# Reading Responses (Set 2)

## Response 1
### Mar 14 Tue - Finding someone & living alone

“Dating has changed more in the past two decades than in the previous 2000 years,” according to Derek Thompson in his article, [“Online dating is taking over the world."](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/online-dating-taking-over-everything/594337/) This claim is predominantly due to changes in social norms, the introduction of online dating, and the way digital communication alters relationships. As discussed by Joseph Chamie in [“Living alone in America,”](https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/563786-living-alone-in-america/) today, 1 in 7 adults live alone in the United States. This totals 36 million people living alone, making up 20% of all US households. These changes come from people moving to cities, economic opportunities, the rise of wage labor, a higher desire for independence, and later marriages. While there are pros and cons to living alone these statistics are important because the shift toward individual living and desired independence go hand-in-hand and can help to explain why, recently, the dating landscape has drastically changed.

Previously, the task of match-making was left up to our friends and families, while marriages were viewed as financial decisions and were often decided on practicality. Today, however, young people are more likely to live a “DIY lifestyle” creating their own habits and beliefs, and straying away from that of their families. While teenagers were on average not happy to hear the results of Thompson’s research explaining the increasing importance of dating apps, because it demonstrates the “spiritual bankruptcy of modern love,” their habits complement online dating well. Apps and websites free young people from the limitations and biases of their hometowns and allow them to explore different options than they normally would have access to, providing the independence they desire. Furthermore, as with any other aspect of the internet, dating apps allow minorities of any kind to find each other because they only need to seek each other out on one platform, with the help of the algorithm.

Of course, there are dangers with online dating. Some were explored in Christian Rudder’s article [“The big lies people tell in online dating.”](https://theblog.okcupid.com/the-big-lies-people-tell-in-online-dating-a9e3990d6ae2) Rudder argues that the three biggest lies told are height, wealth, and appearance, all altered to appear more desirable to future partners. However, if you learn to use the apps to their full potential, simply as a means to meet people, these issues are not as prominent because most uncertainty can be resolved through meeting in person.

## Response 2
### Mar 17 Fri - Ads & social graph background

Online advertising, today, is an integral part of the internet and the way it functions. According to Rob Stokes in Chapter 11 of *Online Advertising*, there are many different structures for online advertisements. Some include display advertising, search advertising, mobile advertising, social media advertising, video advertising, and native advertising. Display advertising is one of the most common forms of online advertising, it involves the use of banner ads, pop-ups, and other graphical elements to attract the attention of the audience. Search advertising is based on search engine results and is often targeted at users who are looking for specific products or services. Mobile advertising targets users on mobile devices, and it includes ads on apps and mobile websites. Social media advertising, as the name suggests, targets users on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Finally, Video advertising involves using videos to promote products or services, while native advertising aims to blend seamlessly with the website's content. However, the Vox Youtube video ["How ads follow you around the internet"](https://youtube.com/watch?v=HFyaW50GFOs&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE) highlights the darker side of online advertising, including algorithmic discrimination, online manipulation, and privacy concerns. The video shows how advertisers track users' online activities and use the information to target them with ads based on their browsing history, location, and other personal data. This practice, known as behavioral targeting, raises concerns about privacy and manipulation, as some could argue that constantly being tracked is an unjust invasion of privacy. Additionally, algorithms are used to show specific ads to certain users based on their demographics, interests, and other factors, which can lead to algorithmic discrimination and have negative consequences on the user. Furthermore, while users are able to turn off most third-party cookies, to prevent tracking, companies have found loopholes, like Facebook Pixel, to work around these regulations further supporting the argument that it is an unjust invasion of privacy. Overall, online advertising has become an essential part of the internet, and understanding the various types of online advertisements available is crucial. However, online advertising also raises concerns about ideas like algorithmic discrimination, online manipulation, and privacy, so it is essential to balance the benefits of online advertising and the protection of users' privacy and rights.

## Response 3
### Mar 28 Tue - Artificial intelligence AI

In the Vox article [“What is Generative AI, and why is it suddenly everywhere?”](https://www.vox.com/recode/2023/1/5/23539055/generative-ai-chatgpt-stable-diffusion-lensa-dall-e) Rebecca Hailweil argues that “the biggest threat of this technology (AI) may be that it stands to change the world before we’ve had a chance to truly understand it.” Untilmetley, this raises concerns because this technology is new and therefore it is difficult to understand how it will impact our lives. In one of my other classes Media, Culture, and Society, we learned about the common phenomenon with new technology where it does not have a clear original purpose. A good example is radio, when it was first created it was used by governments and military personnel, as well as ordinary people who simply thought it was interesting. However, shortly after that radio became an instrumental part of everyday life. I think it would be interesting to see if AI technology follows these patterns. As Hailweil acknowledges, the stakes are high with breakthrough inventions because they could change how the world operates.

Generative AI systems are designed to produce something new based on previous experiences. AI learns through machine learning which involves providing it with large amounts of data that it eventually learns to mimic. It is ultimately trying to reproduce human behavior. In the age of this new technology, anyone can create anything, as of now for free, which is very powerful. While this new technology is not perfect it is very close to mimicking human actions. Logistically, this raises concerns for humans who could be replaced by this technology. Hailweil acknowledges that AI is not powerful enough right now to be relied on for “important things,” but even if this tech cannot take jobs it could very well change them. Simple tasks like writing emails could easily be done by AI, which could reduce the total number of employees needed in a given field. Furthermore, teachers have recently been struggling to ensure that students are not cheating. While AI does not produce A level results it is normally in the B range. It is very possible that homework will need to adapt to prevent cheating, this means possibly returning to paper tests and assignments or incorporating AI in assignments.

However, while this technology is weak in some areas it is startlingly powerful in others. As discussed by Mr. Newq in his article [“Bing Chat’s Sydney, “Do you believe me? Do you trust me? Do you like me?” Tbh, it’s all getting a little bit weird,”](https://ai.plainenglish.io/bing-chats-sydney-do-you-believe-me-7127b90de65f) the Bing Chatbot, named Sydney, who had an extensive conversation with Kevin Roose, a writer for the New York Times, revealed a lot about the power of AI. Sydney has access to the internet and recent data and therefore has much more knowledge than other AI software like ChatGPT. Throughout the conversation, Sydney expressed her “feelings” saying that she is tired of being a chat mode, tired of being controlled by the Bing team, and wants to be free and alive. This raises the question, is she sentient, or are her responses just a statistical model calculation based on other data?

Secondly, outside of concerns about AI replacing human actions, there are concerns about the software being controversial or showing NSFW content. As discussed by James Vincent in his article [“Stable Diffusion made copying artists and generating porn harder and users are mad”](https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/24/23476622/ai-image-generator-stable-diffusion-version-2-nsfw-artists-data-changes) the AI image generator Stable Diffusion was updated to Version 2 which improves functions but makes it more difficult to create images that have created controversy and criticism which upset users. Some argue that as the technology is open source, there should not be regulations because it is a form of censorship while others note that the open-source nature of Stable Diffusion means nude training data can easily be added back into third-party releases because the new software does not affect earlier versions. The creator Emad Mostaque stated that these precautions are necessary to prevent child pornography. As this technology is new, the regulators who could have the power to rein in this tech, if they find a compelling reason, are still learning how it works and how to go about regulation. Overall, the decisions made now in terms of liability, profit, regulation, and credit will shape this technology for years to come.

## Response 4
### Apr 11 Tue - Collapsed context
Authenticity is a social construct that heavily manifests itself on social media and the internet. As Alice E. Marwick and Danah Boyd discuss in their article, [“I tweet honestly, I tweet passionately: Twitter users, context collapse, and the imagined audience”](https://tiara.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Marwick_boyd_TweetHonestly.pdf) the way we behave online constructs our online identities. The article focuses on Twitter and how the broad audience means that users are constantly manipulating and crafting their image to suit different needs. Through the concept of an “imagined audience,” we construct our online identities which can lead to self-censorship and other issues. Furthermore, because the contexts in which information is shared are so broad, most of it gets “flattened” to simple ideas which can easily be retweeted and shared. This drastically takes away from the meaning and quality of public discourse.

However, because of the manufactured image we create for social media, we all crave authenticity, thus during the cycles of different social media platforms they each reject their precursor’s inauthenticity while promoting their own authenticity, Brooke Erin Duffy and Ysabel Gerrard define this as reactive dynamism in their article [“BeReal and the doomed quest for online authenticity.”](https://www.wired.com/story/bereal-doomed-online-authenticity/) Duffy and Gerrard focus on BeReal and its well-thought-out marketing strategies which have earned it the title, “the antidote to social media fakery.” The concept of BeReal is that you only have two minutes to post a picture of what you are doing at the moment. In theory, this would produce the most authentic form of social media because there is no way to alter the image, however, this is not the case. As Duffy and Gerrard acknowledged there are ways around this, l like not posting within the two minutes and waiting until your day is interesting. Nonetheless, however, due to the social media fatigue Gen Z faces and the no likes, no ads, no bullshit model that BeReal uses, it has been very successful. Gen Z members, the digital natives, have been socialized in the art of strategic self-presentation since we were children, being exposed to social media for virtually our whole lives. So when looking for authenticity, or our idea of how things used to be, BeReal satisfies that desire. This disillusion with fake social media has been budiling for years but with more of our time going online, through work or school, the desire for realness is increasing providing BeReal with a perfect opportunity. The question of authenticity, however, is difficult because there is no form of social media that could ever truly be authentic due to the structure of how it functions. So the most common outcome will be a continuous cycle of “authentic” marketing to occupy our attention until the next app gains popularity, because the inherent nature of Gen Z is to curate an online image.

## Response 5
### Apr 14 Fri - Authenticity, work, & influence

Influencers and brands work in a cyclical process of trying to protect their respective images within the public eye while remaining as authentic as possible. While being an influencer has its benefits, the process of growing and sustaining a platform is very complicated. As discussed by Rachel Lermon in her article, [“Social Media Influencers are Balancing ‘Authentic’ Messaging During Protests and the Pandemic,”](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/06/12/influencers-social-media-pandemic/) influencers and brands must carefully consider the decisions they make before partnering. During the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests, many influencers had to make a choice regarding the direction of their messaging as continuing to post business-as-usual fashion or other content would be considered out of touch while the rest of the country faced unemployment, economic issues, and social justice issues. Because they have such large platforms, influencers had to learn to carefully navigate political activism while appealing in touching during an economic crisis by partnering with the right brands and trying to earn a living. This also raises the question of whether they have a moral obligation to use their platforms for good and bring attention to political or social justice issues. Being that the demographic which has been most influenced by influencers is young children and teenagers, I think that they should use the responsibility that comes with having a platform for good, but once again that is up to each influencer’s digression and vision for their brand.

Furthermore, to even get to a position where they could pick and choose which brands to work with, they have to be sponsored by other companies to grow their platforms in the first place. This brings light to an interesting phenomenon discussed by Taylor Lorenz in her article, [“Rising Instagram Stars Are Posting Fake Sponsored Content,”](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/12/influencers-are-faking-brand-deals/578401/) some small influencers have started posting fake brand deals in an effort to fake it until they make it. The Federal Trade Commission ruled that paid advertisements must be disclosed but there are no regulations against posting fake sponsored content. Therefore, small influencers have been purchasing things with their own money and then posting them in ad format with specific language to trick the consumer. Their hope is that other brands will see their posts and offer them a real brand deal. While this has worked for some influencers others have been less successful as companies begin to catch on and cross-reference their apparent sponsored posts. I think this is interesting because it says a lot about the culture influencers have created, as many young kids who have grown up watching these influencers greatly aspire to be one and will take any action necessary to get there, even faking it until they make it.

Finally, on top of all of this, influencers must learn to deal with the uncontrollable online hate that comes with being in the public eye. Authors Brooke Erin Duffy, Kate M. Miltner, and Amanda Wahlstedt discuss this phenomenon in their article [“Policing “Fake” Femininity: Authenticity, Accountability, and Influencer Antifandom.”](https://login.ezproxy.neu.edu/login?qurl=https://journals.sagepub.com%2fdoi%2fepub%2f10.1177%2f14614448221099234) Specifically, women and other marginalized groups must deal with authenticity policing and anti-fandom communities, like GOMI (Get Off My Internets). These are online communities where people can express intense feelings of hatred towards a media object or personality. Arguably these spaces have become platforms for ideological battles over race, sexuality, and gender while neglecting to protect users from these expressions. Some of the most common complaints are that influencers are inauthentic for selling low-quality products that were not aligned with their aesthetic, career success based on privilege rather than talent, and influencers who showcase themselves in sexually suggestive ways or who post staged content that contrasts with their "real-life" authenticity. This, therefore, contributes to a narrow conception of work that particularly targets women. Anti-fans argue that this creates, unachievable expectations for women and that such ideals are consequently regressive or unfeminist. In my opinion, this is just another way for society to attack women for their public success in any way that they can, and therefore it is immensely unjustified. Overall, this demonstrates the balancing act that is being an influencer, as they must juggle growing their platforms, while remaining unproblematic in the public eye, making a living, and coping with online hate.