The Great Divide

Though it is called the Digital Divide, it's such an large gap between those with internet access and those without that the gap seems exaggerated. There's a "spectrum" that everyone in the world falls on. At one end are the people who have the money and the access to good, fast internet. At the other end of the spectrum are the people that perhaps live in third world countries where it's nearly impossible to get access to the internet, and maybe some of these people don't even know what the internet is.


As citizens of the United States, allegedly "the greatest country" in the world, the majority of us have some access to the internet and it's use is so widespread that we hardly even think about it. Most of the students here have an internet-accessible phone and overtime we've become so used to immediate interact access that we're reaching the point of invisible privilege.


Two weeks ago, my family and I visited our cabin in the Poconos for the weekend. And when I say cabin, I mean cabin, not a house. It is an authentic cabin built in the 70's featuring bright orange shag carpet, no lie on that one. Unfortunately for us, that weekend was bitter cold, around 10 degrees Fahrenheit and the water pipes had frozen and burst, leaving us without running water. And because the cabin doesn't have central heating, we had to use a coal burning stove. We went to the store to buy 9 gallons of water to use as efficiently as we could. We even had to "ration" our toilet flushes because we didn't have enough water to flush it every time. (TMI, whatever)


Anyways, my dad knows a lot about plumbing and he works around the house a lot so over the course of the weekend he would tell my sister and I tips and facts about how the water travels through the pipes, and so on and so forth. And once, while we were talking about saving our water for toilet flushes, my dad told us that toilets use about five gallons of water every time it's flushed. Some of the newer toilets, he went on to tell us, are using less than two gallons now, which is much more efficient, obviously.


Then my sister chimed in and remarked how there are people living in poorer countries that are surviving on one gallon of water a day, while over here in the US we're using five gallons just to flush a toilet. And of course, immediately after she said that, all of us felt really shitty about it, but that's the thing about privilege - you don't really know what you have until you learn that something you've taken for granted could very possibly be an inaccessible luxury for others.


I saw a post online that really kind of puts things in perspective and it said something along the lines of, "In the US, we have huge fountains full of running water that we literally throw money into and all the while there are people in other countries dying of things like dehydration and malnourishment."


Bringing this back to CMC, we talk about 2014, and the 21st century in general, as an era of the internet and unsurpassed technology. We have eyeglasses that can connect to the internet and we even have wireless internet in our cars. As a country, we are so technologically and industrially advanced that it's baffling, and almost unbelievable that there people who can't afford to put a meal on the table, yet alone having internet access.


The fact that it's baffling alone is another shining example of the privilege that we have. The US as a country is only going to continue making advances in technology, and the digital disparity is only going to keep growing. And as we advance, by comparison, third world countries seem to regress. I don't think there's one simple solution to bridge such a large gap, but with all the advancements we're making, hopefully we can one day do so.

Dopplegänger 2.0

One of the worst feelings is noticing purchases on your card account that you have not made recently and unable to find your credit card. Identity theft is one of the most common forms of theft and deception across the nation. This crime has increased over the years and continues to happen as more people gain access to the internet or credit cards. There are 6 types of identity theft, being medical, criminal, identity cloning, synthetic, ghosting, and financial.

Financial is the most common form of identity theft which is when another person's identity is used to obtain money, services, or goods. People often drop their credit cards or throw away personal information without properly or safely disposing it. Another way financial identity theft occurs is by pick-pocketers or when someone drops their wallet with all of their cards are in it. Although these thefts frequently occur, the perpetrators are easily caught through locating where cards or accounts are last used and through surveilance cameras.

An incident recently occured in Pueblo, Colorado around the beginning of October. The victim dropped their card at Dollar General and the two suspects, male and female, and began using it. The accusation is on a woman and her partner in crime stole the debit card and began making purchases on gift cards and cigarettes. This is a perfect example of how easy it is to steal identity through a financial situation. It is often for people to drop their credit cards when paying for an item and dropping it when they try to place it in their pockets.

Although the suspects have not been caught yet, they will be shortly since tracking information to locate suspects is becoming accomplished quickly. It may be a nightmare when identity theft occurs, but it is a very common occurrence so people should not fret too much. The average to repair the damage done from any sort of identity theft when discovered is about 21 hours which further clarifies how quickly and efficiently this issue can be solved. We all just need to be careful with what information we present to the world and be cautious of where we place our financial information to help avoid identity theft.

Old Dogs and New Tricks: Senior and CMC

The mantra: you can’t teach an old dog new tricks has already been disproven when it comes to computer mediated communication and seniors.  Seniors are more adaptable, and more willing and able to learn than they are given credit for.  This is what the experts and academics say but, in my life I see that yes, old dogs can learn new tricks, however young dogs learn new tricks faster.  Why is it that my 10 year old cousin can use an iPad better and more efficiently than my mother (who is not a senior citizen yet).  No one would say that this child is more intelligent than an adult.  Seniors must be empowered and given space to learn and adapt, but it must be realized that some people may not want to for whatever reason.  I am apprehensive to technology becoming a way of life that symbolizes a “good” or “better” way of life.  People were happy before, so people can be happen without it.  Seniors must be encouraged, but not forced to adapt.  Adaptation happens naturally over time.  My grandparents don’t need me getting sassy with them because they don’t know how to work their smart tv.

Given all that I think it’s great to see that number of seniors using Facebook on the rise- up 150% since 2009- and the number of people over age 65 using the internet at 53% in 2012.  The number of seniors with gadgets like cell phones and e-readers has risen since 2012 and 2010 respectively.  If these numbers mean people are trying new things and having their golden years enriched then these rising numbers are very promising.  I have grandparents with cell phones, but they won’t text.  I have grandparents with desktops or laptops, but they won’t email or Facebook.  That is to say there is progress to be seen and it should be appreciated accordingly.  I wouldn’t think to expect to see every 70 year with a smartphone and a tablet by 2020, I think that will be not the seniors of today but the 40 year olds of today maybe. 

            I think I like to see seniors engaged with technology so much is fear of what my older years will look like.  Technology moves tons faster than I’ll be aging. Will I be able to cope with how technologically advanced of a society we will become.  To some extent I think I will be able to cope better than my parents and their parents because I got a younger start.  I appreciate the fact that my generation was the last of American kids who lived with and without all the gadgets and fancy things kids are born into today.  I think it fosters a different mindset when you are basically coming up at the same time as internet based technology, as opposed to being born into a world and culture where the technology is already there.  Obviously there will be new technology that I won’t be able to understand but I don’t want that to be a result of apprehension, or think the old way is always going to be better.  

IT'S CALLED FACEBOOK NOT HATEBOOK!

I mean is it FACEBOOK or HATEBOOK? This is a question that several others are also likely to be asking themselves, as they sit back and reflect on some of the recent responses to the discussions and controversies that are taking place on the web. In the US, the right to practice your freedom of speech is held at a particularly high status, and social networking sites such as Facebook have only made it easier.  Due to a number of conveniences that technology produces such as anonymity, widespread audiences, and time handiness; users have been able to exploit the internet, using it to promote their hatred and racially prejudiced agendas.  Radical users are the individuals who have been primarily taking advantage of the opportunity to get their messages out on a mass scale without having to protesting funerals, meetings, and stand on street corners screaming their ideology into the public ears that just happen to be passing by. From 2005 to 2008, researchers have discovered that white supremacist preferred to manifest their groups by way of recruiting other members through various conventional sites. All though it is unfortunate, it is not a shock and continues to be true as of 2014.  The real astonishment is the increase in participation by many young higher educated individuals who concur daily with their diverse colleagues. Yes, I am in fact referring to students.

On November 24, 2014 the decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson for the fatal shooting of Mike Brown divided the country instantaneously. The case became particularly high profile, gaining the interest of the media, the government, the police force, the justice system, and the American people of various communities. The shooting that transpired happened to be between a Caucasian police officer, and an African American adolescent.  While many believe that the court’s decision was fair and the shooting was just, millions are protesting otherwise. The African American community has the highest number of supporters for Mike Brown, and are protesting that the incident was racially motivated. They claim to be tired of the unjust killings of their “Black men,” especially after the ruling in the Trayvon Martin case. The protest has become so immense with the help of hashtag activism or hashtagism and social media that is has spread to countless college campuses. Students have been actively participating in demonstrations to communicate their frustrations while demanding the changes they see as necessary to be made. They can simply be seen as groups of people looking to exercise the same freedom of speech discussed earlier in this blog.  Shockingly many of their fellow students that disagreed with their views and choice to protest quickly targeted them on various social networking sites. There were also several supporters outside of the Black community, and they were targeted as well. Yik Yak was amongst the most popular choice for hate slingers to offend and criticize all African Americans using racial slurs, insults, and bigoted imaging. Unlike Facebook, Yik Yak enables users to remain completely anonymous as they openly vocalized their feelings. Certainly you have to question if that has anything to do with their recent preferences of Yik Yak over Hatebook, I mean Facebook. I’d say OFCOURSE it does. Yik Yak is said to be “taking U.S. college campuses by storm.” The majority of the racial commentary on The Pennsylvania State University campus derives from such. The anonymity that the site provides gives users the confidence to openly express themselves as they freely attack others. This has become a major concern for college boards and students. Schools in Chicago, New Mexico, and Vermont have banned Yik Yak to prevent such activities. Computer mediated communication has yet again created a barrier between the senders and the receivers. At this point there is an advantage for them. Although there was a major shift from Facebook to Yik Yak for the users in question, it remains among some of the top sites of choice for people to share.  Comments that can be considered racial slander are being viewed by a world audience. Facebook can be anonymous as the user has complete control over self-disclosure. While some are wise and implement strict privacy settings to their pages, others are stress-free. The willingly leave their pages unprotected, and open for anyone to view, which has resulted in lost jobs, school expulsion, and removal from these websites as a result of someone reporting their malpractices. The president of Penn State Eric Barron did make a statement on behalf of the university venting their dismay in some of the practices of the students, while also offering support to those who need it.   The online actions that some students are undertaking is provoking fear amongst the community. As I have learned many things over the course of CAS 283, I was hopeful that we would have touched on the concepts I have provided in this blog a little deeper; racial commentary and threats online that is. The dehumanizing and devaluing acts that all types of groups and people have chosen to make public with internet use is, increasing as technology progresses. Despite the touchiness of the subject matter, I find that it is vital to address these issues. This would also provide an opportunity to come up with some effective solutions to put a stop to the war on hate, as students are often the ones in the midst of the online encounters.

P.s. It’s called Facebook so get a profile picture, then you can say it to my profiles pictures face!

By: Normani Marbury

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"You got any games on your phone?"

The use of the internet and gadgets are being used more frequently in today’s world. It still amazes me that my 4 year old cousin knows how to use Iphones and tablets better than her own parents. Once the saying among kids was “do you have any games on your phone?” Making the adult with the phone be able to access the games and show the kid how to use your phone. Now children just ask t see you phone and ask for the password, with little to no guidance to find games or use apps. The amount of TV is still steadily increasing for kids. Studies have shown that 64% of babies between 1 and 2 watch TV and videos for an average of slightly over 2 hours; that in 2011 there were 3 million downloads just of Fisher Price apps for infants and toddlers; that estimates of how much time preschoolers spend on average with screen media range from at least 2.2 hours to as much as 4.6 hours per day? Children and teens between ages eight and 18 spend an average of seven hours and 38 minutes daily playing video games, going online and watching TV, and most have no household rules governing how much time they’re allowed to spend doing these things, according to the 2010 study.

It also tells us that developing children thrive when they are talked to, read to, and played with and given time for creative play, physically active play, and interactions with other children and adults. And there’s no research showing the benefits of introducing children to new technologies in the first years of life. Yet educators face increasing pressure to increase the amount of time children spend with digital technologies in early childhood settings, taking valuable time and resources away from activities proven to benefit learning and development. Although it can be a positive feature for kids at school and learn subjects in a fun and creative way but they have no real childhood.

Although I grew up in the technology era it was a very slow progression. I still played outside and rode my bikes with friends. Now it’s odd to see kid playing outside. I strongly encourage parents and adults to closely monitor children’s media technology habits and the time they spend with media, beginning at an early age and continuing through adolescence and the teen years. It’s important to help children to create a balance between their relationship with technology and activities that nurture their social, emotional and physical skills.

CMC as a Resource and Tool

I found the lesson on women and computer mediated communication to be especially interesting. When I took a Women’s Studies Course, we learned about the traditional three female archetypes: the Virgin, the Madonna and the Whore. Throughout literature and even much documented history, women have been portrayed within these archetypes and not necessarily as entire people. I was intrigued by the female archetypes we learned about in class that have become popular media. One that hit close to home for me is the “manic pixie dream girl,” as exemplified by Zooey Deschanel in 500 Days of Summer, Natalie Portman in Garden State and various others. Since this character usually isn’t sexualized (at least at first), I didn’t recognize it to be an issue. However, depicting women that only exist to help men, even in ways that are not sexual, is extremely problematic.

These archetypes are dangerous because they teach young women that their options are limited with regard to personality type and goals. Be it through entertaining, saving, needing or having sex with men, women exist for purposes that do not lie in their wellbeing and success as individuals. Sending this message has many negative impacts, including worsened mental health, perpetuation of rape culture, an large scale devaluation of women.  

I was also moved by the notion of women using the internet as a source of strength and support in places or situations where they may not have much freedom. Previously, we learned that women and people of color are more likely to use Twitter and other social media sites. I think that this is possibly because the internet can provide a voice to those who are less rarely heard and respected. Online, we can access information, build communities and create safe spaces that often times real life does not allow for. It’s harder to oppress people online, and for that reason it becomes a breeding ground for social movements representing minorities.

Women’s health issues are a frequently discussed health issue, but women still are not receiving the care and often the information that they need. The internet provides information on safe sex, abortions, menstruation, LGBT identities, etc. Many women are not taught this information either at home or in school, and therefore the internet plays a large role in education. Many women do not have access to feminist thought or taught that their life matters. The internet can be a great source of strength for women in traditional and conservative societies who wish for something greater. On that note, they can contact people who may help them get out of dangerous situations like domestic abuse, etc.  

In the US, it’s obvious that we’ve in the midst of some revolutionary social change, as we should be. Race issues need to be resolved, and each step toward equality and respect is a step in the right direction for everyone. Hopefully, just as the Civil Rights Movement has been revitalized, we can revitalize the Women’s Rights Movement with full force. Just because laws were made to install equality does not mean that equality exists. I wonder what role CMC will have in our future pursuits of change.

Can we really keep kids safe from online predators?

Kids and teenagers are in danger of many things online including predators. People pose as teenagers in chat rooms and various forms of social media and because you can't always see who is on the other end of the conversation, it is easy for people to pretend to be someone they're not. How can we protect teens and children from the people who use deceit with the intent to harm?

Well, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri believes that kids should not have access to the internet without supervision. Setting boundaries for what kids can do online, in his opinion, is the only way to protect them. His advice to parents and grandparents is to use parental controls to block inappropriate content, monitor every activity that a child is doing online such as who they're communicating with and what content they're looking at, and he also says it's important to be able to see your kids while they're on the internet at all times so it's easier for you to check up on them.

This seems like sound advice and I could imagine that monitoring a child's online activity would lower the chances of them being targeted by an online predator but what about other kinds of media?
In February of this year, a fourteen year old boy named Breck was stabbed to death by Lewis Daynes, a guy he played games with online. The incident occurred when the two decided to meet in person for the first time. This article doesn't say much about why Daynes killed Breck but it shines a light on the advice that Sheriff Gualtieri gave.

Breck's mother used those same tactics to protect her son after she became suspicious of the person he was communicating with on the game. She limited her son's usage of electronics and made use of parental controls. If she had set boundaries for her son, why wasn't it enough to keep him safe?
I think it's important to have tactics to keep kids safe when they are online but since parents can't keep them off the internet completely, there should be a better way to crack down on people with bad intentions not just online but in other communication mediums as well.

Parents should also teach their kids how to be more aware of people instead of just telling them not to talk to strangers. If they know more about what could happen, I think that they will begin to understand the importance of being safe online or anywhere where they can come into contact with strangers.

I think that if kids understand the consequences of talking to people they don't know, regardless of how friendly they seem, they'll hesitate to go out and meet with their online 'friend' in person or share information with them that would lead the predator to their house or to wherever they go to school.

Kids who are old enough to use the internet are old enough to be told the realities of not using it wisely. It's better to be completely honest with your kids about the possible dangers they could face online than to simply just set boundaries and set up parental controls.

http://clearwatergazette.com/cg/opinion/internet-predators-how-to-protect-your-children-from-online-dangers-20141113/

http://abcnews.go.com/International/mom-sons-murder-online-gaming-partner/story?id=27309290