EOTO Technology - Instagram

 

   

The technology that I researched was the history of Instagram. The image above symbolized the history of the IG logo from when IG was first created in 2010, to the present day logo. 

Instagram was founded on October 6th, 2010 by CEO Kevin Systrom and his college friend Krieger who helped build the app. Systrom had first created an app called Burbn which used a GPS system to inform others where they were and they noticed that most people used the photo share feature. This is when the two college friends decided to go in and make Instagram = instant and telegram. Instagram was like no other photo sharing app seen before, it included features such as commenting, captions, editing tools, and more. 

Everyone loved IG, not even 2 months after the launch there were already 1 million users and celebrities were quick to join the app. Within a year they reached 10 million users. People loved this app because it connected them to celebrities, singers, actors, and bloggers and others. It made people feel as if they had a special look into their lives and that they knew them on a personal basis. Two years later, Facebook bought Instagram on April 9th, 2012 for 1 billion. Companies began to realize the value and worth of this booming app and the business and revenue it could draw in to connect with customers. IG had keyword and SEO which connected the algorithm to people. 

Instagram certainly changed our world and the world of social media. It was the first instant photo and communication platform to exist. People could share what was gong on in their daily lives, fun moments, travels, family & friends, and more with everyone they were connected to. It has also had positive effects such as promoting activism when current events are happening. It has transformed the idea of marketing and advertising, it is no longer in newspapers, marketing is done via social media. Instagram has also built a new idea of jobs regarding influencers and content creators. Blogging turned into influencing which is also a new marketing strategy for companies. It is easier to promote a product on Instagram through a trusted creator than with a basic advertising photo. 

However, there are also multiple negative effects that Instagram has caused over the years. Some of these include social comparison, depression, negative body image, jealousy, and low self esteem. The main issue that we have seen is adolescent years and comparison to one another. Instagram is a highlight reel, meaning people post what they know people want to see, the good parts of their lives. They don't post the hard days that aren't pretty which leads to people thinking that celebrity they are following is perfect and has no problems. Comparison then leads to depression, anxiety and harmful ideas. 

Instagram has evolved throughout the past 13 years with the term communication. Not only has the app become more technological advanced with the addition of stories, DM'ing, and connecting and contacting easily, but also with the way our generation communicates. People are able to connect online like never before, have internet friends, and have a 6 figure career on Instagram alone. 

The Founding Era

 

I have learned about the government structure throughout school, however I never fully grasped each aspect and understood how each part worked. After reading the HISTORY article explaining the Supreme Court in full, I learned a lot that I did not know before. I was aware that the Supreme Court is the highest level of court and they are part of the Judicial branch. The article gave me a new few of importance and power that they hold within our country. 

One idea that is surprising to me is the fact there are 9 judges that make up the Supreme Court who are the ultimate decision makers, including over the executive and legislative branches. The judges have to be nominated by the current President and then accepted or denied by the U.S. Senate and the highest judge of all is the chief justice who also holds the power of impeachment of the President. I also did not know that the Supreme Court started out with only 6 judges. The authority held by these judges is more than I was aware of and I believe 9 is a fair number as if it were less, there would be controversy on the fairness of power, and if it were more each opinion would not hold the same accountability. 

The videos and article changed the way I viewed the Supreme Court regarding the fact of the national cases they hold the ultimate decision on, including Roe v Wade. Which gave women the right to have an abortion during the first two trimesters of their pregnancy. This was then overturned last summer in 2022 and caused both national support and outrage within our country. The 9 judges held this life changing decision which is a key takeaway to realize and respect. The final decisions made have been carefully thought through for years to sometimes decades and based off the freedoms and Constitution we as a country agree on. 

The Supreme Court deserves respect for their time and stability of protecting the rights that we were all given within the Constitution and the 6 freedoms in the First Amendment. I feel that I learned important information regarding the power structure of our government and how decisions are made. 

Privacy, Online and Off

After watching all six TED Talks regarding the idea of both online and offline privacy, I no longer feel as if any information in my life is private. Our world today is based around new technological advancements, social media platforms, texting, calling, dating online, etc. Everything that we do on our smartphones is tracked and stored forever and just as Andy Yen explained that "we have lost our privacy and the idea of privacy," everything we do is shared online and nothing is private anymore. 

Online privacy issues affect both my family and friends as well. I was lucky enough to grow up with a Dad who was in the Air Force and understood the extent to which the government tracks and stores everyone's information online. I was always given knowledge with how to protect myself online such as never sending a w9 form through email because it contains my social security number. As well as allowing apps to have my location because they can track my day to day life. This goes along with Catherine Crump's TED Talk, giving scary information on location tracking based on our license plates. The police are able to track each plate surrounding the technology attached to their car. This was only meant to track the actions of people on watch that had suspicious activity. However, information discovered that they were tracking everyone. I agree with Catherine Crump's point that this "uses and abuses the technology." The government does not need to keep and store information of every innocent human's daily life and activities. 

The government will not do anything regarding digital privacy issues because they are aware of how much money big corporations are making from gaining our personal information on sites and cookies to target our demographics, wants, needs, and likes through advertisements. As Andy Yen explained this issue, he warns us that there was 137 billion dollars of revenue from Yahoo, Google, and Facebook advertising in 2014. Almost 10 years ago, imagine how the revue has most likely doubled since then. The government understands the profit that advertising reels in, which is why they will not address the real issue at hand. 

We can protect ourselves from invasions online by being conscious of the information we allow and send online. I have been taught platforms from my family that can help protect this information from being taken. These include the web browser DuckDuckGo, which does not store any personal data. Signal messenger is a safer option than Whats App due to the encryption system. These are just a few of the simple and smart steps we can take to protect our personal privacy online. 

Top 5 News Sources

News has continued to change over the past years with the use of social media platforms. Personally, I gain most of my news from my phone rather than watching the TV at night when news stations are airing the top news stories of the day. 

Although TikTok is not the most credible or reliable source being a video social media platform, I tend to see a lot of my news by scrolling on the explore page. Random creators or news specialists will post about news and give their views and opinions on the topic in a quick 60-second to 3-minute video. There will be news anywhere from celebrity news, investigations, national news, current events, and elections throughout. The algorithm keeps track of which topic of news I interact with the most such as liking, commenting, or how long I view the video for, and will show me those types of videos more frequently. Usually, I keep up with current news, investigations and sometimes celebrity news. Even though it is not usually fact-checked news, if I am interested in a topic I will then go to Fox News or a more credible site and read the article there. 

Fox News is one of the largest news channels and is typically the news source that I tend to search if I am looking for current news stories. Their website is easy to use and includes the most current, up to date news and usually with video clips as well. I enjoy being able to read the article as well as watching the video clip from the live airing of the topic earlier in the day. When I am home, Fox News is playing on our TV and I can view up to date stories walking by or listening in the background. However, most of the time I am looking at Fox News on my phone or on my laptop. 

Instagram is the main social media platform that I view news stories. Whether it is political news, celebrity news or current news, Instagram has it. I follow Fox News and ENews on Instagram, meaning that their posts will show up on my feed as I scroll and I will always be up to date on what they post. Instagram also pushes accounts that are recommended, which means I will sometimes view news posts from other accounts I do not follow. The explore page recommended posts based on what content someone typically views.   

Another way I stay informed with up to date news is through my family and friends and this is the source most of my news comes from. My family typically has Fox News playing on TV throughout the day and when there is an important current news event, my dad will usually bring it up at dinner or send a link to an article our family text chain. This news is usually political, financial, global, or safety issues happening. When receiving news from family and friends, it tends to be based on what they know I will be interested in or know will stick with me. Talking and having in depth conversation about current news is a productive way to form my opinion and gain insight on the other person's views on the topic that I may not have thought about. When my friends update me on current news, it is usually celebrity news, social media, or an interesting investigation, all information that I would also see on TikTok or Instagram during my daily scrolls. 

Apple News is the least used news source out of all five as it is not as easily accessible as the others in my daily schedule. However, when I am on my laptop and am looking at notifications in the notification center, the apple news top stories is right below and I see the top articles of the day. I do not typically click on the article and read it in full, however after seeing the title I can decide if I want to learn more about the topic.