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title: Reading Response Set 2

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# Reading Response Set 2
## Reading Response 1
### Ads and Social Graph Background

[This](https://youtu.be/91LQWQEyD8w) 2009 Geico commercial has always been one of my favorites--in a creepy and slightly unsettling way. "I always feel like somebody's watching me, and I have no privacy." 
Establishing yourself as a trustworthy business perhaps relies solely on your online advertisement presence. According to Stokes (2013), creating customer demand includes a three-step process: inform, persuade, and remind. Online advertising has become the best way to communicate specific selling points of a product for small-scale and large corporations alike. As I am sure we are all aware, these businesses are not afraid to "over" advertise on a platform. Hence, the use of cookies. Cookies were created to improve our overall experience by helping a website remember our mannerisms. Cookies clearly have both pros and cons. Pros: our shopping cart is able to remain full of our favorite pieces, we can easily retrieve a website URL after some time away, and we can return to the pair of shoes we were still deciding upon. Cons: our information is available to large companies no matter how hard we try to keep it secure. Unfortunately, the rise of digital communication has made it difficult for one to differentiate between these two factors. Just as Vox mentioned, brands want to sell us products by serving ads on things they believe we are likely to buy. In the moment, this seems like a gift. Who wouldn't want to avoid any unnecessary googling when the first ad we see shows us exactly what we said to a friend that one time about two weeks ago! Right? When you say it out loud... kind of unsettling isn't it?
Who decided this was a fair relationship? I get to save a few clicks, and in turn large companies and tech giants get to know everything about me? It may be time to rethink who exactly we're sharing these cookies with and why we always feel like we are being watched. 

## Reading Response 2
### Algorithmic Discrimination 
I'm shocked. There's not a better way to describe it than that. Out of curiosity, I googled every word the Buzzfeed article mentioned. And to my disappointment, I got similar results as those quoted in the article for every search. You want to believe that underlying racism is behind us and we as a society continuously try and move forward. And then you see something so simple as a Google search prove that we are nowhere close to where we need to be. One of the most frustrating google results I came across was after googling "nose."

As the article warned earlier, I already came to terms with the fact that I would be disappointed in seeing primarily white noses. Then I saw it. A dog's nose. Among all of the white people, the algorithm thought that the next best photo a user would like to see would be that of a dog. The moment we see animals and even inanimate objects like diagrams represented before people of color, we should know there's a problem. 
![](https://i.imgur.com/Z7jDNym.jpg)

As I continued reading, though, it got worse. Everyone wants to claim they are inclusive and unbiased, until something that makes them look bad slips through the cracks and portrays their true colors. Google, for example, allowing the algorithm in Google Photos to label black people as "gorillas"?? Then, of course, they are sorry and assure users they are taking all actions necessary to ensure this does not happen again. How easy is it to say that when you are one of the most powerful companies in the world? And what's it going to take to create the "equal world" we are told we live in? 

## Reading Response 3
### Collapsed Context
To BeReal or to not BeReal? That is the question. It is safe to say that BeReal has taken over as the newest form of social media. Despite the company saying they are "not another social network," that's exactly what it is. In an effort to make social media more "real," the app refrains from allowing users to see what others are up to until they post their photo for the day. No likes, no ads, no filters. Yet, the app's main focus has ultimately reinforced the idea of strategic self-presentation. Whether the alarm has gone off or not, most users tend to wait until their day gets more interesting to post their photos. The fact that this generation has grown up around social media and doesn't know any other way proves that  self-presentation has always been something we subconsciously saw. As Marwick stated while discussing the navigation of multiple audiences, "the requirement to present a verifiable, singular identity makes it impossible to differ self-presentation strategies, creating tension as diverse groups of people flock to social network sites." Additionally, impression management is another process that can be seen throughout every social media app. This queues individuals to monitor how people respond to them while presenting themselves. BeReal, for instance, can be an example of this when users choose to post blank or black screens instead of his or her face just to be able to see what others are up to. Despite the countless attempts at making social media more "real," people will continuously refuse to portray their authentic selves. So, to BeReal or to not BeReal? Well, that's up to the user's discretion.  

## Reading Response 4
### Authenticity, work and influence

I could not care less about which influencer landed a sponsorship with the "hottest" new product. Seeing branded and sponsored posts has never made me want to buy the product. In fact, seeing a brand deal post makes me feel more inclined to *not* buy that product. I think my overarching sense of distaste for this content stems from the inauthenticity across all social media. I even find it hypocritical at times. Take the Kardashians, for example. The Kardashians are infamous for photoshopping and altering their photos before posting them online. And no matter how many times "trolls" call them out for it, you can guarantee their next posts will be the same. Yet, despite their inauthenticity, they are quick to post about brands they "love" and products they "cannot live without." How are we, as viewers, supposed to believe in the integrity of a product when it is being marketed to us by people who cannot even be authentic with themselves? This makes potential customers question both the product and the brand when celebrities who are only in it for the money try to sell us something by promising their blessing. All this being said, I was not surprised to read about fake sponsorship posts in The Atlantic article. Because money and popularity are associated with people like the Kardashians, I'm not surprised people will do or say anything they can to try and climb to that level. Although I was happy to see the shift in content during Covid and the Black Lives Matter protests, it shouldn't really have to come to a life-altering point for people to post about things that actually matter. Suddenly referring to their content as "authentic" when referring to protests and the pandemic makes me question the truthfulness of their content before. The fact is, people should always be authentic online no matter what is going on in the world. Social media can be used as a place to spread donations, world news, and information, not a place to be told which phony fat-burning shake will show results fastest or which lip-gloss is worth your money this year.  

## Reading Response 5
### Pushback 
My Screen Time Report has the power to make or break my mood for the week. Getting the Apple notification saying "Your Weekly Report is available," creates an overwhelming, yet temporary, feeling of either guilt or relief as I unlock my phone to check the stats over the last seven days. This week, for example, I spent an average of 4 hours and 52 minutes on my phone, totaling to a whopping 34 hours and 10 minutes for the week. As much as it kills me to admit, this is actually one of the lower reports I have gotten. My daily average of "pickups," which refers to how many times I checked my phone notifications whether unlocking the screen or not, clocked in at 797 for the week. I am by no means proud of this number, in fact, I would say that I generally am able to stay off my phone for long periods of time without feeling uncomfortable or antsy. Gomez's interpretation of "pushback" actually helped me put into words what I try to accomplish on a weekly basis. The idea of pushback, refers to an expression. of those who have access and use communication technologies, but who decide to resist, drop off, manage or reduce their use of these technologies. Admittedly, my total screen time report may not seem as though I attempted to put this idea into practice, however, I often found myself trying to limit and manage time spent on my phone. The act of pushback requires a certain level of self control that I fear many in my generation lack. For example, I've witnessed my young cousins operate an iPad and Apple TV, yet they cannot tie their shoes. I was not raised with a tablet in my hand (thankfully), but I know many who were. The dependecy a person has towards technology is soley determined by how they grew up. I think parents can learn a thing or two from how things "used to be." Maybe a little pushback from an early age would be a good thing.   
