Morgan Hardy Media Law and Literacy

      Today in class we had presentations regarding a variety of false information. The presentation that took out to my in particular was the one about confirmation bias. There are three types of confirmation bias. These include: biased attention, biased interpretation, and biased memory.      So what is confirmation bias ? It is our tendency to cherry-pick information that confirms our existing beliefs or ideas. It explains why two people with opposing views on a topic can see the same evidence and come away feeling validated by it. To find confirmation bias, search for, interpret, favor, and  remember information that supports one's prior beliefs.      Confirmation bias can have a multitude of effects on society. These effects  include: it prevents objective opinions, it can influence decision making, and it can influence who you associate with. This bias can also lead us to ...

         What is artificial intelligence you may ask? AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions.  After watching the documentary about Artificial Intelligence, I learned an incredible amount of information that I had not known previously. AI is rapidly transforming our world in the most unthinkable ways.       Behavior, personal thoughts, friends, interests, etc. are some of the many things that AI can  determine about you in order to customize things such as advertisements, social media posts, and search suggestions. Furthermore, AI is tracking pretty much everything we do on the internet. Whether that be on our phones, computers, iPads, even smart watches. What is shocking about all of this is that most of the time we do not even know it is happening! Not only does artificial intelligence have the ability to track our data and ...

      You may be thinking, what is an echo chamber? According to GFC Global , an echo chamber is "An environment where a person only encounters information or opinions that reflect and reinforce their own." Echo chambers can also create misinformation and distort a persons perspective so they have difficulty considering opposing viewpoints and discussing complicated topics.  It is important to note, echo chambers can be found anywhere, whether that be online or in real life.      It can be very difficult to recognize an echo chamber, especially if you are in one. Some questions you may want to ponder if you have suspicions that the website or social group you are interacting with are:  Does it seem they are only giving one perspective or side to an issue?  Is that certain viewpoint supported by fact and evidence or does it seem to be based upon opinion and bias?  Are facts ignored when they seem to go against tha...

       After watching the provided TED Talk videos regarding mass surveillance and the lack of privacy on the internet, I have come to the realization that this  is something everyone worldwide should be more educated on. Whether you want to believe it or not, our technology devices are always listening to us and gathering personal information about us every time we make a new Google search, create a new account on social media, and even just from talking out loud. As freaky as it is, technology is always listening.      Online privacy is   necessary for the overall safety and well being of everyone. With that, privacy is something each United States citizen has the right too, so why is it that our personal information is so easy to access by others? It all revolves around the digital footprint that YOU decide to leave online. It  is important to remain very mindful about what  you chose to put out on the interne...

         According to Investopedia , Diffusion of innovations theory is a hypothesis outlining how new technological and other advancements spread throughout societies and cultures, from introduction to widespread adoption. In other words, it seeks to explain how and why new ideas and practices are adopted, with timelines potentially spread out over long periods.      While there are many examples that can be used to explain this theory more in depth, I am going to use Google. Google was initially made to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful. While it still is very much that, Google as a company has transformed into so much more with the use of Google Maps, Google Drive, Google Photos, Youtube, etc.       Once Google started receiving outside funding and financing, many people started to prefer using the search engine over other competitors such as Yahoo. Every year, Google's u...

       After watching and listening to the EOTO Technology presentations in class, I was particularly fascinated with the one pertaining to Instagram and how it started and developed over the years. I have been on the app for around ten years now so being able to actually live through the major changes has been really interesting in relation to how much technology is evolving.      I nstagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can be shared publicly or with pre-approved followers.      Instagram was created by K evin Systrom and Mike Krieger and initially had the name "Burbn".  They really wanted the app to focus on the ability to share and edit photos. After they made many critiques to the app, they change...