My Online Presence

 I downloaded Instagram when I was 11 after asking my mom's permission. I was in sixth grade and I think the app had only been out a few months at the time, but it was what all the cool kids were doing, so I wanted to be a part of it. I remember the feeling of nervous excitement as I posted something for the first time. I was afraid of what people might say or that I was "doing it wrong." As I sat in my room as a sixth grader I was alone, but I had never felt so vulnerable. 

I do not have a personal website, but I do have just about every social media. Instagram is definitely my most used. I downloaded Snapchat not much after that and is used probably just as often. I have a Twitter and Facebook but rarely go on it, it's more for news or networking over anything else. In last place is defiantly the blogging sites that I haven't checked out since 2013, WattPad and Tumblr. 

 

As we can see a few things have changed over the years: 

The first thing to pop up when "Drew Dacey" is googled is my Facebook profile. Next are a few other people's instagrams along with my own. Interviews and published work I've done for a local media company pops up under that. It's curious to me that my Facebook is the first result considering I rarely engage. That could be a testament to the power Facebook hold over all the Internet.  

My Instagram is where people can find most things about me. Throughout high school and into college I've share pretty deeply emotionally personal things on my page. This was in an effort to combat the lack of true vulnerability I was seeing on the Internet every day. This being said, I've always looked at it more like a personal blog than anything else. I'm a leader in many different spheres of my life. For example, I lead high schoolers through YoungLife and I've always wanted to remain transparent about who I am on the Internet in order to create a better bond in person. I think it's true that I follow, or have at least seen, someones Instagram before I meet them. For this reason, my profile is public which anyone can see all of my photos without having to follow me.

Looking back, this is potentially really dangerous. Doing a quick swipe through my profile could tell you where I'm from, where I go to college, my general interests and organizations I'm a part of. As well as connect you to all my best friends and past boyfriends. Yikes. I'm not sure keeping a vulnerable, open image is worth having a stranger with Mal-intent have that information. 

It's also frightening to think that I've given my phone number and email to all my social media platforms for them to "keep the account as secure as possible." I have linked my organizations and other social media sites as well as my parents pages. My parents have always been in the public eye, my dad even running for US Congress a few years back. There were death threats made to my whole family, including myself, and the vulnerability of my social media most likely didn't dissuade that from happening. 

I feel attached to the Internet, and most days I'm not upset about it. I have fun with social media. There's a lot of positive things to say about how it brings people together and can rally support for important causes or simply supporting each other. There is for sure something to say about the detrimental affect it can have on mental health and general focus.

I have felt left out and pressured to post certain things depending on what others in my social circle post. In a time of so much alone time, like the COVID-19 issued quarantines, there's been a lot of time to look at those who are "doing well" and compare myself to them. I think social media is taking a toll on men and women individual image and confidence all over the western world. We think about what we should wear for a post more than we think about those in our lives that we care for in a day. Yes it's making us lonely and depressed, that's something we've known for years, but I'm afraid its making us less aware of loving each other as well. In the future I will strive to create a safer online footprint for myself and to be aware of how my mental health and actions, as well as those I love's health and actions, are affected by our use of social media. 

Each One Teach One: Priming

For this segment of EOTO's we each researched communication or media terms and concepts. I researched the Priming Theory which is, in terms of communication,  when the media actively produces images that stimulate related thoughts. These related thoughts are reached through the activation of a memory node and we create judgement based on passed images and experiences.

I first heard about priming when I was taking a high school psychology class. The basis of the communication theory has a lot to do with the same thing that is discussed within the science community as well. It all comes back to simple association. It's like a complex version of the game our kindergarten teachers would walk us through. For example, if someone says dog you may think cat.

There are three types of in depth priming, violence, political, and stereotype. Research on violence priming that those who expose themselves to different kinds of violent media actually do become more violent over time, even if it's just in small ways. Because you've seen violent reactions to behavior, it slowly becomes a learned reaction in similar situations. The next is political, this is when the media or candidates use "key words" and other slogans, or associate themselves with particular, people to influence your opinion, and in turn influence your vote. The last is stereotype priming. this is what happens to societies or groups within societies. It's typical when items become assigned to a certain gender or person type out of norm rather than anything to do with the actual product. For example, nail polish only being something women are "allowed" to wear occurred because of association.

The media plays into all of these realms of priming, but political priming is the easiest for the media to use. Because of the huge impact the media has on the minds of America, young and old, using shared experiences or phrases that remind viewers of nostalgia can be a way of using emotions to promote a specific candidate. If a candidate was to use similar marketing to, for example, Trump in order to gain support from Trump voters, the voter would be primed and ready to vote on Election Day.

J. F. Kennedy's campaign was one of the first to use political priming theorists believe. His team ran ads that reminded people of what they had gained after the war and used that to describe what Kennedy would give them. It was also one of the first where the candidates could be seen on TV, before all debates and appearances were done on radio. Kennedy looked like a movie star, and people knew they trusted their stars. It's also interesting in the case of events like World Cup and the Olympics. The are advertised so often and talked about within communities that people feel like they have to tune in. Because they're both such long-lived traditions, there's a sense of requirement to be tuned in, even if it's just following the events.

Our perceptions are easily influenced. This is only human, but it's a little scary how the government can bend information to create a certain narrative or distorted reality. This is turn has the power to affect voting patterns unjustly.

There is also evidence that may disprove this throry beyond basic Association. Research shows that priming degrades 15-20 minutes after initial exposure. This means that the news would have to mention something current like ANTIFA, and then a conservative Ad would need to run within 15 minutes if they wanted any anti-ANTIFA language to be effective.

SOURCES:

https://www.communicationtheory.org/priming/ 

https://www.businesstopia.net/mass-communication/priming-theory

Diffusion of Innovations

Upon reading Everett Rodgers Diffusion of Innovation Theory I began pondering the why and how of many of the social networking sites that I use frequently. The side of social media that has always seemed so foreign to me is the world of dating apps. I'm talking Bumble, Tinder, Hinge, Grindr and other like similar. What are they exactly? Why do people join them? How does their popularity grow? How does a user choose one over the other? Do the positive outcomes of using these apps outweigh the negative?

The particular dating app that I would like to focus on is Bumble. Bumble is unique in that it is a dating app that gives women the opportunity to shoot their shot first if they want it. It's also the only service that also has a "dating app" for meeting and making connections with potential new platonic friends. 

The goal of dating apps is to connect singles with other singles who have specific shared interests in an easy and efficient way. My theory is that no one is thinking "Hey I'm really available and looking to be in a supportive relationship so my first move is going to be to download a dating app!" No. If someone over the age of 18 is saying that to themselves them they probably wait around a little bit to see if God, or fate, has something up their sleeve. 

I think people join dating apps because they're bored of waiting for their "perfect" Hallmark movie like meet cute. It's also a way for singles who are busy or are not that social to try and find someone their interested in, but it's always a little tiny bit, at least, out of desperation. 

I think people specifically join Bumble because it has a good reputation. The way it's branded is very light and bright and it's very welcoming. It's for the kids in their 20's who like to have fun. It's usually for the singles with jobs or in school. If you download Bumble you're probably looking for someone that you could bring mom home to. 

If you're looking for something a little less committal,  Tinder or Grindr is the way to go. This is how I think people end up downloading a specific app like Bumble. A lot of the people on Bumble are not the same you'll find on Tinder. Because of branding, a kind of message is communicated by the company, which in turn creates a specific demographic of people who follow the company. These people tell their friends about it who tell their friends about it. And quickly, almost overnight, a reputation is created.

I think they catch on and spread from word of mouth. The only time I've ever downloaded Bumble, I never actually made the account, but it was because I was with all my friends who were on it and hyping it up. I think people who are more spontaneous and fluid with that part of their personal lives are the quickest to download a dating app, especially one like Bumble that has a good reputation. The late adopters are people like me, those who only ever do it because friends have encouraged me or because in the current climate it feels like it's the only option. Those who never download, I believe, are those truly just don't want to say they met their significant other on a dating app. 

The downsides are plentiful. You could meet someone who isn't actually who they say they are, also known as cat fishing. This is lead to unsafe situations. You could become to swiping the same way we swipe on every other social media. This could create expectations for your potential significant other that are unrealistic or perfectionistic.  The positives are there as well. it could lead to great new relationships, romantic or platonic. It can help you figure out what you want in a partner by talking to a few people. 

Like any other social media, dating apps have their ups and downs. There's always going to be something new, something different for single 20 somethings. 

EOTO: Video Cameras and Recorders

I chose to write on Video Cameras and Recorders because of my personal interest in this topic! As a Media Production major I spend a lot of time with big expensive cameras that do incredible things so it's interesting to see where that originated from. Evan did a great job telling the story of this side of motion pictures.

The first video cameras were created for use in broadcast media in the early 1900's. A Scottish engineer by the name of John Logie Baird first began work on this based on photo cameras and another device called a "Nipkow disk." This disk was a mechanical device that cut images into "scan lines" which were basically fragments that were that able to be played somewhat in synch.

Closer to the 1930's two men, Philo Farnsworth and Vladimir Zsworykin, produced two different versions of video cameras that used cathode ray tubing.This was a switch from automatic tech to electron scanning tech. This same technology was slowly improved over the next 50 years but stayed pretty consistent as the industry standard.

In 1981 the use of analog cameras was based out and digital cameras were created to take their place on every stage almost. The Sony Mavica single lens was all the rage with this new development. 

These "digital" camera's photos were still all saved magnetically so they weren't truly digital. This took a few years. The first developed digital cameras and video cameras were used by the military to carry out covert operations and capture details for their protection. Recording then became possible because of the compact size.

From then on camera's were small enough to be put anywhere and everywhere - now they're on every cell phone and personal computer. What started as something that was the size of a small dog can now be something that can be smaller than some insects. The developments and advancements made by engineers and innovators have led to an art form I'm personally thankful for. Capturing moments, for whatever reason, is a gift. We're lucky to live in a time that can immortalize moments- the same moments we fall asleep thinking about.

Each One Teach One: The Printing Press

Paper, and printing, is not even close to being a new concept. The Printing Press, that has led us to every information renaissance in the past 700 years, wasn't the first model. Centuries of innovation led to the Printing Press we know so much about. First came the ancient wine and olive press which utilized a large wooden handle to press a hefty wooden screw. This heavy machinery was attached to wooden block words. This invention led to a similar medieval printing press. The problem with this was that the wood would split after a few print. I was also painfully slow, with production at 250 sheets a minute. These ideas came from the east, along with he paper. The whole world was racing to find a better, easier, quicker way to produce written word. 

The beginning of the 15th century ushered in a new era of art and thought, The Renaissance was coming. As this period spread to Spain, Germany, France, and England there was growth and economic prosperity as a result of peace and the decline of the plague and famine. The world was waiting for new good things to happen again. 

The block printing method had made its way to Europe around the 13th century and since then innovators had been working and perfecting new ways of printing. The first to get it just right went by the name Johannes Gutenberg. Gutenberg was a nobleman from Maiz, Germany who worked as a goldsmith and stonecutter. This profession, which had been passed down for generations, is arguably what led him to the winning design of the printing press. Much like the previous presses there were levers and pulleys, but this one was newly mechanized. In addition the blocks were now individual letters that could be rearranged in sentence order. They were made from an alloy mixture of lead, tin, and antimony, a Gutenberg special. The first known mention of Gutenberg and his press was in 1439 in Strasberg. 

This period of Renaissance was heavily defined by the monarchy and the church. Men were receiving new humanistic educations that were meant to prepare them for careers in the church or in civil life since there weren't as many wars to fight or people to heal. 

The printing press only enhanced this education. The efficiency of the press made books much less expensive so people of many different social casts could afford them for the first time. There was also time to print books about cooking, science, art, as well as philosophy and new religious ideas. It created space for a new social, political, and economic thought wave. The printing press ushered in an"informational revolution" much like the Internet did hundreds of years later. Because of printing, new ideas were spread, and made or accessible, then ever before. The Printing Press forever effected information, especially in the church and in science, as we know it today.

SOURCES:

https://users.manchester.edu/FacStaff/SSNaragon/Kant/lp/Readings/11-Kreis,%20Printing%20Press.pdf

https://www.britannica.com/technology/printing-press