Privacy Online and Off

 Do We Really Have Privacy in Todays Age of Technology?

    After watching these Ted Talks about privacy in our everyday lives, it is only natural that we question how much of our life is really private. Generation Z is constantly told to be aware and weary about what we post on social media, as it will be online forever. Posting a solo cup or anything insinuating that you are breaking a law can now lead to expulsion, being fired from a job, and other repercussions. So how much of our life is actually private?

    The 

EOTO - Technology Presentations

     Through our classes EOTO, I was able to learn lots of new information about technologies that shape our world today. Although all of the presentations were able to fascinate me and teach me something new, I want to focus on the history and impacts of VCR. 

    The VCR has particularly peaked my interest because growing up I had a VCR! Before getting a Samsung TV, I had a VCR television that would play The Lion King and The Little Mermaid. Since I have gotten to experience how a VCR works, I was astounded by how much I didn't know. 

    The first household VCR was created in 1975 by Sony, it was called Betamax.  The VCR had a complicated makeup that included parts like videotape, video heads, tape transport mechanism, video processor, and audio processor. This invention allowed entertainment to be consumed in the home. It created new habits for people to watch television, recording and reviewing their favorites. This also began the idea of home video rentals and the concept of cable television. This allowed a new and less expensive way to consume home entertainment. 

    When VHS became popular, it had many more positive impacts as opposed to the original Betamax.  The VHS has a tracking button, affordability, and was sturdy. The VHS began to revolutionize and become a household product most families used, and was now a mainstream source of media. 

Although I had a VCR in 2005, I wasn't aware that it maintained popularity until 2003, many companies were new and upcoming in televisions that ran quickly and had streaming services. The early 2000s even seems late for the VCR to still be used in households, as the iPhone came out less than 10 years later. 

    The history of VCR and its impacts on the world today are imperative to understand the evolution of technology. During this EOTO, I was able to learn about new technological advances that helped shaped what the world looks like today! I really enjoyed the EOTO and plan to work on my presentation skills in the upcoming presentation. Learning about different technologies has inspired me to consider doing a deeper dive into the iPhone and it's history!

   

EOTO - The History and Impact of iPhone

    In the 21st century, the iPhone has taken over America. As of 2024, there are 120 million iPhone users in this country alone. With the iPhone 16 emerging, it is important to retrace the steps of Apple and fully understand iPhone's history. 

The Inital Creation of iPhone

    

    The very first iPhone was officially announced in 2007, created by the company Apple. April 1st, 1976, Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. Apple originated with the iPod, a device that only played music. Apple knew that users carried both mobile phones and an iPod, they needed to start an initiative quickly for a device that had both functions. 

    Prior to 2007, Apple had been perfecting a mobile device for years in the making. Steve Jobs put all hands-on deck for project purple in 2006 after launching the idea in 2005. Project purple was an extremely private, even described as secretive, project that consisted of two teams. They worked aimlessly to create a prototype that matched Jobs's idea. Jobs was aiming to create a mobile device that had similarities to the tablet, a glass display and touch features. Project purple faced challenges like creating the right software and the right display. Last minute changes were even made like changing the screen from plastic to glass. 

    The first iPhone was used to run Apple's Mac OS X operating system. It looked like a small, smooth, glassy block, with a camera on the backside. The most revolutionary element of the new iPhone was its tactile display feature, users were able to use their fingers to navigate the screen. The iPhone featured picture, video playback, music browsing, and internet connection. The iPhone became so revolutionary because of it's accessibility, the interface was simple and user friendly. The first iPhone became revolutionary and the new standard for mobile devices. 

Impact

    The iPhone has become a standard for technology in today's world. This invention allowed Americans to have a compact device, that could be taken anywhere, that was capable of texting, calling, music streaming, internet connection, and a wide array for other possibilities. The creation of iPhone set a precedent for the possibilities of technology. People were now able to communicate through a smartphone that was simplistic and easy to understand. The new standard for communication was text and call, anyone could reach each other from anywhere at any time. 

    Although the iPhone has created immense positive change and progress for technology, the invention also has negative effects we still feel today. It is very obvious how invested in technology we all are today, it has become integrated into everyday life for all ages. CNN came out with an article in 2017 that projected how detrimental the iPhone is to humans.  One point that particularly stuck out to me was that we are always expected to be available for work. Today, work is forced to come home with us even after hours. Factors like email etiquette, and appropriate times for getting in contact, creating an environment that causes users to perpetually be bringing work home. The lack of separation between work and home can cause an increase in stress. 

    The idea of being constantly available can also create cyberbullying. Much like bringing work into a home environment, the iPhone allows many children to bring instances of bullying at school back into their homes and constant everyday lives. As children of younger ages become smart phone users, access to internet and social media is becoming possible from anywhere. This allows anyone to engage over text and other apps, allowing bullies to reach their victims instantaneously. A recent study in 2024 revealed that from 2018-2024, 59.9% of children ages 11-14 have been reported, by their parents to experienced bullying and one fifth of all bullying occurs online.

    The iPhone has made access to the internet and others so readily available that there is bound to be detrimental consequences. As a society, it is imperative that we work to create a social norm of respect, even if it is not face to face. This amazing invention has allowed us to reach amazing possibilities, yet it is important to remember the beauty in face-to-face contact.

Eight Values of Free Expression

In America today, the first amendment protects the rights of Americans to have freedom of speech. Throughout this course, we have indulged in the different ways the first amendment protects Americans from the government. The Eight Values of Free Expression are what allow citizens to remain protected in freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition. Although I find value in all eight expressions, I have particularly resonated with Promote Innovation and Protect Dissent. 

 Promote Innovation

    To Promote Innovation within the first amendment is described as protecting free speech to promote a society that is interesting, diverse, creative, and is able to generate unique perspectives. One instance that comes to mind is the idea of censorship in social media. With Tik Tok recently being banned for less than a day, it forced me to reflect on my past social media usage. Promote Innovation directly piqued my interest because growing up, none of my media exposure or internet access was ever censored by my parents. I believe this allowed me to create my own perspectives and unique ideas on what I saw in the media. Government censorship can hinder a society's perspective on groups of people, current events, and important figures. 

    One case that delved into censorship on the media is Reno V. American Civil Liberties Union in (1997). This case aimed to censor content on the internet with the intent to protect minors from content that is considered "harmful" or "inappropriate". The final verdict of the case was decided to protect the internet as a platform of self-expression free from government censorship. This case ruled that the media is a safe space for freedom of speech, perspectives, and ideas.

Protect Dissent

    The idea of Protect Dissent under the first amendment is to protect a citizen's right to criticize the government and anyone else. Critiquing and disagreeing with authority is what allows our society to change for the better, creating an idea that all perspectives can be heard and considered. In today's world, it is accessible for the public to disagree with government policies through peaceful protests and social media. To create social change, disagreeing with the government can be extremely effective and arguably one of the most important ideals to keep a government in check. Protect Dissent almost allows the public to add as an additional "check and balance". Protect Dissent immediately reminded me of the March on Washington. Martin Luther King Jr. Day just passed, which allowed me to reflect on the peaceful protest.

    The March on Washington was a peaceful protest that enacted freedom of speech, freedom to petition, and freedom to assemble. Martin Luther King Jr. presented one of the most famous speeches, "I Have a Dream," which presented issues with social inequities due to racism. The march acted as a push for the government to end racial discrimination and ultimately pass legislation that protects the rights of African Americans. This march allowed citizens to critique the U.S. government and social normality of racist practices. 

Why Should We Continue to Value the First Amendment?

    As Americans, our first amendment right is what gives each individual a voice. In a world where citizens can feel meniscal to the mass majority of opinions and ideas, our first amendment is what creates uniqueness, value in differences, and value in speaking one's mind.

The History and Workings of the U.S. Supreme Court

 

    

What is the Supreme Court?

    Prior to watching these two videos, I had limited background knowledge of the U.S. Supreme Court. I have taken previous government classes where we touch on the role of the Supreme Court in the United States government, but didn't get to fully indulge in the nature of its roll. 

    The Supreme Court is comprised of nine Justices, each who keep this title for around 16 years. The court is used as an outlet to verbally debate cases and petitions. This court is the highest power in the American government and world.

Video Takeaways

      One new interesting fact I got to learn through these videos that I had no prior knowledge of, is that Supreme Court doesn't dictate which petitions they take on based on status. A petition could be written by a high-class citizen, someone in jail, someone famous, and the court will give each petition equal consideration despite who its written by. Learning this fact allowed me to recognize the true impartialness of the Supreme Court.

    By far, the most important take away after watching these informative videos is that the Supreme Court is a place of conversation that values the idea of fairness and different perspectives, to uphold Constitutional rights. In the lower courts, the verdict of the case is decided, yet the Supreme Court views the case from a strictly law perspective to uphold the values of the Constitution.

The most surprising fact I learned was how the Constitution, which was created over 200 years ago, still applies to our laws and guides in problem solving today. Despite different interpretations, perspectives, and opinions, the idea of Constitutional rights is what aligns the court in coming to a collective decision in disagreement. I also found it incredibly interesting that some Supreme Court has open connection to the public. No cases or ideas are secretive, the court is just used as an outlet for civil debate. 

Through better understanding of the Supreme Court, many of my past biases have changed. I now have changed opinions and realize the court is consisted of people instead of entities I hear about on television. This video allowed me to see the humility in each of the Justices and view them as people with opposing perspectives and versatile backgrounds. 

Blog Post #1 - Top 5 Sources of News and Information

In 2025, technology fills our day to day lives. Many platforms allow us to inherit and digest news on a frequent basis. We scroll and share with others constantly. Like most college students, my incoming source of news is typically through various online presences, rather than the newspaper. Why is this relevant? Where we get our news from says a lot about our individual beliefs, political stance, biases, and many other attributes. I hope you enjoy getting to know me through my top 5 sources of information!

Tik Tok

I use Tik Tok every day for multiple hours on end. This platform has allowed me to hear a lot of news that I didn't know much about. However, Tik Tok focuses on one individual's perspective and opinions when people, instead of news channels, are talking about current events. Today when I opened the app, I saw someone post a video they received from their husband. He took a video of the wildfires while he was at work, and the caption explains there was no evacuation plan. This platform definitely brings news into a reality and allows for coverage over things the media hasn't come forward with.

New York Times

The New York Times is a source that I get a lot of news from. I usually don't keep up with any news channels, but I usually do the wordle and connections. When I play the games, I usually see a story pop up underneath it and if it looks interesting, I will read. My uncle Martin previously worked for the New York Times, so I have always been very familiar with this news outlet. The stories cover lots of different topics and are extremely well written. 

Instagram 

I get a lot of my news from Instagram. I find that this is one of the first apps I open in the morning and the most accessible. An Instagram post from a news channel is typically pretty short and cuts to the point right away which I really love. For me, this is by far the easiest platform to read and digest news in really short amounts of time.

NBC Connecticut 

Every morning before High School, my mom had NBC Connecticut on the TV. I use this news channel to keep tabs on my hometown, seeing what recent crimes were committed and any accidents I should be aware of. My town is also fairly small, so I have known many people that made it onto this news channel. This channel allows people in Connecticut to travel safely and stay vigilant on things going on in the community.

Vogue

I like to keep up with fashion and certain people using Vogue. Vogue is a great outlet for me to keep up with what is still in fashion, upcoming fashion trends, people who have just accomplished something big, and other celebrities I am interested in. It is definitely my more superficial news outlet, but it feeds my interests and reminds me of my mother since she works in the fashion industry!