. Captivating and mind blowing when it first came into the public eye, and to this day everything we do is with the help of the internet. Without the internet school is canceled, debit cards don’t work, and our phones are nearly useless. It has become our crutch.  I think our relationship with technology isn’t healthy at all. We as a society cannot function without the help of the internet. Being born in the 2000’s I’ve always grown up with the internet, and an online presence. As it’s been stated, For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. With that, we have seen massive repercussions in society since the rise of the internet. Cyberbullying, Ghosting, and Revenge Porn are just a few nega...
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Check Yourself

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Growing up internet savvy parents I've always been taught to seriously watch what you post on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter or Facebook. Although when I was in my younger years I thought it was truly the dumbest thing “who was going to watch my social media?” “I’m not famous so why will anyone care?”. Flash forward 10 years later and 20 year-old me is so grateful that my parents kept a watch on what I posted. When I came to High Point I was petrified to not know any of my roommates or truly know anyone that I was coming to school with. With that, unfortunately the only way to get to know people was through their social media profiles, and I started to see a trend. Facebook was strictly family posts, Twitter was random nonsense, and Instagram was flooded with pictures at parties, festivals, or large gatherings. With that came pictures of people smoking, drinking, and just naturally posting things that I wouldn't deem “post worthy”. Although at the time of posting it you aren...
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Cutting Cords

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Thanks to higher monthly rates, cable and satellite TV are quickly becoming a thing of the past. If you are obsessed with TV this probably isn't for you. But, by cord cutting many believe that they are saving hundreds of dollars a month. While this is true for some, for many other streaming platforms such as, YoutubeTV, and HuluTV are quickly making prices more expensive than ever.  If you are going to “cut cords” you could purchase a Fire stick or other streaming sticks to use these services on. The downside for many of these sticks is that they require Wifi to run and after a few months they start to get bogged down by software updates and what not. Just to show how popular “cord cutting” is, nearly 40 million people have canceled Cable and Satellite subscriptions all together.  On the other hand some cable companies are getting rid of the cable boxes all together. My family has used Comporium -- the only cable company in my city -- for years. Recently t...
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Disinformation and its Role in the 2020 Election.

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     As the 2020 election wraps up we turn the page on a monumental moment in American history. Joseph R. Biden Jr. will become the 46th President of the United States following a crazy election cycle. This election featured something that we have only seen once before, that is the usage of social media. President Donald Trump is well known for his tweets and active presence online. Platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and even Snapchat have given him a direct way of connecting with his audience without the interference of a writer, producer, or editor. 2016 was the first glimpse of his strategy but it became apparent that it was THE formula. Following that election nearly anyone holding political office has created a Twitter account after realizing its power. The 2020 election saw nothing change. President Trump continually fired off dozens of tweets a day while then Former Vice President Joe Biden followed suit doing the exact same.       ...
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Privacy, Privacy, Privacy!

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     Growing up as a “Gen Z” the thought of my information being public on the internet is something that has truly never scared me. Since we grew up at the same time that technology was rapidly evolving the thought of an Amazon Alexa or Facebook's privacy agreements is something that has gone completely over my head. Throughout the Ted Talk that Juan Enriquez presents, he has many interesting quotes and topics stick out. One that caught my attention was “15 minutes of anonymous”. The saying goes that everyone will get their 15 minutes of fame at some point in their lives but maybe that isn't the goal anymore. Maybe it's the 15 minutes of privacy. Maybe it's the few minutes after your child is born and now that baby is shared across the internet so that Joe and Sally can like the picture of your new kid. The moment that picture is shared on the internet you have tattooed them onto this unseeable and forever ending cloud. Your information stays on the internet forever. ...
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The Diffusion Theory of Twitter

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     Diffusion Theory is no new thought or model. Theorized by Everett Rodgers in 1962 the “Diffusion Theory” is a popular concept on how innovations spread throughout the population or a certain community. One innovation that has been so crucial over the past 20 years is social media. As we stand in 2020 we have no shortage of social medias at our disposal. With new ones popping up left and right nearly everyone can find one that fits their wants or needs. One that has stood out over the past 6 years has been Twitter. Founded in 2006 Twitter is a platform that anyone can receive and tweet information instantly. Thus giving anyone a voice on certain topics or ideas. Over the past 6 years twitter has grown exponentially thanks to President Trump's addiction to the platform. He uses this as a way to give information (occasionally disinformation) to the American people without the buffer of the media.  When we look at the actual chart related to the Diffusion Theory w...
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The Success of the iPhone

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  Since 2007 Steve Jobs and the team at Apple were one of the pioneers of innovating and pushing phone technology forward. In 2007 when Apple unveiled the iPhone it was so foreign and criticized that many thought it would never work. Who would want to type on a screen rather than actual keys? As of March 2019, Statista believes that 193 million iPhones are in the hands of consumers just in America. This foreign idea paid off.  When the iPhone was launched they sold 1.39 million units worldwide while still using a Samsung processor. It wasn't until 2009 that Apple developed their own processor rather than taping into a competitor's supply. Four years after the first launch Apple had their first true change. Squared sides rather than the larger rounded ones. This forced third parties to create new products just for this phone alone. The outcome? A Staggering 40 Million units were sold. Up nearly 20 million since the previous year. It was a resounding success. Then in 2012 Ap...
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