In our discussion today, we talked about how shopping has changed over the years. We’ve gone from physically visiting malls, shops, or markets to purchasing what we need online.

I believe one of the reasons for this shift is that it simply takes less effort to look something up online, buy it, and have it delivered to our homes; all while sitting on our couch. Buying products online also makes it easier to research and compare prices and options among hundreds of alternatives. In contrast, doing this in person would require physically visiting multiple stores and keeping track of products and prices by hand. 

In recent years, I’ve also noticed an increase in people buying things based on online influence. For example, when scrolling through apps like TikTok and Instagram, I often see links to the products that influencers or celebrities are wearing or using, making it easy to purchase the same items with just a click. In an article I read about how social media influences shopping, it was mentioned that when viewers enjoy and engage with what they see on social media, they are more likely to participate in social shopping. (Hyun, Thavisay and Lee, Enhancing the Role, Chap 2.1) As a result, many people have started using platforms like Instagram and TikTok to shop because they find it more convenient. The same article also explains that over time, as people repeatedly use social media to shop, it eventually becomes less about the convenience and more about the habit that has formed. (Hyun, Thavisay and Lee, Enhancing the Role, Chap 5)

I believe this is an example of what we might consider new media, as it has changed the way we shop as a society. Although online shopping is something we’re now accustomed to and may feel old, it became popular after COVID-19. Seeing how successful online shopping has become, many companies have adapted by adding online catalogs and websites where people can easily purchase products. Grocery stores are a good example of this change. Before COVID-19, it was common to drive to the store and shop in person, but now many stores offer apps that let you add items to a virtual cart, pay online, and simply pick up your groceries from the parking lot at your convenience. There are also apps and websites that create personalized meal plans based on your likes, dislikes, and dietary restrictions, and then deliver the ingredients right to your doorstep.

Citations:

Flew, Terry, and Richard Smith. New Media: An Introduction. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 2018.

Hyun, Hyowon, Toulany Thavisay, and Suk Hyung Lee. “Enhancing the Role of Flow Experience in Social Media Usage and Its Impact on Shopping.” Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 65 (March 2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102492.

An article I found by Daniel Alanko highlights both the pros and cons of modern gaming. According to the article, 12 out of 26 studies have shown a link between gaming and the rising rates of obesity. Some of the contributing factors include extended periods of sitting, frequent snacking while playing, reduced overall satisfaction, and poor sleeping habits. On the other hand, some of the positive effects of gaming include cognitive development in older children and improved mental health through online social interaction.

Personally, I’ve often found it harder to fall asleep after playing video games or watching television before bed. In his article, Alanko notes that evening gameplay is closely linked to delayed and reduced sleep, as well as cognitive impairments. Fast-paced and violent video games, in particular, have been shown to worsen these negative effects on sleep. (Alanko, The Health Effects of Video Games) I believe this makes it more difficult for children and young adults to focus in classroom and workplace settings. Without proper rest, they are more likely to zone out, daydream, or feel the need to take naps throughout the day.

When it comes to the effects of video games on the brain, the article highlights that they can have a positive impact on cognitive development in older children. Gaming often helps improve visual processing, problem-solving abilities, and memory skills. However, the article also cautions that physical play remains far more beneficial for the development of younger children. (Alanko, The Health Effects of Video Games)

Video games have also become a hub for social interaction. I often play games that allow me to meet and connect with like-minded people who share similar interests. The article mentions that social play is linked to lower levels of depression and anxiety, and it also shows improvements in empathy. Additionally, video games can help strengthen the bond between children and parents when they play together. (Alanko, The Health Effects of Video Games)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, video game use increased, prompting me to wonder if it has effects similar to social media. A study found that 62% of girls didn’t game, while 87% of boys did. However, all participants used at least one social media platform. Both video games and social media affected sleep, with social media having a greater impact. Middle schoolers had fewer academic issues post-pandemic, while high schoolers saw a drop in grades. Physical activity declined with both, especially among social media users. (Nilsson, Rossendahl, and Jayaram-Lindström, Gaming and Social Media)

To return to the question of whether video games are harmful for children, I believe they are not a major concern when used in moderation. For younger children, parents can monitor or even join in gameplay to help reduce the risk of exposure to negative content. For older children, video games can support growth and learning, as long as they’re played casually and don’t become an obsession. In contrast, I think many of the negative impacts parents worry about are more strongly linked to social media. Many young children now have their own accounts and are exposed to harmful content without their parents realizing. I've also observed that children are heavily influenced by how their parents use and respond to social media.

Citations:

Alanko, Daniel. “The Health Effects of Video Games in Children and Adolescents.” Pediatric Collections: Adolescent Health Part 1: Promoting Wellness, June 30, 2023, 194–201. https://doi.org/10.1542/9781610027052-part01-the_health.

Nilsson, Anders, Ingvar Rosendahl, and Nitya Jayaram-Lindström. “Gaming and Social Media Use among Adolescents in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 39, no. 4 (February 4, 2022): 347–61. https://doi.org/10.1177/14550725221074997.

As we grow older, we begin to understand the unreliability of the internet and the false realities often portrayed on social media. But as young kids, early exposure to this content can lead to insecurity about ourselves and our choices. From my own experience, I’ve seen many of my peers grow up faster than they should, trying to live up to the unrealistic standards they see online. While many parents have become more strict about their children's use of social media in recent years, the beauty and body standards promoted through these platforms still have a noticeable impact on today’s youth. Many young pre-teen girls now often appear to be older teenagers or even young adults. They’re increasingly focused on using makeup, clothing, and accessories to look older, more attractive, and closer to the beauty standards they see online.

An interesting example of this is the case of Danielle Cohn, a social media influencer who quickly rose to fame online. She often posted suggestive content, wearing bikinis and revealing outfits, which raised concerns among viewers about her age and well-being. According to a BBC article from September 2019, a man claiming to be her estranged father posted on Facebook, expressing deep concern about his daughter’s online presence. He also shared what he claimed to be her birth certificate, stating that she was only 13 years old at the time. While Danielle responded angrily to her father’s claims, she did not directly address her age. At the time, her social media bio and previous statements listed her as 15 years old. This raised further concern among viewers, as she had already been active on social media for several years, consistently posting similar content despite being underage. (Kleinman, Danielle Cohn)

In this case, Danielle received significant backlash from older audiences for her behavior online, but what about her younger viewers? Wouldn’t the youth who look up to her and regularly consume her content be influenced to pursue a similar lifestyle or start behaving in the same way? As I mentioned earlier, while many parents try to limit their children’s exposure to social media, it doesn’t completely prevent them from encountering the digital culture it creates. This culture reaches us through our social circles, workplaces, communities, and for younger children, even through school.

Demaria, Francesco, Maria Pontillo, Cristina Di Vincenzo, Domenica Bellantoni, Italo Pretelli, and Stefano Vicari. “Body, Image, and Digital Technology in Adolescence and Contemporary Youth Culture.” Frontiers in Psychology 15 (October 23, 2024). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1445098. 

Flew, Terry, and Richard Smith. New Media: An Introduction. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 2018.

Kleinman, Zoe. “Danielle Cohn: Are Teen Influencers Being Exploited?” BBC News, September 23, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49794327.

In my family, we have a 2011 Toyota Sienna that requires voice commands to access the Bluetooth settings. My parents asked me to help set up their phones with the car, but even after nearly two hours of trying, I couldn't get it to work because the voice recognition system couldn’t understand what I was saying. At the time, both of my parents had strong accents and assumed the system might recognize my voice better than theirs. However, we later realized that the only person the car consistently understood was my brother.

At the time, we laughed it off as just a glitch, but after watching the documentary today, I started to wonder if that voice recognition system was also biased, possibly favoring male voices over others.

After class, I spent some time reading articles about bias in AI models and learned that many are now being developed and used in healthcare, for devices, diagnostics, and predictions. This made me think back to the Coded Bias documentary and question how accurate these models really are. If AI learns from the data it’s given, what’s to stop biased or incomplete data from leading to dangerous inaccuracies? It made me wonder whether healthcare systems that rely heavily on AI might one day cause more harm than good if these biases go unchecked. Could we one day see a reality similar to what was shown in the documentary, where cameras scanned people’s faces to identify criminals, but instead in a healthcare setting, where patients are misdiagnosed or go undiagnosed due to biased AI systems?

This also led me to reflect on our growing reliance on AI systems. As university students, we’re often among the first to be exposed to emerging technologies, and AI has become a common tool in both classroom and workplace settings. Recently, I’ve noticed that tools like ChatGPT are also becoming popular in high school and even middle school classrooms. While we, as university students, have already developed essential writing, analysis, and problem-solving skills, and tend to use AI as a support tool, many younger students are using it to do the work for them. Although AI has the potential to be a valuable aid in learning, relying on it to solve every math problem or write entire essays may prevent younger students from building the foundational skills they need.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, AI has become much more integrated into our daily lives. Based on society’s interactions with it over just the past three years, it seems to have raised more concerns than positive outcomes. In several of our classes, we’ve discussed the role of government in regulating new media. I believe AI is a form of new media that urgently needs regulation, before it causes irreversible harm to society.

Kantayya, Shalini, Sabine Hoffman, Steve Aceveda, Alexandra Gilwit, Zachary Ludescher, Kati︠a︡ Mikhaĭlova, and production company th Empire Media. Coded Bias. United States: 7th Empire Media, 2021.

Daneshjou, Roxana, Mary P. Smith, Mary D. Sun, Veronica Rotemberg, and James Zou. “Lack of Transparency and Potential Bias in Artificial Intelligence Data Sets and Algorithms.” JAMA Dermatology 157, no. 11 (November 1, 2021): 1362. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.3129.

Nazer, Lama H., Razan Zatarah, Shai Waldrip, Janny Xue Ke, Mira Moukheiber, Ashish K. Khanna, Rachel S. Hicklen, et al. “Bias in Artificial Intelligence Algorithms and Recommendations for Mitigation.” PLOS Digital Health 2, no. 6 (June 22, 2023). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0000278.

One example I brought up in class to highlight copyright issues faced by emerging artists was Taylor Swift’s experience. She discovered that she didn’t actually own her original recordings, her former label did. After doing some research, I learned that a song’s copyright is typically divided into three parts: the lyrics, the music, and the combination of both. The owner of these copyrights can license or assign the rights to third parties and earn income from them, often without the artist having much control. 

While I was able to learn this by spending some time researching online and looking into well-known cases, emerging artists in the early 2000s didn’t have such easy access to this kind of information. Even today, how many new artists, especially those working in digital art forms, fully understand copyright laws before signing contracts or publishing their work online? This isn’t something we’re taught in school or most classes, and the information isn’t always easy to understand. That makes me wonder, what’s stopping companies from taking advantage of young or uninformed artists?

As the world becomes increasingly connected with AI and large language models trained on vast amounts of data, I’ve started to wonder how digital copyright laws apply to AI-generated content and AI-assisted creations. Since AI is still largely unregulated, it currently has a lot of freedom in how it’s used and what it’s used for. Different countries are approaching AI in different ways, but the majority still lack clear laws or protections to prevent AI from using existing copyrighted works without permission. That being said, if AI is able to use copyrighted works, what’s to stop it from using the work of smaller, independent artists who share their creations online, often without their knowledge or consent? Many of these artists aren’t even aware that their work can be taken and reused by others, including AI models. This raises serious concerns about ownership, consent, and protection in the digital age.

Referances:

“Artificial Intelligence and Copyright: Navigating Issues and Challenges.” European Economic Letters, 2024. https://doi.org/10.52783/eel.v14i4.2252.

Geçer, Aynur Kolburan, and Arzu Devecı Topal. “Academic and Postgraduate Student Awareness of Digital Product Copyright Issues.” Information Development 37, no. 1 (December 26, 2019): 90–104. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266666919895550.

“Taylor’s Version – Why Is Taylor Swift Re-Recording All of Her Old Albums?” Shepwedd.com. Accessed August 12, 2025. https://shepwedd.com/knowledge/taylors-version-why-taylor-swift-re-recording-all-her-old-albums.