# Reading Responses (Set 1)

## Monday, Jan 24 - Superconnected
As I write my first reading response, I have some light music playing in the background, my phone is occasionally vibrating next to me with various notifications from friends, family, and social media platforms, I hear my roommate FaceTiming her friend, and my boyfriend is sitting next to me, yet speaking with a client who lives thousands of miles away from where we are right now. This may seem like a lot of stimuli, however, it would be hard for me (and for many other people) to imagine life any other way. Over the years, digital and mobile technologies have allowed us to be “superconnected”. Technology has allowed us to feel like we are never alone. We have the whole world accessible to us and an infinite amount of information at our fingertips. This is an overwhelming thought and can be comforting or anxiety-inducing at any given moment. Chayko explores the many ways in which technology has both positively and negatively impacted how we live, how we feel, and why.

The whole article is riddled with truths that I have experienced in my own day-to-day life, but I want to touch on a section that I felt particularly strongly about. Chayko says, “the internet and digital media are not responsible for the stresses and pressures of modern life; more often than not, they help people manage these stresses” (Chayko, 187). I understand her point and do agree that the internet can help people to manage stresses by allowing them to stay organized and connected to things that are important to them, but I know from my own experience and from talking with people my age that the internet and digital media can have an adverse effect. Social media, in particular, can be a cause of stress and mental problems, particularly among young and impressionable people. I need to constantly remind myself that social media is where people are posting the best versions of themselves; for many people, social media is simply a highlights reel. It can be really easy to forget this truth when you compare yourself to what you see on social media. I know that at times, I’ve felt like I’m behind in figuring out my life like I’m not as accomplished or successful as other people my age, or like my life is boring compared to other people. I think Chayko did not consider that the internet is the sole reason behind this pressure and stress. It allows us nearly constant, highly curated insight into other people’s lives that we would otherwise not have access to. I think that young adults are especially susceptible to feeling like this. Technology has opened so many new doors and opportunities for us to connect with others to create something amazing, or even create something that others might deem worthwhile ourselves, but it can be very overwhelming.

## Thursday, Feb 3 - Fake News
**Had everyone in the country learned and used “crap detection” skills, would we be so affected by “fake news” and media manipulation?**

I would love it if the answer to this question could be: no, if people had a better understanding of how various sources in the media attempt to manipulate and deceive mass groups of people, we would not be affected by fake news and media manipulation. However, sadly, I don’t think there will ever be a world in which people will not consider that certain sources are created with the sole purpose of distressing and dividing people for various causes.

I was horrified to read that, according to a [BuzzFeed News analysis](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/viral-fake-election-news-outperformed-real-news-on-facebook), “fake election stories generated more total engagement on Facebook than top election stories from 19 major news outlets combined”. While this fact was upsetting to acknowledge, it was not necessarily shocking. As humans, I think it is natural for us to be drawn to the most outrageous thing because we are constantly looking to be stimulated, and fake news tends to be exactly that. Because of this, I think it’s absolutely unacceptable when platforms like Facebook allow falsified information to continuously be boosted to the top of people’s feeds. Spreading false information can be dangerous because it can be detrimental to the integrity of real and important political and social issues. I think it also is harmful because it can further separate society because oftentimes fake news is extremely polarized. When people believe such extreme information, it can fuel hatred and cause further disparities between political parties, people of different races, religions, etc.

[Danah Boyd](https://points.datasociety.net/did-media-literacy-backfire-7418c084d88d#.d46kox6e1) brought up a really fascinating point by explaining how in the US, the idea of individualism and personal responsibility are deeply ingrained into children at a young age. However, when it comes to information, “they are taught that they are the sole proprietors of knowledge” (Boyd). Combining this frame of mind with a distrust of media can be dangerous and detrimental to spreading factual and important messages.

For example, I’ve been extremely disheartened by all the news surrounding Covid deniers. It blows my mind. I’ve tried to break down various situations and imagine what a person must be thinking to believe that the top scientists and doctors in the world are trying to trick them in some way, and every time, I’m brought back to the initial points brought up by Boyd. People have such an individualistic mindset that they look out primarily for themselves and don’t feel any sort of social responsibility to those around them (by refusing to wear a mask, get vaccinated, etc.). This individualistic tendency combined with the distrust of the media has led to a fragmented and deeply divided society. Organizations like the CDC have a social and federal responsibility to protect the nation, and have brought on experts to explain Covid and why the vaccine is not only important but absolutely essential to moving forward. It boggles my mind when the CDC is doing their job and people speculate their true intentions, yet will believe a clearly fabricated article.

As disheartening as this all is, I do have hope that younger generations are less susceptible to fake news and media manipulation in general.

## Monday, Feb 14 - Cooperation
**Why do we cooperate, and when and why do we fail to do so?**
Cooperation can be seen in many aspects of our life - for many people, it comes naturally, "it is manifested at every level of human society, from an orderly queue of strangers at a railway station to the organization of a rock concert at a Super Bowl" (Nowak, 2011). Cooperation can be a natural tendency because with cooperation, comes rewards. When we cooperate with others, we often are benefited for "less cost" than if we chose to do things our own way on our own terms. Cooperating with others allows, typically, for higher levels of productivity as we are better able to collaborate with others with the hopes of achieving some sort of goal. Nowak explains that there are "Mechanics of Cooperation": repetition, reputation, spatial selection, multilevel selection, and kin selection. Each of these five things help us collaborate so that a unit may be collectively better/better-off. Typically, we cooperate with others so that another person is able to receive a benefit. We don't cooperate well with others when the cost of something is larger than the benefit itself(Nowak, 2011). A situation where the cost trumps the benefit may be seen as superficial, or unbeneficial - not worth what we would have to "give up" as the cooperator.

**How might the concepts you read about apply to what we see online?**
Online, I've found that people tend to be a lot bolder. When I scroll through TikTok or watch YouTube, it always bemuses me to see the comments people leave. It also can make me sad, disappointed that people feel that they can be so nasty to one another when hiding behind the comfort of a small screen. When we are online, there is, most of the time, especially when interacting with strangers, we have no desire to cooperate. We don't know the person, they don't know us, and as a result, we feel no need to try and cooperate with them in any way. The cost of us "being nice" does not outweight the reward. For some people, the reward might be making fun of someone, and as a result, starting conversations with other trolls or having a laugh on behalf of someone else. Online, people don't feel like they need to "give-up" because there is no real sense of cost:reward ratio. This can create a toxic and even dangerous enviornment, especially when people are groomed to believe that cyberbullying or lacking empathy for others is normal. It's important to remember that behind every user name and blank profile is a person with their own story, hardships, emotions, and struggles. We can all learn to be kinder to one another.

## Haters
**Why does digital communication give rise to such toxic behavior, including that of haters and that seen in “bully battles”?**

Over the many years that I have been an avid consumer of media, there have been countless times when I have thought to myself, "why are people so mean to other people?" The frequent use of digital media allows people to hide behind a screen and a fake name, and this sense of anonymity allows people to feel that they are immune from the consequences of online bullying and harassment. On social media platforms, the constant instream of content and media allows users to comment on other people's lives and appearance. People hide behind the comfort of their screen and bully people who are different to them without remorse or fear. On TikTok in particular, I've seen so many people bullying others, and they're often encouraged by other users who like their comments and reply back to them with their own snarky remarks. When millions of people use these platforms each day, even with the use of [AI](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-it-may-be-too-late-for-instagram-facebook-and-twitter-to-contain-the-epidemic-in-online-bullying-2019-07-15) to "hide offensive comments from everyone except for the individual who wrote them", content moderation seems to be a nearly impossible task. Social media platforms like Instagram don't want their users to leave the site, so of course, they do their best to moderate content. Anti-bullying moderation and strategies are only so effective, and the software that is needed to fully ensure the safety and comfort of users will cost these companies a [huge amount of revenue](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-it-may-be-too-late-for-instagram-facebook-and-twitter-to-contain-the-epidemic-in-online-bullying-2019-07-15). I don't believe that social media companies really care about this sort of monitoring as much as they claim to, as evidenced by the huge amount of people being cyberbullied.

I personally had never heard the term "bully-battle" before reading [Chapter 5](https://readingthecomments.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/euf2ckop/release/2) from Professor Reagle's book. I do recognize the implications of the phrase. I have seen many videos of people exposing toxic ex's, ex-bestfriends, racists, etc. online and people go on to find their personal information and turn the bullier or abuser into a target to get bullied themselves. I understand the implications of why people do this, yet I could never imagine myself feeding into this bullier-becomes-the-bullied cycle. I think that people take the low road when they do this, and yes, some people do need to be reported and looked up, but posting everything online feeds into a toxic cycle that I think achieves little and lessens the importance of certain people's behaviors. Doxing can be a dangerous game to play, and I think in most circumstances, it can worsen an already bad situation.

## The Dark Web
Since I was little, I've heard the phrase "the dark web" in countless movies and tv shows, but I've never truly understood what it actually IS... yes, it's a "place" on the internet, but what really ***is*** it? I had that question was I was little and to this day, I still do. After reading [this](https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/the-darknet-is-the-government-destroying-the-wild-west-of-the-internet-198271/) Rolling Stone article, I do feel a little more articulate on the subject. In simplest terms, the Darknet is a space where anyone, including criminals, can remain virtually anonymous. It also can never be shut down because it was created by feds. The feds?! You heard right. The feds. This shocked me because I initially thought that the Darknet was created by a netowork of evil hackers... maybe I was tricked by all the movies and tv shows I've seen... Anyways, I digress. The Darknet runs on the Tor browser, which is a software that conveniently is able to mask your location and activity. I suppose I understand why the Darknet and Tor might be useful for government agencies. They can actively and stealthily search out oppressive regimes and other problematic people and agencies. I understand how it can help people in danger hide from their opressors. I do, however, see how it can be used for evil too. The Rolling Stone article articulated the difficulty that Tor produces for law enforcement to regulate.

The Darknet is clearly a very complex issue because of its ability to do both good and bad. I'm not quite sure what to think of it. It's hard to completely dislike a place where people like journalists and people who are pro-democracy, but it's also hard to believe that in that same place, absolutely horrible things are taking place. It is hard for me to wrap my mind around, to be quite frank.