Final Blog Post

 Luke Lee    

4/25/2024

Media Law & Lit

Technology and I

    I love technology. I always have, and I most likely always will. Everything from the convenience of technology to the innovations that technology brings to the world. I'm not the only person that really enjoys and appreciates technology, as almost the entire rest of the world also seems to agree with me regarding technology. Technology has taken such an important and front center role in today's society that pretty much everyone has some sort of online presence. Today I will be discussing my experience with technology, and how it impacts my life and my own online presence.

It seems like everyone nowadays has social media, or some sort of presence online. Whether that be directly through social media, or personal information such as emails or phone number, there is some sort of link between you and the online world. As for my own online presence, I have exposed myself and certain personal information online. For example, I have my email registered on Snapchat, Instagram, and other various sites. As well as having a phone number connected to Snapchat for backup security measures like a lost password. I alternatively also have a couple of videos on TikTok of me but they're just videos of me rambling about being a washed-up lacrosse player, or a couple of sports related videos that have no relevance to me or any information about me. I've made sure that there is absolutely ZERO content that could compromise me in any way or could be taken out of context to misconstrue or blemish my character. I will say though, if someone screenshots an argument I had online about a various sports take they could react in a couple of different ways. I get personal with my takes. 

In terms of the videos that we watched in "Wonders of Technology" and the "Dark Side" of technology, the truth lies more in the middle. Just like in "Wonders of Technology" suggested, there are a lot of benefits to technology and all the great things it can accomplish. The only thing that will ever hold humanity back is a lack of technology. As we continue to advance technologically, we will continue to advance in all ways of life. With that being said, there are plenty of downsides to technology. Such as FOMO, loneliness, and isolation such as suggested in the dark side of technology. But just like with anything, technology is something that you need to be able to enjoy in doses. That means not sitting in your room all day isolated scrolling on TikTok. That means going outside and touching grass. If you enjoy too much of something, you tend to not appreciate it. Also, you will completely fry your dopamine receptors if you just sit there and do nothing but scroll. Allow technology to be an exciting accessory to your life, not your life as a whole. 

There have and still are plenty of questions regarding humans and technology. Concerns regarding artificial intelligence and online censorship have started to pop up in recent memory. As we enter this new age of technological innovation, how will we deal with these issues? There are plenty of issues regarding technology. Technological advancements have led to the outsourcing of thousands of jobs in the US. As well as any and anyone's information pretty much being accessible to anyone who has a functioning computer and WIFI signal. Unlike in movies, people in real life tend to usually have some sort of common sense, so I don't really believe we're going to fall victim to a world where AI takes over. With that being said, if we're not careful, with all of the information that is floating around and being so easily accessible, people will need to be more careful, but more than likely there will be provisions in place such as advanced internet and bug protection to combat some of the issues that come with advanced AI. 

There are great things, and some not so great things that play together when it comes to technology. Just like with any great thing, you need to use it in moderation, and correctly. While there will always be people who choose to abuse technology and absorb themselves so much into them that it becomes their whole existence. Don't do that, be normal, be active, and live your life with technology, and without it. Being able to balance technology with our lives is why it's there. Once again, let technology be a fun accessory to your life, not life itself. 

Blog #11

 Social media. Nowadays, everyone has one. Your mom, your dad, your grandmother, heck even your dog could have a social media. Social media nowadays is so accessible that quite literally everyone can use it. Hell, even aliens could probably find a way to function with it. With that being said, there are plenty of ups and downs about social media.

To start out, the importance of ones online digital footprint is extremely important. I think we've all heard the stories of people who got fired or didn't get a job because of a tweet or statement they made online in the past that today offended someone. This is a serious matter as it costs people jobs, and money every day. A more lighthearted example of this would be when University of North Carolina's Mitchell Trubisky entered the 2017 NFL Draft. Trubisky, a top draft prospect that year, had several questionable tweets that he had made back when he was in high school. Which included an infamous tweet "I love to kiss tittiessss." An infamous tweet that will forever live on in NFL lore. Like I said, this was a more lighthearted example of someone having a tweet they probably aren't super proud of come up in the public eye. As for my own online footprint, it's definitely there but not in a bad way. A simple Instagram page that is privatized, and then a TikTok with a couple stupid videos. 

I think someone who glanced onto my social media could definitely infer a few distinct traits of my personality. For example, you could probably guess by the photos on my Instagram that I'm a social person. I have a lot of photos with me and my friends doing whatever. These photos show off my active social life and friend group. You could also guess by going off of my page that I am a sports fan. There is a couple of photos of me playing lacrosse on my page from high school. You could also guess by what I repost on my story, that I'm an avid football fan and a personal fan of the Baltimore Ravens. I also love former Ravens QB and UD alum Joe Flacco. I'm wacko for Flacco. 

In terms of information I have provided, I have provided my email to plenty of websites throughout the years. Whether it was for confirmation of signup, or whatever reason, plenty of websites have my email. Also, a couple of websites such as Steam, where you can buy video games online, and EA another online video game company, have my credit card information. But those are two huge, multimillion dollar companies that could legally be held accountable if they were to take money from my card without my knowledge. Also, I have my card in the Planet Fitness databanks as I have an active membership I pay for. And I also pay for Disney+ and Apple Music. 

As for isolation, I would say social media partly plays a part. The big issue can be when people don't get informed of a social event, and then there's a video of everyone together having a good time which leaves those who weren't invited to feel left out. There's also those who don't have much of a life and see people who do have a life and they'll get jealous and wonder why they don't. But that's really neither here nor there, it definitely can attribute to feelings of loneliness or isolation, but more likely than not if you're in those situations to begin with you would've felt those feelings of loneliness or isolation regardless. 

Blog #9

 When watching the video In the Age of AI, I learned quite a bit. The documentary is a look into the industry of artificial intelligence. There are both positives, and negatives to artificial intelligence. This documentary for the first half hour or so focused on the innovations and the positive side of artificial intelligence. For the second half of the video, they focused more so on the darker side and some of the consequences of artificial intelligence.

One of the biggest misconceptions according to this documentary, is that the lost jobs throughout the years aren't due to offshoring. Infact, offshoring apparently only counts for around 20% of the losses. The other 80% has been due to automation. Many of the easy, mundane work jobs that require low skill levels have been filled out by machines. For example, fifty years ago you could find plenty of work working in a factory putting together whatever they needed you to. Now, a company can just buy a bunch of machines to do it instead. It's a one-time payment, instead of paying someone individually biweekly. This way is a lot less expensive, and a lot less of a risk factor.

The video made it very clear that in the future of automation, there will very likely be no middle class. There will be the poor, and there will be the rich. To quote one of the speakers in the interview; "I'm scared. To be quite honest with you, I'm worried about the future of not just this country, but the entire globe. If we continue to go in an automated system, what are we gonna do? Now I've got people at the top making all the money and I've got no people in the middle who can support a family." That quote itself is a scary one. While obviously that is worst case scenario, how far off are we from that sort of reality? 

But looking at the positive side, the innovation that is artificial intelligence is and has made life better and more convenient. The biggest argument for why AI is beneficial to our daily lives is the convivence it brings to our daily lives. For example, Alexa, Siri, ChatGPT, and Google Assistant are all examples of AI. AI is able to track down information about us based on what we watch, what websites we go to, and what items we shop for. While some may consider this a negative, and it very well could be a negative, this undoubtedly makes life a lot more convenient because of all the products that pop out in front of us and the recommended media that displays on our screens. 

So, while there are negative qualities of AI, there are definitely positive ones. Just being smart with what you do on the internet and taking the necessary precautions like using a VPN can help keep your security online. Also having burner emails that don't link back to you can be smart when you're viewing something you may not necessarily want on your permanent internet record. 

Blog #6

CNN, FOX, NBC, WNBSC, whatever. There are a lot of television news channels out there. And at first glance, you could probably there's a lot of differences about them. The topics will be different, the importance of certain topics will vary, and there will be a variety of guest speakers. But it's pretty much all the same. Let me explain. 

Aside from the obvious, but not so obvious fact that all the media and TV we consumed are owned by the same few companies who are owned by the same few people, all the news is pretty much the same. Here's the script; report an ongoing issue whether it's police brutality, COVID, gun laws, anything that emotional value connected to it. Will it make someone angry; will it make someone scared? From there you find a specific case, spin that case in the way you want to present it, then show pictures of the people who were involved to humanize them. Then spread whatever message you want to spread and keep it repeating it. Known as the illusory truth effect, if you tell someone something and keep repeating it, they will more than likely eventually start believing it. Especially when it's something scary. 

So why do certain news websites such as ANTIWAR.com, and The American Conservative stand out? That's because the one topic all news channels have in common, is they're all pro-war. If it's Trump in office, FOX is pro war. If it's Biden in office, it's CNN who's pro war. But at the end of the day, they're all pro war. Why is that? Because it makes some people very rich. It makes manufactures rich, but more importantly it makes news media rich. Why's that? Because just like sex, war sells. When people have something to be afraid of or something of note, they're more likely to consistently check the news to get an update. The reason why these websites aren't heard of in the mainstream is because they are antiwar, and being antiwar isn't good for business. This is also why you have to seek out this kind of information, because there's no profit to it. 

At the end of the day, it's very unfortunate but a truth that war sells. It makes money, and whatever makes money is what the news is going to show. A perfect example about how the news media work is the movie Nightcrawler featuring Jake Gyllenhaal. To keep things brief, Gyllenhaal starts as this nobody weirdo, to becoming the top nightcrawler for LA's lowest rated news station. Gyllenhaal essentially plays a sociopath with no emotional capacity. The guy will do anything for success, which means doing some really shady stuff to get good shots. Like moving bodies at an active crime scene to get better lighting, setting up a rival nightcrawler to crash to then film the crash and the guy being wheeled in a stretcher with a neck brase into the ambulance, or even chasing after an armed fugitive and allowing his partner to get shot and filming the man's death on camera instead of helping him. Obviously a little overexerted, but the point stands. The guy got a ton of really gruesome shots, and he got paid handsomely. Not only that, but the news station he worked for went from one of the worst in LA to at least serviceable. 

Blog #8

 Transhumanism. That's a term you would probably hear in a Sci-Fi film more than you would in actual real life. In fact, you probably wouldn't even believe me if I told you that there was in fact a real-life movement called "Transhumanism." So, what is transhumanism? Well, transhumanism is a movement that prioritizes prolonging and improving upon human livelihood using "sophisticated" technologies. Transhuman thinkers study the "potential benefits and dangers of emerging technologies that could overcome fundamental human deficiencies, as well as the ethics of using such technologies. 

While transhumanism hasn't been around forever, the idea that sparked it has. There has always been the question of whether humans could achieve immortality. And transhumanism itself is a movement that may in fact be looking to solve that. Going back to 1923, JBS Haldane, a British geneticist, predicted in an essay that "great" benefits would come to humans if they were to introduce advanced scientific technology to their bodies. 

To quote the man who popularized the term, "Up till now human life has generally been, as Hobbes described it, "nasty, brutish and short"; the great majority of human beings (if they have not already died young) have been afflicted with misery… we can justifiably hold the belief that these lands of possibility exist, and that the present limitations and miserable frustrations of our existence could be in large measure surmounted… The human species can, if it wishes, transcend itself—not just sporadically, an individual here in one way, an individual there in another way, but in its entirety, as humanity."

The benefits of transhumanism would be that you could improve the livelihood of

of those who decide to take part in it. You could also have significant medical 

improvements, as well as improvements for those who are physically disabled.

You could also make a whole lot of cash. Outside of that, the benefits are 

slim in comparision to the potential issues that could come with transhumanism. 

For example, the biggest fear would be that people become too reliant on technology.

What if that technology what days fails to work? What if that technology isn't durable?

And let's not even bring up all of the what if sci movie scenarios. 

If there is anyone who is at risk, or is more likely to benefit from transhumanism, it 

would be the younger generations. That being because the younger generation is 

more likely to be impressionable, while the older generations are more set in their

ways. 

 

Blog #7

Often, we tend to look at what others have, and stand in awe. Whether that's through social media, or just looking with your own two eyes. It always seems like the grass is cut greener on the other side. And in some cases, maybe it is. While virtual reality won't change your reality as it is, it will allow you to immerse yourself in a new reality. Virtual reality has been a concept for a long time. In fact, dating back to the stereoscope which had its first version created all the way back in 1832. While technically, you wouldn't consider a stereoscope to be a virtual reality, it was still a necessary precursor to what would be virtual reality. 

As the years went on, multiple different versions of VR were created which led up to VR as we know it today. The most notable coming in 2010, when Palmar Luckey developed the first version of the Oculus Rift. While at first the rift was limited, as time went on, the rift was further developed, and more advanced versions of VR were introduced. Don't color me surprised when I tell you they were a hit. Kind of. While some of the VR services weren't quite as successful or didn't publish sales records, SONYS PS4 VR headset did. In less than three years from June 5th, 2017, to January 6th, 2020, the PS4 VR headset sold over 5 million units. This was an absolute huge win for the VR industry. It proved that people wanted VR content. The thing is, the PS4 is a video game system. Therefore, there would be significantly more content and video games specific for VR use. 

The reason VR was so popular was because it was something we had never seen before. We had read many stories and seen movies that depicted a world with ultra-advanced technology. This felt like the first step into entering that world. Many people would become early adopters as they would want to test out this new technology for themselves. While the expectations weren't sky high, the excitement of trying a generational type of technology such as VR that had often been depicted in the past was an exciting opportunity many would not pass down. 

While there were those were excited for VR, there were those who weren't. This was a pretty small minority as you always have your conspiracy theorists and people who tweak out over nothing. With that being said, this new type of technology being developed did point us potentially in the direction of one day living in a world where we cannot function without technology and lose control. While we are already pretty much dependent on technology to make it through our day to day lives, we still at least have a steady control on what technology can and cannot do. But the fear of one day losing that control is always what people have feared. Also potentially living in a world where the VR world is better than the real one. 

I think the movie "Ready Player One" directed by Steven Spielberg is one of the perfect depictions of what people fear will come out of VR, and eventually the metaverse. A life where people would rather spend their time on their headset and living another life instead of their own. Being under the control of a world that doesn't even exist. Even then, the likelihood of this happening to the degree of what we would see in a movie is pretty unrealistic. While there are definitely downsides like people being too dependent on technology, and people becoming more of hermits inside their homes, there will always be people who want nothing to do with that. Who would much rather make memories and have good times in the real world. How do I know that? Because I would consider myself to be one of those people. I enjoy what I can get on the internet, but nothing compares to the real world.  

EOTO Tech Presentations: Blog #5

 The presentation that caught my attention the most was the presentation on the first radio. The first radio was invented by Guglielmi Marconi in the 1890's. As the years went on, the radio became more and more developed. Marconi would end up patenting the idea in 1896. Despite patenting the radio, and technically developing the first fully functional radio, radio signal and waves had been developed since as early as 1800 as Alessandro Volta developed the first by developing an electrical current. The development would continue further throughout the years as many men would have a part in the overall development of the radio. The first time a human voice was put to use on the radio was in 1906 by Reginald Aubrey. Just a year later in 1907, De Forrest Lee would deliver the first live radio broadcast. Later on, November 2nd, 1920, KD radio was founded becoming the first ever radio station. Years later, the Radio Act of 1927 was signed by then US President Calvin Coolidge. The act entailed "strengthening" the government's authority to "regulate all forms of interstate and foreign radio transmissions and communications within the United States, it's territories and possessions." There was also a standard adopted by the news stations at the time that stations had to be shown "in the public interest, convivence, or necessity." At the time, about only one percent of US families owned one radio or more, that number would grow to more than half by 1931. In the 1920's, radios could cost anywhere from $35 for a cheap model, to $350 for a nicer model. As interest professional sports such as baseball, and pro football grew amongst American cities, and an overall growing interest in news the radio became more and more popular. Especially since the television didn't come until later this was all the people knew. 

Blog #4

 Blog #4

The technology that was assigned to me in this most recent group project was video. Before video there was film. Film itself goes back to before the Civil War which is how all previous video beforehand was created. Technically video itself goes back to that time when Louis Le Prince in 1888 filmed the Roundhay Garden Scene. A two second video which shows four people in the frame for about 3 seconds just walking around in a circle. A very basic video that doesn't depict the people doing anything. With that being said, the Roundhay Garden Scene would technically be considered the first surviving video, but it wasn't made with video. Neither was 1878's the Racehorse. This video was just a bunch of cards moved in a way that makes it look like the horse itself was running. This is a very early version of stop motion films. The first ever video recorder that was a true video recorder was developed in 1951 by a group led by Charles Ginsburg. The goal was to 'revolutionize' home entertainment and that they did. The problem with media and television at the time was there were so limited options for entertainment at the time. For the most part, people only had radio. That was America's past time at that time. All media was consumed through the radio. Television while it had been invented and in use for many years at that time, only the rich and well off could afford a television. The average joe wasn't in any sort of financial situation to be buying televisions or really anything that wasn't a necessity. America was just coming out of a world war in the last half decade or so and it looked like we could be entering another. The VTR was a great step forward to what would be one of the most influential industries the world had seen.

So, when thinking about how video has impacted our world, it really isn't something that's superhard. Infact, it is painfully obvious how much of an effect video has had on our world. For example, if you go literally anywhere you will see a screen. While phones, computers, tablets, etc aren't directly related to the original purpose of video, they are a direct descendent. Video on the camera which went to television, eventually leading to the production of more technologically advanced TV's. From there, the phones improved, which led to computers, which led to video game consoles, phones, etc. One need was filled, and another was created to take its place. Humans are an ambitious species; we can never have enough of a good thing. If we can do it, we will do it. The problems of lack of entertainment, and the lack of knowledge and news outside of one's surrounding areas were quickly solved. With those problems filled, new ones arise. Video products have had their fair share of controversies. Is TV exposing children to inappropriate material? Are video games rotting kid's brains and numbing them to violence? Are phones tracking our information and spying on us? Even with all the negativity, anyone could say that video has changed communication. Obviously, we can call people on the phone, but we've been able to do that for over a century. Recently though, now we can text people. Instead of talking to someone on the phone or face to face, I can just text them what I'm feeling. It's more convenient than a phone call or email, and way more casual as well. Also, facetime is a big feature used nowadays which wasn't available until recently. Also, with the creation of online multiplayer video games which allow players to communicate with one another via the game server. Not all of these effects are positive though. For example, nowadays people are so much more anti-social than back in the day. Back then, you had to go outside to talk to people and do stuff. Now you don't, in fact there's an app or website for everything. Don't want to talk to people in real life? Social media. Don't want to watch TV for news? Read an article. Feel triggered from something you see but don't want to talk to someone in real life? There're therapy apps. You want to sit in your room pissed off about something going on a foreign country that has nothing to do with you and don't have the energy or will to get food? Order door dash. Door dash is cool because back in the day you would have to call and talk to someone on the phone at the specific store you were ordering from. Now you can go on the app does not talk to anyone and then have someone random drop it off at your door with zero human contact. People definitely are lazier now because of all the convivence from phones and modern technology that all came from video. 

Blog Post #3

Blog Post #3

Luke Lee

3/25/2024

When thinking of strong components of freedom of speech many different ideas may come up. Some people have different views on freedom of speech and what that statement actually entails. For the most recent assignment I and the rest of the class were introduced to the eight values of free expression. These eight values are all theories that go into thought when one may think of free speech. In this post, I will go over my own personal thoughts on some of these theories and connect them to real life issues and discourse going on today.

I believe the most important of the eight values listed would be participation in government. The long story short of this value is that citizens will not make wise or valuable voting decisions if 'candidates and proponents of certain policies are restricted in their ability to communicate positions'. I find this incredibly important to myself personally because I believe there are so many people who vote the way they do because of misinformation. They'll read one headline and state that their mind has been made up. Instead of learning other perspectives and growing, these people continue to fall into the hole of misinformation and ignorance. So many people if they just read a little bit further down into the article or if they did their own research would find that their opinions now might not be the same as if they actually sat down and really reviewed over everything they believed in. 

I also think the most important value that isn't necessarily important to me personally would-be individual self-fulfillment. There was an ongoing joke during COVID about when the kid with the Blue Lives Matter mask and the girl with the LGBTQ mask would raise their hand on the same question in a debate like environment. But when you look at the situation and take it seriously and instead of a joke, there is a legitimate real-life situation here. Both of these kids have experienced different events and experiences in their lives to reach this point. You can never say somebodies' opinion isn't valid or legitimate. They have their opinion for a reason. And 9/10 times that reason is legitimate. Knowing your own personal identity and being able to take opinions away from it is great. While I don't always agree with those who view the world differently as I do, I am thankful for them and their experiences. It allows me to grow as a person and remember that I'm not the only one here and there are plenty of people with different experiences as me. It makes me a better person even if sometimes I don't agree with them and even if the interactions can be frustrating. 

For myself, the value I see happen the most in real life is Marketplace of ideas or Discovery of Truth. We all know nowadays especially in the media and the news, there are a ton of propaganda. It's all a money game. If you look at all of the news stations and media production companies, I guarantee you will find they are all owned by the same 10 companies or so. The same people own all of the big media companies. Therefore, quite a bit of propaganda and bias floats around. With that being said, the truth always comes out. If you remember, the media went on an absolute crusade on Donald Trump. Everyone in 2020 was against this man. Being a member of the KKK and voting for Donald Trump were seen as pretty much the same thing by leftists everywhere. No matter what you think of Trump, any unbiased person with a set of eyes could understand the clear crucification of our former president. The public recognized the clear bias the media had against the former President and how hard his adversaries were pushing for him to not even be allowed to re-run in the future. Now four years later and it seems like Trump is probably going to run away with this upcoming election. I remember eight years ago when Trump got elected and my school at the time had a week of silence where teachers and students alike could call of school for 'mental health' days and wear black bands of protest with a bunch of rich white kids and white teachers kneeling for the anthem because of 'social injustice' none of them have actually even come closed to sniffing. 8 years later and being a Donald Trump supporter isn't really looked down upon as much. Look, Trump isn't perfect. There are a lot of things he does and says that aren't so great. But the man clearly isn't the devil or Hitler like the media claimed he was. The truth always wins. 

Blog #2

 Blog Post #2

I didn't really know all that much about the Supreme Court before this assignment outside of the standard information everybody knows such as the Supreme Court makes rulings, and the members stay in office until retirement or death. 

To start off with the things I didn't know, the first meeting was all the way back in 1790. I had no idea the Supreme Court went this far back in history. What's even more interesting is that the first case "West v Barnes" was rather insignificant as the matter was over a debt a farmer owed a family. I also didn't know there have been 115 justices who have served on the Supreme Court. Really puts everything into perspective. 

One of if the not most important thing I took away from this article would be the bottom section of the article which went over some of the most notable Supreme Court cases over the last sixty years or so including cases such as Roe v Wade and U.S. vs Nixon. 

The most surprising thing I learned from this article was that the first meeting which was set for February 1st, 1790 was postponed a day until the 2nd because multiple justices had transportation issues. That's not very surprising given the time, just a little bit surprising considering how important this meeting was and how important a lot of these initial justices were.

The article didn't really change anything for me with the Supreme Court. It more so just allowed me to understand them a little bit more and how things work in the Supreme Court. It's a great job that comes with a lot of power and a lot of responsibility. 

Blog Post #1

ESPN has always been there. Throughout the years when thinking of sports media there have been plenty of different companies and news sources that have come and gone throughout the years. Whether it was Sports Illustrated, NFL, NBA, or MLB network ESPN has been there. ESPN is the #1 news site for all things sports as they have everything on their website. As a future member of the sports media industry, I understand the importance of staying up to date in the sports world. From articles about various athletic topics, news updates on your favorite players, or encapsulating interviews, there is something for all sports fans at ESPN. The most reliable sports media out there.  

While I like to stay up to date with most of my sports new on ESPN, when I want to know football specific news, I will turn on to NFL Network. All of the professional sports have their own specific TV networks, but I prefer the NFL Network as I am a big NFL guy. I know just about everything about the NFL, and I am always up to date, and you can thank the NFL Network for that. Super convenient with 24/7 around the clock NFL news. For example, I was watching an NFL documentary at around 2 am when the program was momentarily interrupted to announce the trading of then Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Alex Smith before returning back to normal programing. The NFL Network has its own NFL specific talk shows and documentaries throughout the years which will turn anyone into an up-to-date NFL know it all! 

As for actual news that has nothing to do with sports, I would say FOX News is my #1 source of real-world news. To be fair, I understand the inherit bias that comes with news station especially big ones such as FOX, CNN, MNSBC, NBC, etc. What I do find with FOX is that their bias is significantly less than other news station. The other news stations don't even try to hide their left-wing bias and while I am well aware of FOX's right-wing bias, I believe they are less likely to try and rock the boat with inaccurate or misconstrued quotes. Also, I like that if you watch FOX newscast everyone is always smiling and happy, and if you watch CNN everyone's all pissed off. Really opens your eyes. 

Unfortunately, it looks like Tik Tok might not be an app allowed in the US for much longer. That being said, I am afraid to admit I get quite a bit of my news on Tik Tok. To be fair, I don't usually get the full story or all of the details on Tik Tok, but more or less I will hear about it and then if I find the issue interesting, I can find more online. Just like Fox or CNN, there is inherit bias on Tik Tok with news but just like with those if you're smart you can find what's real and what isn't pretty quickly. Also, as a college student who's always on his phone, it is the most convenient way of finding and digesting news. It's like getting news in a minute and only having to listen to the one section of the news you're interested in. 

Finally, we have good old YouTube. YouTube walked so Tik Tok can run. I learn a lot about entertainment, and obscure sports story or really any other topic. Can provide a good look into what was popular back in the day (5 years ago) and can help open people's horizons in their interests. Also, news such as trailers or interviews are often released on YouTube before any other platform.