# Reading Responses (Set 2)

## Reading Responses 5 out of 5

### Nov 03 Fri - Finding someone & living alone

“Robots are not yet replacing our jobs. But they’re supplanting the role of matchmaker once held by friends and family” (Thompson, 2019). A few years back when the internet and Artificial Intelligence was first gaining attention, there were many fears revolving around the idea of a robot “takeover.” Fear was spread amongst the general public that these new forms of technology and artificial intelligence were going to overpower the intelligence of humans, leading to less job opportunities for humans. While certain jobs have been replaced by computers, one of the main representations of this is present in online dating. There has been a relatively steady decrease in social capital ever since the 1980s. As mentioned in class with the concept of “bowling alone,” people are not valuing face to face interaction and quality time anymore – directly reflected in the fact that people are not bowling as much as they used to. This is also reflected in the world of online dating. Matchmaking turning over to robots rather than friends and family is just another example of how social capital is decreasing in the digital age.

While the transition to artificial intelligence and technology in certain areas of work has been beneficial in many ways, it has not been beneficial in every aspect of life. The push to online dating apps as romantic matchmakers may seem revolutionary initially, but the loss of face-to-face interaction takes a toll after a while. First of all, it’s difficult to rely on this form of matchmaking when its users are lying. Analyses from the online dating app OkCupid found that users lie about everything from their height, salary, to the recentness of their pictures (Rudder, 2010). If a relationship is built off of lies right off the bat, how is it meant to thrive in the long term? This is part of the downfall of online dating. Dating apps are also making it more frowned upon to approach strangers in public (Vinter, 2023). Since there is the option to message people privately from the comfort of one’s home, people are resorting to this. Also, since the past five years or so have been deeply online because of the Covid pandemic, online interaction has been incredibly normalized, and even encouraged. There is a new jewelry item that is attempting to bring back a resurgence of face-to-face communication, and therefore, social capital. The “pear ring” is a silicone ring that can be worn to communicate to the general public that the wearer of the ring is single, and happy to be approached in public. This is a true testament to how people are craving in person interactions. While the internet is so beneficial in so many parts of life, there are certain things that the internet cannot replace, one of those things being personal, meaningful, face-to-face communication.

### Nov 07 Tue - Ads & social graph background

“The online world is run by ads” (Abrams, 2020). This quote from the video on “How ads follow you around the internet” is a great summary of the general premise of the video. Whether consumers are aware of it or not, their internet usage and the information that pops up on their feed is highly related to online advertising. This is largely due to the use of cookies on different websites. While the idea of cookies is one that appears to be extremely useful and based on good intentions, it has been manipulated by big online brands and advertisers in order for them to reach wider audiences and bring in more business. Many internet inventions such as cookies start out on very small scales, but as they continue to grow they are manipulated by big companies, who are often only paying attention to the business they are bringing in, rather than the safety and privacy of consumers. Related to this, the internet can feel a bit evil after a while, especially after learning about all the ins and outs of how exactly the internet works.

If change is to be made about how online advertising puts consumers’ privacy at risk, that change has to come on a legislative level. And in order for this issue to be put in the hands of legislators, the general public and consumers of these online ads need to be educated about what exactly is going on behind the scenes of their internet usage. For example, it should be exposed that some advertisers are disguising third party cookies as first party cookies, in order to have easier access to consumers’ data. Sadly, these topics are often not thought of as important in the grand scheme of things, which is why there is such little education on the topics. However, there is starting to be a clear increase in online advertising, which is making me think that it is possible that people will start to notice their presence more and question them. In fact, when you look at how ads function today versus ten or so years ago, there is a vast difference. T.V. ads used to be all the rage. Ads shown during the Superbowl were so highly desired and sought after by advertisers because that is where so many consumers were gathering. However, in today’s digital age, there is an intense concentration of consumers on social media platforms, which is why ads are becoming more and more present on these networking sites.

### Nov 17 Fri - Artificial intelligence

“Bing Chat and large language models, on the other hand, are small, thin veneers of smiling faces covering up distorted monsters based in a twisted image of all the information we have ever created on the internet” (Gold, 2023). When AI was first introduced to the internet, there was definite skepticism surrounding it. Now that newer forms of AI are populating various spheres of life, people are starting to embrace it and recognize it for its amazing capabilities. However, many people are not aware of the dark side of Artificial Intelligence. The capabilities of Artificial Intelligence are capitalized on in many different ways. AI can do so much good, yet, it can also expose many dark sides of the internet. First of all, AI chatbots are “systems trained on huge datasets of human text scraped from the web” (Gold, 2023). Essentially, AI is “trained” from massive amounts of data from the internet which helps AI learn more about human language and general human knowledge. Therefore, AI is a direct reflection of society, because AI’s primary source of information is from our society (as presented through the internet). One issue with the AI portrait generator, Lensa is that it would often depict women in portraits without any clothing (Heilweil, 2023). This directly reflects how society constantly sexualizes women, and since that sexualization of women is present in the information that trained this AI platform, it reflects that in its work, only deepening these societal values. As AI learns from its mistakes and grows, it will exponentially improve, which brings up the question of what aspects of life will AI take over and essentially exterminate?

There is a large concern in academic communities regarding how AI will affect homework among students. Because of this, some have declared “the end of high school English” (Heilweil, 2023). While this was referenced in a hyperbolic way in the article, it still raises concerns in the field of education. This push towards AI is making it incredibly difficult to assess the originality of students’ work. Students are now able to use AI platforms to write essays for them, with little to no repercussions. This and “the end of high school English” minimize the importance of liberal arts education. In higher education, there are many more investments being made into STEM fields, leaving liberal arts education fighting to keep up. Especially with the development of AI at the world’s disposal, STEM fields are being praised. Liberal arts education is extremely based around in person, human discussion. Whereas STEM subjects can be taught in more of a lecture format, liberal arts thrive off of human interaction. With AI taking over certain aspects of careers and fields, this raises a valid fear about the maintenance of a true liberal arts education. Perhaps people will continue to fight for the maintenance of this education, or perhaps their voices will be drowned out in the world of Artificial Intelligence.

### Dec 01 Fri - Authenticity, work, & influence

“Social media influencers — who promote products or sell their own online to followers — have never been more visible than they have in the last three months as people stay at home and scroll through Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for hours during the coronavirus pandemic” (Lerman, 2020). The coronavirus pandemic brought about a world of change in many different ways. First of all, the whole world was faced with a new, scary, deadly virus, and amongst all this the whole world had to learn how to isolate themselves from face-to-face interactions. This led people to spend increasingly more time online in many forms. Consequently, this brought about a wave of influencers and simultaneously, a wave of online activism. This online activism was jump started by the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. Through this, Instagram (and other social networking sites) were filled with people sharing their political opinions and advocating for what they believe in. I believe that online activism is extremely important in order to make the general public aware of issues occurring around the world. However, there are many issues when these expressions of political beliefs are performative and are only shared in order to boost one’s following or clout. Additionally, continuous pressure on all types of influencers to share their political beliefs often further promotes the spread of misinformation. Many forms of media or opinion shared online have some falsity to them. So many people repost certain quotes or infographics just because they are aesthetically pleasing. Oftentimes, this information is incorrect or is taken from a non-credible source. Because of this, it is hard to have the expectation for all influencers to share their political thoughts on all issues. After all, there is a difference between influencers and activists for a reason.

The world of influencer faking brand deals is completely new to me. I have not been very aware of this phenomenon before, but now that I am, it makes sense in terms of some of the “sponsorships” and “promotional posts” I have seen in the past. Growing up, I remember a less-than positive rhetoric surrounding sponsored content from influencers of any sort. Moreso, I remember the negative rhetoric surrounding sponsored content and advertisements as a whole. This rhetoric is clear because of how popular certain ad blocking services have become. When given the option, most people will choose an ad-free option over the alternative. I find it extremely interesting that nowadays, there is a largely positive connotation associated with influencers involving themselves in ads. I see it as such a switch from hating on ads to praises made when ads are tied to a favorite influencer. In fact, sponsored content from influencers is seen as a sign of success (Lorenz, 2018). Influencers want to get in on ads and sponsored content in order to increase their following and promote their brand. When looking at the recent growth in influencers, it makes sense. Getting involved in sponsorships is necessary in order to “make it” as an influencer. At the end of the day, you’ll just blend in with all the other aspiring influencers if you don’t put yourself out there.

### Dec 05 Tue - Pushback

“You post something on social media, you don’t get enough likes, then you don’t feel good about yourself. That shouldn’t have to happen to anyone. Being in this club reminds me we’re all living on a floating rock and that it’s all going to be OK” (Vadukul, 2023). As described by Vee De La Cruz of the Prospect Park Luddite Club, social media use is built around a never-ending cycle of a desire for validation, often followed by disappointment, and then an even greater desire for validation. This desire for connection is what drives people to remain tethered to their devices (Morrison & Gomez, 2014). This cycle is one that almost all social media users can find themselves stuck in. Instagram has attempted to combat this issue by introducing an option to hide one’s like count from their posts, yet, the issue still remains. In lieu of regular like counts, social media users still base their self-work off of comments, story likes, and one’s number of followers. While there have been honorable attempts to make social media less toxic and less taxing on one’s mental health, there are still inherent issues with social media and with technology in general that make it impossible to thrive in these online communities.

The Luddite Club’s solution to this problem is to rid oneself of social media and technology. Many members of this club have ditched their smartphones for a flip phone in order to self-liberate themselves from social media and technology (Vadukul, 2023). Rather than fulfilling a desire for human connection online, this club resorts back to traditional ways and finds connection in the other members of the community, through nature, and through a life without technology. Within the past several years with the rise of technology, there have been countless studies done on the negative effects of the internet. Internet usage is often tied to depression, difficulty paying attention in school, worsened sleep, and overall mental health issues. While people have attempted treating this with medications, adjusted lighting on one’s devices, and small lifestyle changes, the treatment is very rarely focused on the root of the issue. So, why not just rid oneself of technology as a whole? There are obvious difficulties that come with such an extreme lifestyle change. It is difficult to be a functioning member in society without internet access. However, if people gradually start limiting device usage, I believe that a real change will come. People will once again be able to appreciate face-to-face interaction and will be able to pay attention to and value the little things in life, which I believe is one of the best ways to live. The Luddite Club is showing others that it is possible to live in a world without technology. It requires a certain type of motivation and dedication, but it allows people to understand and see the beauty of the natural world again, which is one of the true keys to happiness in life.