Blog Post #6 : Anti War

    The instant I opened Antiwar.com I was immediately overwhelmed by what I saw. There are multiple different news sources and links to stories. They range from "House Kills Move to Ban Cluster Bomb Transfer" to "N. Korea: U.S. Has World on Brink of Nuclear War." 

    I then explored The American Conservative website. At first glance, this website was much easier on the eyes. There are important stories about recent events that should be talked about more. It is important to know what is going on in our world today. Stories in The American Conservative range from "The Coming of K-12 School Choice Will Also Change Higher Education" to "Yes, Social Media Is a First Amendment Issue." 

    I previously stated that it is important to have a general understanding of current events happening around us. However, I am looking through some of these stories on the following two website and I seem to be uneducated on these topics. These stories have me shocked. I had no idea our world was so corrupt in different ways.

    I sometimes create a bubble. I try to block out all the negative things and solely focus on the positive. Yes, it is important to look for the good in our world but, the bad is equally as important. I understand now that I can not, figurately speaking, live under a rock. I want to start being aware of everything surrounding me. 

    I do not think I am the only person who has never heard about any of the scary news happening in our world. I think these strong antiwar voices are being hidden to protect society. Society is not perfect but we do not want to corrupt it even more. If these news stories can easily get out to the public, it will definitely create chaos. Chaos and disruption is the last thing this world needs after reading multiple articles on what is actually happening behind the scenes. 

Blog Post #5 : EOTO - What I Learned

 On the day of presentations for the EOTO projects, I gained so much new information. Some of the technologies that were talked about were very interesting. I especially enjoyed hearing about the history and impact of Netflix. 

It was originally founded around 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. 

In the beginning, Netflix was a platform that allowed users to rent movies and find movie recommendations that fit their interests. Netflix has grown tremendously since then. 

Netflix jump started the potential for more video streaming platforms. In 2007, Netflix introduced a "subscription video-on-demand model." This new model allowed for Netflix to grow over 24 billion in revenue over 13 years. 

Netflix stands out most because it contains a variety of original movies. User love this type of content. I can vouch because I am one of those Netflix users. Watching originals make us feel nostalgic in the best way possible. They also create for the best laughs, cries, and overall bring people together.

Netflix impacted society by putting attention on different topics of discussion that should be talked about more. This forces conversations to happen. 

More trends are being started because of the Netflix platform too! This includes fashion, furnishing, hair inspiration, etc. 

A negative impact Netflix has on society is binge-watching. This is a very common thing that most people are accustomed to. 

Links

The History of Netflix

Netflix Statistics and Facts

The Netflix Effect

Netflix Impact on Health and Planet

Blog Post #4 : EOTO Project

    The technology timeline shows all the different inventions that were made overtime. It is a cool representation of how fast our world is constantly evolving. We went from carrier pigeons to personalized computers to the first internet browser. I wanted to learn more information on every item however, the first television caught my eye the most. The inventor of the first television is named Philo Farnsworth. Philo Farnsworth is an American inventor who is also known as a technical prodigy since a young age. In 1922, Farnsworth began to work out outlines of electronic television. He was around 15 years old at this time. A year later, Farnsworth decided to attend Brigham Young University while he was still in high school. His main objective in this university was to gain more knowledge in mainly math and physics. He very much enjoyed school and is always looking for ways to advance his knowledge. Sadly, this new journey of his had to come to a pause. His father, Lewis Edwin Farnsworth, died at the age of 58 from pneumonia. This led to Philo Farnsworth to drop out of this prestigious university and move back to Beaver, Utah. In Utah, he went back to his high school studies while also working a job that will make him enough money to help support his family. This setback of his did not stop his determination to his craft. In 1926, Farnsworth partnered with George Everson and Leslie Gorrell. These three put their brains together to bring Farnsworth's vision to life and helped produce his television system. Their collaboration efforts were very successful. Farnsworth made his first electronic television transmission. The transmission was of a straight line. He transmitted this image to a receiving source in a different room. He continued to perfect this fantastic creation of his. In 1928, he finally decided to give a demonstration to the press. 

    His creation of the first television has both positive and negative impacts in people's life. Without Farnsworth's magnificent discover and invention some iconic shots today would not have been possible. For example, shots from the moon and satellite pictures. We are now able to see images on our screen and listen to audio at the same time. Millions of people now have a TV in their household today. Yes, the pros are so important but, the cons are also an essential thing to take into consideration as well. There was a study by Steven Martin and John Robinson saying that the people who spend more time watching TV are those who are least happy with their life. This was a shock to me because I am a huge movie buff but, I am still a happy easy going person. Other cons are that TV tends to make people act more violently, causes an increase in child obesity, people to gain a lower self esteem, and a decrease in quality time spent with family and friends. 

Links

Philo T Farnsworth: The Father of Television

Philo Farnsworth

Philo Taylor Farnsworth

Number of TV households in U.S.

Revolution of Television and its Future

Effects of Television

Blog Post #3 : Eight Values of Free Expression

I took time to reflect on the Eight Values of Free Expression and one of the values that stood out to me was number four. Number four is Individual Self - Fulfillment. I felt this value resonated a lot with me because of the way it allows human beings to express themselves in any way they choose. Growing up I have always been very shy. I used to be scared to talk to others and speak up for the things in life that I believe in. I always cared about what others would think of me and so I stayed quiet. The best decision I made as a child was to join dance. This sport was perfect for me because it allowed me to be able to express myself without using any words and get out of my comfort zone. I used movement and emotion to portray the way I was feeling. This value helps people find themself. It allows for individuals to create their own identity and find who they truly are in this world. These are reasons why I think this value is very important. It should be a good thing for individuals to be unique. 

Blog Post #2 : The Supreme Court

    Before I took a look at the video and article, my knowledge of the Supreme Court was very slim. As a person living in the United States I feel like I should know more information. I did not know that the Supreme Court did not have any cases throughout its first term in February of 1790. The first decision that justices made was not until August of 1791. The case was called West v. Barnes. It was a very simple case that was between a farmer and a family. I always thought the Supreme Court only did large and important cases. The Supreme Court, also known as SCOTUS, has the most power and is known as the "highest federal court." Over time there have been hundreds of different supreme court justices. The justices are people who are nominated by the President of the United States. The nominations are later looked at by the U.S Senate. The average span of time supreme court justices stay on the bench is 16 years however, there are times that justices have stayed more than that. I had no idea that supreme court justices keep this job for so long. This is more than the amount of time the president has his job title. Video Part 1 showed that a justice described his experience with the Supreme Court as a humble experience. The justice said "Being appointed to the Supreme Court is akin to being struck by lightning." This surprised me so much. It makes it seem that this job is not enjoyable at all and it drains the individual so much. I always thought that this was a job that everyone wants. But, this shows that is takes time to truly get comfortable with this job and the overall process. Learning more about The Supreme Court showed me what actually goes on behind the scenes. It was very interesting and I am excited to learn more.

   

Link to Supreme Court Article and Video Part 1

https://www.history.com/topics/us-government-and-politics/supreme-court-facts

https://www.history.com/topics/us-government-and-politics/supreme-court-facts#early-days-of-the-supreme-court

Blog Post #1 : My 5 Favorite News Sources

 1. TikTok

TikTok is a social media app that has been trending so much recently. Users post maximum 3 minute videos in order to keep the audience entertained. TikTok users can also scroll through this app looking at different videos based off of their interest and popular events happening in the world today. TikTok makes learning about the news more interesting and keeps people engaged. This app makes it easier for me to be informed with all the events happening in the world around me. 

2. Apple News

Apple News is an app that comes downloaded on all apple devices. It makes reading news articles easy and efficient. This app allows for subscribers to have access to hundreds of different magazines and news articles. This includes TIME magazine, The Wall Street Journal, People, and Cosmopolitan. There are so many more options to choose from. My favorite part of this app is that the more time I spend on Apple News the more it becomes targeted to what I like to read.

3. My family

My parents turn on the news channel on TV every morning before they go to work. They usually inform me afterwards on what is new for the day. For me this is the easiest way to learn about my news because I can have a conversation in person with people who are informed. I am able to hear what they have to say and ask follow up questions if needed. 

4. CNN 10

CNN 10 News is mostly a student news site. It is aimed towards middle school and high school students but I still love it. They post 10 minute news segments every day. CNN 10 is a great way to hear the recent news in a short amount of time. This is perfect for people who are very busy or are always on the go. I love CNN 10 because it keeps me entertained and allows me to know what is going on in my world. 

5. Snapchat

Snapchat is a very popular app mostly used by generation z. I use this app on the daily. On snapchat I mostly see news stories about celebrities, influencers, and athletes. Although this information is not as important as other news in our world, I still find it interesting. I love seeing the pictures and videos people post to their story. It is a fun and popular way to view news.