Technology and Murder

Yesterday, Robert Godwin, an elderly Cleveland, Ohio resident, was shot on his way home from Easter mass. Unlike with many other shootings, the suspect in this situation is verified, and because of his own doings. Steve Stephens posted a video to Facebook showing himself holding a gun up to Mr. Godwin, and eventually him shooting him right in the head. Why do people use technology in this way to broadcast crime? What makes social media users think that this is what the applications are intended for? I find it mind boggling that in a world of such complex technology, this is what it is being used for. Although stupid on Steve's behalf, in this case I dare to say that technology was on the side of justice because the shooter is verified.

The article can be found here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39617883

Synthetic Humans?

Many of us now know about The Human Genome Project, which was an international research project in which the entire human genome was sequenced and all genes were identified and mapped. Well, last year a project was proposed that aimed to recreate the entire human genome--from scratch. This project is called The Genome Project - Write (GP-write). If successful, this project would lead to the creation of entire animal genomes (including humans, all 3 billion base pairs) by using the chemical components found inside these animals to signify which base pairs go where. There is much controversy over this project, especially ethically because would an organism created this way be real or would it be considered synthetic? I feel as though if the materials that make up the DNA are the same as those that make up the DNA of all other living things, then it would not justly be considered synthetic. However, one could argue that if it doesn't occur naturally, it isn't natural. What do you guys think?

What is Going On?

This article poses a very relevant question: What the heck is going on? At first the article gives a broad explanation of how thought and reality changes over time, and then goes a bit deeper to better explain the changes. It mentions why we change, what it means to be conscious, and how we actually create reality though our consciousness. With what is going on in our country today, I feel that a lot of people may be asking themselves this question. This article then goes on to give a scientific reason for how and why we change, a historical reason, and also a spiritual reason. It is a very interesting read and I feel (the begining, at least) could really benefit many members of society today by attempting to give them an explanation for what they don't, but may want to know.

http://www.collective-evolution.com/what-the-heck-is-going-on/

Technology in Relationships

   Technology has ended plenty of relationships. Just by having a cell phone makes anything possible because it's all private. No one would be able to know who you are talking to or being intimate with unless they have your password. You can have plenty of significant others and no one would be able to find out. It's easy to add and drop anyone in your life because basically everyone has a cell phone. Having just a simple device can put the world in your hands.
Click Here

Tech. used in Combat

On this website I learned the uses of technology in war. It is way deeper than the use of only computers. It can go from little modules, to bombs, to spyware throughout the area. All of these gadgets can detect motion. Then can go off at any given moment. It is crazy how you can let technology win your battle because humans wouldn't be present. Technology can be used for both good and bad purposes.

Click Here

Technology

Technology has changed so much throughout the years. Just imagine being back in time where you couldn't even speak to people on the phone, you had a little pager attached to your hip. Then to now where you we can basically speak to someone, face to face, through our phones. Humans have made a major step forward in the technological industry.

Click Here

Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering is a subject in sports that can get you into major trouble. This is seen as an alternative route instead of taking steroids. Athletes started to use gene enhancements because it cannot be traced like a steroid, but now they began a new process for testing for genetic enhancements, that will be able to tell if these enhancements have been applied. Using genetic enhancements can also come with side effects. Sometimes it can change your mindset, or even your physical appearance. This is why you must be careful about what you put into your own body.

Click Here

Human Genetic Engineering

Human Genetic Engineering 

Astonishing how far along we have come as a civilization in terms of scientific discoveries. Many if not all in which have contributed to the betterment of human societies. Yet there comes a time when we have reached the pinnacle of our abilities, and begin to toy with nature; human nature at that. Human Genetic Engineering is a very touchy subject. It has its values in identifying diseases and eliminating them from one's internal self. Though the idea of manipulating the birth of child for the benefit of diminishing undesirable qualities is a concept I just cannot wrap my head around. I found an article that highlights both sides of the story, and how the use of human genetic engineering serves to do more than just eliminate the factor of diseases, but to play the role of God as well. LINK HERE. . 

Technology & Science in The Middle East

It wasn't so long ago, when women were viewed as subordinate to their male counterparts. Men predominantly ruled the workforce, more specific the scientific job fields. Which is not to say women themselves have never contributed any ground-breaking innovations to the world of science; which they indeed have provided. Many women today still are subjected to sexism within the workplace. Yet, when researching and trying to go more in depth on the topic of women in the scientific field, I came across this article that details the state of women in the middle east, which is known for its particularly harsh treatment of their women which is vindicated by their culture. Nowadays, these women make up the majority of those in the science & technological field by obtaining PhD's For more information, visit this website to get a more detailed look on how these women are slowly but surely rising up, and contributing to the world of science.

Women in Technology

http://eniacprogrammers.org/






  We need more women involved in technology. When you usually hear about technology being built, you'll usually believe that it is of a man's creation, but that doesn't always have to be true. Women can be capable of the same productions as a male. For example, you can look at the group of women who programmed ENIAC, a computer that was designed in WWII. But since then, many women still don't feel that the technological field is for them. In 2012, women made up about 26 of computer related job, which were about 3,816,000 in total. 11 percent of executive technical positions were held by women as well. Then there were only 7 percent of businesses owned by women at this time. This must come to a change because women can do just about anything a male can do in today's society.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdiamandis/2014/11/03/please-we-need-more-women-in-technology/#5f96e92e6501

Eugenic Feminism

womensuffrage.org

You guys should check this article out! It's about Canada and how they once used eugenics to "better" their civilization. They felt that controlled breeding was the best thing to do because it will keep the society stable with the products they really need. This was an era of race improvements, so if you were seen as someone they couldn't benefit off of, you were immediately terminated, negative eugenics. Then if you were someone that could have a good influence on the society, they would view you as a "positive" and you were kept.

Planned Parenthood: Modern day Eugenics

Modern Day Eugenics

'Like the advocates of birth control, The Eugenicists, for instance, are seeking to assist the race toward the elimination of the unfit' - Margaret Sanger (Founder of Planned Parenthood & Eugenicists) 

In it's infancy, Planned Parenthood began as an assistive service to the destruction of the black race. It was formed through the concept of eugenics; which means 'well-born', and introduced to society in the meager years of the 1930s. Nowadays, it has taken transformation and is geared toward unfit fetuses. Though it has taken a new form, its principle of population control is still very much alive. I found an article that provides a more in depth look on the subject of eugenics within the United States, and Margaret Sanger. LINK HERE

Human Genome Project & its Controversy

An international research effort to sequence and map all of the genes (genome) of humans. Since the start of the Human Genome Project's establishment, thousands of genetic disorders have been linked to their specific gene sequences allowing for specific, helpful treatments and allowed us to better understand our genetics as a whole. In accordance with this, the "good" genes can be separated from the "bad" genes. However, the ethical controversy lies with this mindset in the sense that, who is really the decider or which genes are "good" and which genes are "bad"? For example, in a highly, extreme, conservative time period, could different sexual preferences be considered a "bad gene" and have our personal genome altered? The Human Genome Project tries to address the situations and enforce regulations accordingly as discussed in this link. 

Why So Few?

Women, technology, and science are often words that people do not normally put together and has a social stigma around it. People do not think women are smart enough to go into these fields, but there are a few who are extremely intelligent and very successful with it. But why so few? Here is an article about women in science and engineering.  It talks about why there are so few women in the field and promoting women to get interested in it. 

  

Women and Eugenics

This article is a web of different topics on feminism and how they all connect to each other, then lead to one major discussion. This article is important to read and become educated on it. I like this article in particular because it gives a different perspective on women and their roles. It summarizes the key components about eugenics and gives a good explanation. Everyone should take a look!!  

Aspects of Modern Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism is a political system "in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible." In today's world, where society is essentially self-controlled by the means of technology, it would be rather easy to carry out a totalitarianism regime just by controlling the population's technology usage. Technology surrounds us in our everyday lives, representing who we are and where we live. If the government were to get there hands on technological use and control, the people could be completely controlled and mentally manipulated, in my opinion. All online activity and exchanges of personal matters through virtual means would be absolutely controlled and overseen by the government. However, because we as people, prioritize the usage of technology so highly, we would likely be okay with this degree of monitoring as long as we continued to have access to the virtual world in general.

This image of the world map represents the many countries in the world that censor internet websites and applications such as FaceTime (on your iPhone) and YouTube. As you can see, the western countries force little to no censorship upon the people (represented by green). All other colors represent various degrees of censorship with pink representing the strongest level of censorship. where a large portion of content in several categories is blocked, without any say from the large populations living within. I feel as though this is representative of totalitarianism nature and can lead to larger conflict if the people are not able to be independent and make their own choices even in the simplest ways, like using YouTube. North Korea is a prime example of a totalitarianism regime where there is absolute, total control of all media and access to Internet. In a world so dependent on technology, we must be consciously aware of our rights and enforce the representation of the people, especially as we are Americans. 

                  Totalitarianism & Technology 

                               

A totalitarian society includes aspects of both a dictatorial and centralized civilization. But did you know that totalitarian is still very much alive in today's world? Technology is one of few advancements that has become critical to the daily lives of civilians on a global standpoint. The media utilizes the internet to spread stories and more often times then not, false propaganda. Countries much like our own, enjoy the freedoms of being able to have current events within arms reach. Yet an argument can be made that we are ONLY able to see or interpret what the government ALLOWS us to depict. Many Americans have no knowledge of the horrific events that occurred in Panama during the late 1980s, that is now being deemed as the "Panama Deception." Not everything is what it may be made out to be; and though we may enjoy rights as Americans such as freedom of speech and press, we are still subjected to a totalitarian government. Down below is a video link for a more in depth detailing of the Panama Deception; being that this may still be "news" to so many and a demonstration of the society that we live in today. 

The Panama Deception : 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo6yVNWcGCo

Totalitarianism - Total control of a country

*Week 7
Totalitarianism was born in the 1920's. This is when authority was in complete control and abused their power. Not only did they have total control of the country they had total control over the mind. They used propaganda throughout mass media to get the people on their side and to think it was ok. They did succeed with their power too, below there is a picture of a cartoon showing how the brainwashing worked and people fell for what the leaders were saying. There is no individual freedom under this control, they swept away all the social, legal and political traditions. It was sad how it became cult-like and nobody stood up for themselves and spoke out for the people. Everyone kept quiet, for example when Hitler was in power and created dozens of concentration camps. These were happening in the backyards of the village people. They calmed they did not hear, see or smell what was going on. Were they too scared to stand up or were they brainwashed into thinking it did not happen?  



    

Technology against Humanity?

*Week 6 pt.2
Coming across this passage it does not fall into any weekly topic we have had. But this is such a great article to read because it fits well in the class argument. I think it is important to be able to recognize what technology is doing to us. Even though we are living within this horrible society, at least we know it is bad. Most people do not realize their lives are slowly being taken over.

Is Empathy Innate?

This article discusses the biological and psychosocial aspects that play a role in the presence of the ability to feel empathy for others. So many horrible things have taken place in history relating to death, torture and mistreatment. One may think, how is it possible to partake in such terrible acts as a human? Do they lack empathy? Have they lost their ability to empathize or did they never have it? Violence should be eradicated with the positive human social interaction and morality, but it is not this way, unfortunately. 

Technology & Warfare: Social Media & Terrorism

In today's world, technology (specifically social media and instant technology) has a huge impact on the lives of every person (regardless of age). It can be understood that the best/most effective way to influence a massive population would be via technology. Perhaps, this is why terrorist organizations like ISIS are using social media to recruit young adults all over the world. It is concerning to see how heavily people can be manipulated by social media and virtual communication. This article highlights the various ways that they are able to connect to people as young as 13 years old in countries such as the United States, Canada, England, Spain, etc. ISIS recruiters are advanced in their abilities to get close to and essentially "brainwash" people by befriending them and persuading them through media such as Twitter and Facebook. It's scary to see how our own digital, personal platforms can be used against us and ultimately determine your morals.

                             Technological Warfare    

 

                                                          

Throughout time we as a civilization have thrived through technological advances. So much so that we have begun to utilize for military purposes. Correction; we have always utilized technology throughout military warfare, but as we progress there is seemingly no limitation as to what can be achieved, and how technology can be used as weapons. I found an article that perfectly highlights and compares mans' desire to to use technology for war-like means throughout history, and urge those who find this blog to take a look. The article served to give me a better understanding of technological warfare, and how man may be on a path destined for their own self-inflicted destruction. 

The Article: New Technologies and Warfare 

Was I "I, Robot" correct about our future?

Yesterday's talk about technology's impact on our relationships and how it will severely affect warfare, human sensitization and society in general made me think about how the media depicts technology. There have been many films romanticizing the concept of humans and robotics (i.e., cyborgs, transformers, robots)
"I, Robot" is a 2004 dystopian, science-fiction, action film starring Will Smith setting in 2035 where America is primarily dependent on robots and robotic technology for mundane human tasks like getting groceries, cleaning the house and running other errands. Will Smith's character, Spooner, is skeptical of the robots because he believes that with enough advancement of technology, they may have the ability to take over and rule the nation with aggression and lack of emotion. Nobody believes him because they are blinding by the degree of comfort and convenience that comes with the robots (technology's positive advancements that are seen in positive light always).
I believe that the robots represent the degree to which humans can possibly become desensitized with the aid of technology advancements. With enough dependency on modern technology, we as humans lose the ability to feel emotion and properly register when things are wrong and immoral.
Later in the plot of the movie, Spooner turns out to be right about the robots as certain robots have corrupt malware causing them to have the ability to inflict harm on the human species, even though their software says that they should not be able to do that. They begin to create robotic clans against the human species causing chaos and destruction. Ultimately, we can learn from this that we should not be so dependent on technology that it blinds us from seeing the clear truth. We should not let technology desensitize us and strip us of our emotions, feelings and ability to empathize with one another.

Technology and Warfare

*Week 6
When I was searching around, I came across this article on Live Science. This talks about topics and starts with The Evolution of War, Drones, Fly-By-Wire technology, Submarines, Tomahawk Missiles, Stealth Aircraft, Space Weapons, and Nulcear Weaopns. It gives a summary on how each of these technologys are used. This is a extremely helpful article becasue it gives dates and reasons to why these inventions are helpful to warfare. You guys should check it out and let me know what you think! I think it was a well structed article.


https://www.jstor.org/stable/30011834?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents


  

The New Nationalism

This article highlights the implications of Trump's America-only political stance, and how this new form of nationalism could endanger our country, as well as other nations worldwide.

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21710249-his-call-put-america-first-donald-trump-latest-recruit-dangerous

Technology vs. Modern Day Relationships

                      How technology has begun to impact relationships both positively, & negatively

                                          

If you've ever been in a relationship, odds are that you and your significant other have had a decent amount of disagreements between one another. How many of those disagreements can be accounted for lack of attention? One of the more persisting issues in today's day and age is the lack of a physical presence within a relationship, mainly due in part to how usual technology has become. We depend so much on technology that it can sometimes obtain a much more prominent role in one's live as opposed to their significant other. Through texting and instant messaging, we identify the convenience of being able to convey messages with positive and negative feedback without revealing ourselves or showcasing vulnerability. It almost offers a sense of security from dealing with or projecting emotions; dissipating the physical aspect through emotional disconnection. Little by little, this has become more prominent within our society. What makes it so dangerous is the fact that it has become the preferred alternative to dealing with issues, or even communicating in general. Technology itself shows no indication of any future decline in advancement. Time itself indicates that technology will only serve to worsen the matter, rather than assist; which was the general idea behind the thought of progressive advancement.    

Technology's Impact on Communication in Relationships

Today in class, we covered the role of technology in relationships. Frequently, texting can cause miscommunication due to a lack of mutual understanding of the tone of these virtual messages. Many things can be misinterpreted when leading a relationship through text. It is interesting to think that current adults may struggle with interpretation with digital relationships, while the internet has also done a lot to improve the quality of relationships (when used properly). The classic Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet emphasizes the gravity of miscommunication in a relationship and how relationships can go very awry when lacking proper communication. Lack of instant communication, at one point, made it more inconvenient to meet up with significant others and stay in constant contact.

However, there are even larger (internal) issues that are created with the use of constant Internet usage/texting/social media in a relationship. A relationship can be manipulated to just be perfect for the public, social media purposes. The individuals can become more overprotective and concerned because instant technology allows for more freedom and more temptations. It is important to stay honest with one another, communicate properly and act responsibly. There will be problems without technology and with technology. As our society is shaping into a technology-dependent time period, it is important to prioritize the meaningful relationships in life (in person, and not completely virtually). 

Slowly Fading Away?

*Week 5
Take a moment and think, what is a relationship? There can be a different explanation of dating in everybody's head. Today, dating and relationships are looked at in a different way because of technology. When people are sucked into technology the idea of connecting with someone is lost and human to human connect is not present. There are people who date for long periods of time without even meeting each other. But the real question is, is that real love? Can you have a higher level connection with someone if you never felt there skin or smelt their natural sent? This is not something for me to decide for others relationships solely because everyone has their own opinion on what a relationship is. But I can take a stance and say that higher connections with people come with touch, even if its as simple as the touch of a hand. This is a well known idea of love, it is the little things that make us human by developing feelings. But this idea was always present in love, but might have been forgotten about throughout time. Technology has decreased the idea of a relationship because who knows what can be said behind a screen. It is so easy to say anything if you are not face to face with that person. Although, it is kept alive with pop culture, for example famous artist like Ed Sheeran or One Direction. There are famous songs like 'Thinking Out Loud" or "Little Things" that keep true love in today's society. Below are the lyrics and what today's society thinks of them. It is very interesting that these people broke down the lyrics and put their own spin on things. This is keeping love in our generation. This all ties into defining a relationship and others keeping it alive in this day in age.


*Link 
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/e/ed_sheeran/thinking_out_loud_lyrics.html 

Technology in show "Black Mirror" and how it can be real for us

This article* touches upon the various highly advanced technology that were brought into the story to interest the modern crowd, the show "Black Mirror". Every episode talks about the negative impacts of technology if it is let out of hand. This article refers to the possibility of these technologies existing in the real life.
Although technology has improved the quality of our lives exponentially, it still holds the capability of destroying us if used improperly or without fear of consequence. Technology has the ability to do more than we even know as of right now. It is so important to use it with precaution and wariness. 

What if?

What if the Industrial Revolution had never taken place? What-if's are difficult to answer because most scenarios are unpredictable or had many purposeful events leading up to that moment. However, there is no doubt that the Industrial Revolution brought upon many benefits economically and horrible aftermath environmentally. The Industrial Revolution has been regarded to as the "the destruction of the home-based production and its replacement by large factories," which is factual and essentially what occurred. It was the start of environmental damage and 

Electronics and advanced technology would not exist, medicine would not reach far bounds, education would be lower, ability to fly/transport with planes would not exist. On the other hand, pollution would be significantly lower- global warming could have been drastically and significantly slowed down from the current pace that the climate is changing currently. In fact, climate change would be mostly theoretical. It is interesting to see how the Industrial Revolution was such a dramatic watershed in the world's history. 

However, there is no real way to ponder about possibilities and what-ifs. The creation of such technology and labor-relieving innovation was inevitable. It would have just been a matter of time. As it is, human beings are self-destructive in nature. The only thing that could have been different would be the human emotion and compassion that should have came along with the progression of technology and advancement. We are now living in a society that has environmental concern as a bottom priority which could have been avoided with the accompaniment of human emotion. 

Technology Then vs. Technology Now

This article by the Harvard Business Review explores the impacts of mobile technology on teens and their lives. The interesting part is that this article was written in April of 2012--that is now 15 years ago. It's interesting to read because we can compare the author's views to our views today. As he states, "[we] are the first unconscious participants in an era when everyone has access to everything, everywhere, at every time." In my opinion, not much has changed in the past 15 years; we are completely accustomed to having answers and information at our fingertips, since we have never known anything else. 


How Mobile Technologies Are Shaping a New Generation 

Women in the Industrial Revolution

This video is a brief overview of how women were impacted during the Industrial Revolution.

Industrial Revolution -----> Impact on Women and Children

*Week 4
The Industrial Revolution impacted not only the government but a specific groups, such as women and children. Everyone got hit pretty hard, but focusing on women and children there were many new opportunities and change that came along with it. For women, jobs expanded and began to work outside the home. This then led to political change and more protests for women's rights. Some of the jobs were domestic services or places like textile factories. This was followed by women being more independent. Which lead them to get outside their comfort zones and do things they never thought of doing. From all these women getting jobs, they had to leave the house and children were left to fend for themselves more often. This led to more child labor. This can be looked at as a positive or negative because children should not be over worked and should be going to school. All together, there were many effects from the Industrial Revolution.

Who are you?

*Week 3
I came across this video on Facebook and I really liked it. I think what she is saying is extremely important and relates to topics we discussed in class. This video is deep and I love how someone so famous could be so humble. I think everyone should watch this video.

https://www.facebook.com/goalcast/videos/1171661222911066/?autoplay_reason=all_page_organic_allowed&video_container_type=0&video_creator_product_type=2&app_id=2392950137&live_video_guests=0

A visual representation of how technology has taken the reins over humanity

* Any material used in this blog is strictly for educational purposes only. All copyright materials' within this blog belong to its' rightful owners.*

Empathy vs. Technology

Known for our technological advancements, who would have thought that we as human beings would become so dependent on the very devices we helped create? Mankind relies so heavily on technology, that we use and apply it towards even the most simplest of tasks. So much so that the argument can be made that we have become desensitized and deprived of basic duties and emotions; most prominently empathy. When was the last time you received any form of bad news, whether it be through text, email, imessage, etc.? Odds are the likelihood is that it occurred more than one would have liked. The greater possibility is that we are all guilty of pursuing the latter; being the bearer of bad news. Technology eliminates the means of face-to-face contact, making it seemingly easier to break such bad news, as not being an appropriate candidate for a job position, for instance. Its even used as means to attack others, with no regards of how it may impact their lives. People have become relatively comfortable utilizing such technology as means of avoiding human contact; and therefore diminishing one's ability to empathize, and possibly relate to those from different walks of life. Make no mistake, technology is not, and shouldn't be to blame for our shortcomings. It is up to us to put our phones down, close our laptops, and for once take responsibility for our fault of allowing technology to restrain us from some of our most basic, and primitive emotions that make us humans to begin with. 

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/530566/the-impact-of-the-internet-on-society-a-global-perspective/

A more in depth look on how technology has impacted us on a global standpoint.

Is Technology decreasing empathy?

 *Week 3
  Another rising controversy about technology, but that does not surprise me. This form of controversy is blaming technology for a more emotional disaster. That is not too far fetched. Personally I believe that technology is making us less empathetic. Behind these screens and over social media, youth is not actually caring one another. It is hard to put yourself in someone else's shoes when you do not know how they actually feel. Feelings in general are not being expressed the right way because of social media, being able to read  each other is becoming harder and harder.

     The young is losing the meaning of empathy because they are not connecting with their peers on a higher level then just texting. Teenagers are not even having normal conversations anymore. Texting and social media has its own language. These people are not engaging the right way, there is not contact or emotion to any of these words. It is easy to be a coward behind a screen and not care for one another, this is why technology is decreasing empathy. 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-me-care/  

*an descriptive article saying why technology is making us careless and lose empathy. 

RATIONALISM -> ROMATICISM -> CURRENT SOCIETY???

Today's class really started to make me think about how the society changes dramatically throughout different time periods in history. During the Scientific Revolution in the 1500-1800 time period, a revolution of ideas took place in which conceptual, methodological and institutional approaches to the natural world were formed as modern science. This revolution used rationality and science to explain the nature of the universe, shifting the mindset of the world from religious to scientific. Essentially, the world was pulled from a religiously driven period to an Age of Rationalism. This allowed people to properly give a reason for the ways of nature and have intellectual conversation about the world. However, this resulted in a very mechanical way of thinking. To a certain extent, this led the people into the Romantic Movement (1800-1870). Romanticism placed great emphasis on "individualism" and focused on emotions and feelings. This resulted in a spur of the arts, emotion, nature, spirituality, imagination, cultural traditions and values of the past. After this movement, we can see how current society is very scientific and technology-driven. People completely trust science and technology in 2017. This interests me because it sounds as if society went from:

EMOTIONAL --> SCIENTIFIC --> EMOTIONAL --> SCIENTIFIC (TECHNOLOGY & CURRENT SOCIETY)

Now, we can wait and see what happens after this current era.....any guesses? Do you think that we will enter another Enlightenment of culture and emotion or progress deeper in the scientific & technology-driven culture?

Nation of Protest

     If you were to Google "protest," you would see that almost every search result on the first page is in relation to Trump and his administration. Whether it's a protest on his travel ban, Breitbart news writer Milo Yiannopoulos' scheduled Berkeley appearance, London citizens refusing relations with US because of Trump's presidency, or even protesters planning to execute a mass "moon"ing of  the Chicago Trump Tower, people are angry, and they're protesting. The fact that so many people are protesting isn't the problem, however. The problem is that lawmakers are trying to pass laws that prohibit legal, law-abiding citizens, from protesting. The right to a peaceful protest is outlined in the First Amendment, but apparently that means nothing to some as they take to power under Trump's administration. As described in the article you can view here, Republican Keith Kempenich first proposed a bill in response to street protests concerning the Dakota Access Pipeline that would make it legal for drivers to run over protesters in North Dakota, but only if they did it "accidentally." It's unknown to me how you could accidentally run over a large crowd of people, but apparently it's possible, according to Republican lawmakers.
      Our country was founded on protest; we are the nation we are because of the day that colonists dumped 46 tons of tea into the Boston Harbor. That was the beginning, and since then protest has been the best way for us to ensure representation. It is one of our greatest freedoms as American citizens, and for our freedoms to be threatened is as scary as it gets.

Generalized Causes of Revolution

*Week 2
http://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/63362 - What is it?

The birth of a revolution can be broken down into different causes, organizations and results. The anatomy behind the revolution is the way we understand why it is happening and the impacts on society. The dozens of causes for a revolution that are not necessarily universal.Typically, reasons behind a revolution is mainly because of disconnection and hostility, which sprouts from society, religion, the government, and economy being restricted. Which then causes peoples basic needs to not be met, and it is unacceptable. Then this has a domino effect with bitterness between social classes making the government not be able to support them. But how can you blame these people for getting mad? Basic needs through economy, society and  politics is an important aspect to keep a country running. Major revolutions happen because people aspire change within their governments power. .

Children & Frequent Technology Usage

          In this Psychology Today article written by Jim Taylor, PhD., we can see how the prevalence of technology has clearly been affecting the development of children in various ways. It has been both hindering and benefiting them in their daily lives. The question is: do the pros outweigh the cons or do the cons outweigh the pros? Taylor references certain studies that were mentioned in the New York Times and states how it has been shown how students who have access to Internet during class do not absorb the material as well and struggling with retaining information due to frequent distractions and interruptions in comparison to students who are not "wired" in class. 

          An interesting metaphor that was used in this article was regarding the differences between scuba diving versus jet skiing and how this can compare with reading versus using the internet. When scuba diving, the diver is submerged in a "quiet, visually restricted, slow-paced setting with few distractions" which allows them to think critically and focus narrowly. This is comparable to the act of reading and the level of comprehension it requires. However, when jet skiing, the jet skiier is on the surface of the water at a very high speed, able to focus on only one immediate thing at a time and this is comparable to using the Internet and being constantly led to new pieces of information without fully absorbing the knowledge at hand. 
          

Sourch: "Your Child & Cell Phones" from deeprootsathome.com

          Essentially, many hindrances can be found with the constant use of technology especially in today's world where it is highly prevalent. The easy access to all information through the Internet makes in difficult for children to think critically at a stage in their lives when the ability to critically think is being developed. However, on the other hand, there has been so many education opportunities readily available due to the simplicity of the Internet. To parents: it is important to understand that moderation is key. In my opinion, if the child is not dependent on technology usage in everyday life, it is highly possible to make use of the Internet in the most positive way possible. 

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

   *Week 1
The Internet is a wonderful perk in today's society. It has contributed to lots of success and discovers throughout the modern times. This generation is shaped by technology and the internet, some people base their lives off it. But is it destroying the way young kids learn and grow as intellects? Is Google making us stupid? This is a rising controversy through the eyes of parents and teachers as they watch their kids and students grow up with Iphones and Ipads. The internet is a tool that is extremely helpful with helping children learn, especially those with disabilities. It also makes kids read more without them even realizing it.
   But it does have the cons to go along with it, this is why some say we dumb our selves down from the internet. I can somewhat agree with that because the internet can do mostly everything for you. It helps us spell, give us definitions, and even provide us e-books at any given moment. Google makes it so we do not have to pick up a paper back again. Most teens now a days do not even think about stepping into a library and searching for a book, its rare for them to read in their leisure time. Google is making this generation lazy, kids do not know what is like anymore to go outside and play with the neighborhood friends. I do not know if i would consider saying stupid, because people take it the wrong way, but Google is definitely changing the way generations are growing and learning.