COMS 203 by

May 8th Response Question

victoriajarvie1 — 2024-05-08 17:32:16 UTC

The term "New" media to me, is the advancing technology of sharing information and communication. I also think of the major advancements, the ease of access to information, and user friendly to the many forms of media from the past to the future.

I joined this class to learn more around communications and New Media. As a mature student the evolving changes in media, from using only the mail and phone to communicate to people not in my immediate social circle, and only having access to books for information, to now being able to have immediate access, has been a fascination and unique experience compared to my children who now have had this access for their whole lives.

My expectations of this class are to learn more about media and communication and to develop a better understanding of the media and its impact on the world.

May 13th Response Question

victoriajarvie1 — 2024-05-13 17:39:22 UTC

Privacy is a major concern for me, as a mature student I have seen how our information has been lost, stolen or given away without our permission. The consequences of this loss can not only impact us financially (if someone is able to get access to our banking information or even our whole persons identification), we could lose our whole digital selves to someone who could create serious consequence not only to our digital date, but as an actual individual in the real world.

An example of this is when I first started post secondary education, many, many, years ago, we had to fill in an written application regarding our information and it was sent to the student loans officers who would review the data and base our distributions based on this information. Now we go to a website that inputs our data and we are told immediately what we are allocated, with no one double checking this information. I have made many errors trying to do this myself without being trained on how to do it, and so minor mistakes that would have been easily caught by a second set of eyes, are not. As I do not always understand the requirements of the post secondar school and the loans requirements, it is easy to make mistakes, but then up to us as individuals to know these mistakes have happened and fix them; as there is no way to know that there is a mistake until the loan does not come in.

Also my previous loans information in the past were lost by a government employee and I was only notified by a notice in mail from the government that this loss had happen with the explanation being the data was on a hard-drive stolen from an employees car. My data was breeched with and I know wonder where it went and who has it, which means I now pay for a third party to watch my credit account to make sure I have no data breeches or other persons trying to open accounts in my name.

Its been an incredibly frustrating transition with all of the consequences on the individual and not any real regulations to correct this or stop this from happening, besides an insurance plan we pay for.

How are the regulators not accountable to these losses or breeches of data but we as a person are, and how will this impact not just our generation but future generations to come. We must have supports and systems in place to stop this, without us paying (literally and figuratively) for these consequences.

May 15 Response Question

victoriajarvie1 — 2024-05-16 21:04:33 UTC

I think the hype regarding new media can be over exaggerated, especially when it comes to the everyday technology of the common people, like cell phones, tablets or even cars. As the internet became more and more accessible, and advances in AI happening we keep expecting some major advances in the worldly technology like, self flying cars from “The Jetsons”, or even in medical sciences and devices that could create bones and tissues, again from the another movie “The Fifth Element”, but to me it seems to only be a new phone with a better camera and faster speeds that we are getting. It does feel like the "Emperor New Clothes", were everyone is trying to say there is something but it feels likes like nothing. We have had the same technology to the average citizen since the release of the internet from the 80’s, its just faster and now even self thinking like we see in AI. What the future holds I’m unsure but I hope it’s cooler than a new phone every 2 years.

May 22

victoriajarvie1 — 2024-05-27 18:00:13 UTC

I am very concerned about the unhealthy relationships with technology. In the movie “Batman Forever”, the character “Riddler” created “The Box”, a revolutionary new piece of technology to serve as a means of transmitting brainwaves through television and using it to create 3D images. This was already showing some of the first concerns of people and its overuse of technology. The visual of people just sitting uselessly in front of a screen or “box” has been burned into my brain ever since I saw this as a child and is still my worry to this day. I watch as people and my own children let life pass by, watching the lives of others, not engaging in their own life. My youngest is part of the “alpha generation”, a group of children who were the most exposed to technology from their earliest age and the impact of was unknown at the time, but is very visible now. They are mindless to the world outside the screens and it greatly concerns me for their healthy development and the big question”will they be able to survive in this world”. What survival skills (getting a job, driving a car, creating relationships outside of a “box”), what are they learning from these screens? Will it be developed into momentary compensation, so they can be able to live and survive away from “the box”. I know my kids will as I have strict rules with screens but what about the rest of their generation and the future ones to come.

May 29 Response Question

victoriajarvie1 — 2024-05-29 17:31:30 UTC

I think the advancements in AI will transform the creative industry in a beneficial way. There are many ways to be creative but not all have access or knowledge of the processes to be able to do these advancements. With the help of AI the industry can grow to be inclusive but also further the efforts of the industry, instead of being an inclusive industry it will become exclusive to all. I also feel it’s like a calculator, it didn’t make people dumber it made people have to work harder and show their knowledge in the same way AI can do this for art, music, movies and other types of media. Advancements shouldn’t be hindered by the fears of people who don’t want to be share their knowledge, as we are seeing in the copyrights case against chat gtp and makes me think of Foucaults concept of knowledge and power. As this knowledge will grow and strengthen our industry’s abilities and businesses with the help of these technologies, why would we not want to share this information and technology in an easy accessible way.

May 27 Response Questions

victoriajarvie1 — 2024-06-05 02:03:49 UTC

The three main types of social capital are:
1. Bonding social capital - characterized by strong social bonds between individuals.
2. Bridging social capital - characterized by weaker, less dense but more cross-cutting ties.
3. Linking social capital - characterized by connections between those with differing levels of power or social status.

In my daily life, I see the impact of bonding, bridging and linking social capital in various ways.

Bonding social capital is seen in the support I see from my family and close friends. They provide me with emotional support, especially during challenging times, which helps to enhance my wellbeing and gives me a strong sense of belonging. Though relying to much on this support group can limit my opportunities and new experiences.

Bridging social capital comes out when I attend networking events or join community events. These experiences allow me to connect with people from different backgrounds, expanding my professional and personal connections. This diversity gives me a better understanding and perspective but maintaining these connections requires more effort.

Linking social capital is visible in my interactions with mentors healthcare providers and civic activities. These connections give me access to resources and help me advocate for my needs and the needs of my community. This helps me enhance my social connections it also means navigating and depending on institutional systems.

Balancing these forms of social capital helps me lead a more fulfilling and resilient life, offering support, broadening my knowledge and connecting me to influential networks and resources.

June 5 Response Answer

victoriajarvie1 — 2024-06-08 19:18:20 UTC

Canada plays a significant role in the global knowledge economy as many Canadian companies are at te forefront of research and development in areas like A.I. and software development. Though my shirts and backpack comes from China, the design and development is from Canada and the manufacturing process is from China/India where it is cheaper to produce items. Canadas shift from traditional industries that rely on physical products and raw materials, to its intellectual capital that drives economic growth. The importance of the knowledge economy will only be increasing and through investing in education, innovation and technology Canada will continue to see growth and prosperity in the future. With this technology, we then have to make sure there isn’t a digital divide between the people and the access to education and opportunities to develop these skills in the field.

June 12 Response

victoriajarvie1 — 2024-06-20 16:54:42 UTC

The dangers of a single story have been played out often in media in regards to "cancel culture" and through our politics. If you only have one perspective and its biased you can have your opinions twisted, changing your thinking and beliefs that could have potentially dire consequences. We need to have an informed story that is unbiased especially in the news so that we can see the facts and make educational and thoughtful decisions regarding the subject matter.

June 17 Response

victoriajarvie1 — 2024-06-20 22:02:48 UTC

If you live in Canada you can register your phone number on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) but we still continue to face major spam calls infringing on our rights and mental health. The CRTC is the National regulator but they have decided to have a hands-off approach to certain areas of the phone companies. It is says that CRTC is more of a governance than a law or policy maker. This doesn't make sense to me as many people are being scammed of their life savings and even their homes. I know personally of people who have gotten phone calls demanding money and even my mom last week got a scam call saying I was in danger and to send money as I was in an accident. This was untrue and thankfully she reached out to confirm I was okay, but this is absolutely absorbed to me that so many of these calls are happening and that there are people who will believe these lies. The CRTC should be doing more and properly supporting the Canadian people so that more seniors or people with disabilities are not fooled into giving over their houses or life savings to a scammer.