Blog Post #4: Privacy Reflection and discussion (MLK Day Post)

Digital Privacy: Probably one of the major concerns of this time and age, privacy is considered paramount. As much as technology has in order to make our lives better, it also has its dark underbelly, which helps corporations, states, and even individuals do things that they could never have done before, thus infringing on our lives on a scale unprecedented earlier. The TED Talks on privacy were somewhat unnerving; it brought into view how exposed we all are in this digital age. It also brings to the fore just how perilous gathering data and surveillance has become, and how our personal information is used to take advantage of people. These are not only issues affecting me but also my friends, family, and society in general. 

I can now see how much of my life I have voluntarily shared online, almost without understanding what was at stake in the first place. Social media posts, online shopping habits, the apps I use every day-all that leaves a trail of data that companies can collect, analyze, and sell. In this aspect, for corporations like Facebook and Google, the business benefits from such a high-tech level of profiling when they sell into detail through the advertisers captured, especially in Shoshana Zuboff's "The Fight for a Human Future" TED talk  (Zuboff, 2019). As I say unto myself, maybe I have nothing to hide yet-what an often fallacy-of-and they knew things about me greater than that with which I even know I exist. While it is true that governments bear a very key role, so far their responses have been inconsistent and, in some aspects, woefully inadequate. For example, in Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation has been in the right direction; it compels companies to be transparent concerning data collection and assures users of having greater control (European Commission 2025). 

In other parts of the world, however, like in the United States, such protections either do not exist or exist very weakly. Why Privacy Matters by Glenn Greenwald alludes to how governments not only fail to protect privacy but also exploit surveillance technologies to monitor citizens (Greenwald, 2014). Beyond legislation, education is the key. Most of us are baffled by the ways our private lives are breached simply through the use of everyday technologies. There needs to be awareness campaigns that governments ought to lead-need to embark on in training people in personal information protection. 

Meanwhile, here's what we can do while we wait for deep systemic changes. Strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication go a long way in securing accounts. This may be through limiting what we put online-for example, not posting our locations or personal details on social media. It can also be achieved through the use of privacy-centered tools like VPNs, encrypted messaging apps, and search engines such as DuckDuckGo that minimize the data trail we leave (Electronic Frontier Foundation, 2025). Checking permissions that different applications take and deleting the ones we don't use is just the most basic act of taking our privacy back. As much as this digital age took everything we the way we work, live, and even interact to a totally different level, it came with one price: one could no longer take privacy for granted.

Blog Post #5: EOTO Project: Television

Few inventions revolutionized the way human beings communicated, received entertainment, and created culture. Etymologically the origin of television saw a series of ingenious innovations during the 19th and early 20th century come to light. A voyage of mechanical spinning discs to advanced electronic systems manifests the unquenching thirst of man to improve upon and innovate on things. (History.com)

The Invention and History of Television:

The story of television is inextricably tied to a series of technological breakthroughs first occurring in the 19th century, the telegraph-its first patent by Samuel Morse in the 1830s-allowed for the transmission of coded messages over large distances-and the invention of the telephone in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell allowed for the transmission of voices. These two early breakthroughs spawned the development of a device that could send images in conjunction with sound. The German inventor Paul Nipkow made the first concrete step in 1884: an "electric telescope"-that is, a mechanical device with rotating disks to effect the transfer of images. Revolutionary in one sense, this system was not good enough to enable smooth transmissions of images. By the beginning of the 20th century, mechanical systems gave place to the electronic ones and the cathode ray tube took the basis of modern television. That is when the Russian physicist Boris Rosing and independently the Scottish engineer Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton initiated the workings of the systems using CRTs. Two towering inventors defined electronic television: Vladimir Zworykin and Philo Farnsworth. This Russian-American engineer, Zworykin, had patented the Iconoscope, an extremely important camera tube in electronic television, all the way back in 1923. Already in Utah, Philo Farnsworth had succeeded in developing the first completely electronic television system as far back as 1927. This precocious young man was only 21 when, with his image dissector system, he was successful in showing the process of scanning an image, line by line, electrically. Television went public in the 1930s. In 1936, regular broadcasting by BBC began while in 1939, RCA introduced the device into America during New York World Fair. By the mid-20th century, the television set became a piece of furniture that decorated the rooms of the people, and an era of fast innovation along with cultural transformation began. (History.com)

 The Impact of Television:

It revolutionized the medium of communication, and the way people viewed the world just brought real events right into people's homes, so creating some kind of shared cultural experience. Such moments in history as the moon landing and big sports events became a kind of collective memory of humankind worldwide. It democratized entertainment, and films, educational programs, and news reached the masses. It bridges socio-economic gaps and gives every man a window to the world. Its role in politics is also great because televised debates mold public opinion. On the other hand, however, not all of the effects wrought by television have been positive in nature. For years one has been concerned about behavioral influences, especially with regard to children. Prolonged exposure to televised violence worsens the condition of aggression. It was these that sparked debates over the regulation of content and parental guidance. Despite abuses and problems, television has become a cornerstone of modern life. It holds the connective power, information value, and facility for entertainment that is unequaled by other mediums-it lends easily to streaming and high-definition displays (Encyclopedia Britannica).

Conclusion

In fact, the birth of television was really one long-drawn, collaborative, innovative process right from the first mechanical spinning disks to sophisticated electronic systems. The impact it has had on society is simply vast revolutionized the mode of communication and manner of consuming information, apart from the sharing of experiences regarding culture. It has its own set of problems, admittedly, but has played its part in molding modernity.

Blog Post #3 : Eight Values of Free Expression

The First Amendment is much more than a mere legal safeguard. Its perception reverberates as a prime quality of American democracy. Free speech has remained at the core of development from the tenets established by Jefferson and Madison to the Ideas Marketplace suggested in 1919. The eight values of free speech have, to varying degrees, continued to define our contemporary existence, with my particular interest centered on the Marketplace of Ideas, Individual Self-Development, and the Check on Governmental Authority. 

The Value I Most Connect With:

The term Marketplace of Ideas created by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes maintains it's the competition of ideas in public discourse that produce truth. Today, Twitter (X), Reddit, and TikTok act as that virtual marketplace for the audience, with rich political discussions involving pop culture. Reconfiguring such platforms ultimately creates a contested argument toward politics and pop culture. These are precisely the questions put into examination by this theory. Misinformation about elections or crises in health undermines the quality of public discourse therein. Organizations such as factcheck.org and others taken by tech companies to label misinformation resist this very trend. Such instruments are, to a great extent, the fabric meshway for keeping this marketplace of ideas operating in our modern day. Social media platforms are the new public squares. 

Personal Significance:

All parts of my personal self-fulfillment still mean a lot to me in self-improvement; self-expression; development, etc. It was a whole new experience in individual self-actualization, thanks to the newly established digital world we have enabled people to haul the world into view. An aspiring community of creators- YouTube, and Instagram; these cultural parlors cater to creative expression, and musical talent, and consider opinions as creative yet original voices. People have crossed borders as independent musicians. They take it to Bandcamp and connect to an audience directly. Those instances excite me because they demonstrate how free expression can realize an individual potential in a community-oriented towards expression. Digital tools allow individuals to fulfill their highest creative potential. 

Linking Theories to Modern-Day Issues:

In the age of ever-expanding state powers based on rationalized digital surveillance, it is a goal to measure the extent of governing powers. This dissemination of information raises checks and balances of accountability by being watchdogs against abuse of power. Investigative journalism the likes of ProPublica or The Washington Post- honors this value by uncovering cases about corruption, environmental abuse, and social injustice, among many others. Social media have allowed such movements to raise themselves to the public eye. Movements like Black Lives Matter and #MeToo found the wings on Facebook and Instagram in going viral, attracting millions and putting their calls for accountability squarely before the public protests coming after George Floyd's murder show how digital expression brings forth systemic injustices that allow these issues to be front and center on the global agenda. These movements validate its type of free expression. 

Final Thoughts:

In brief, freedom of expression cannot be said to be high-valued, stand-alone ideals; they are rather the dynamic realities of the lives of human beings, and the Marketplace of Ideas does not adhere to a one-dimensional view of a debate but allows for a development; the individual "self-fulfillment" provides for everyone who has something against the majority to air it; and restrictions on governmental power are the very cornerstone that protects our democracy: a paramount responsibility resting on technologically determined civilizations. A responsibility we must shoulder to preserve and exercise these freedoms with dignity.  

Blog Post #2 Reflection Questions On The Founding Era

The U.S. Supreme Court is one of the most important institutions in American governance, but its inner workings and historical evolution often remain less understood. After exploring the 20-minute videos, several key takeaways and reflections emerge about its history, structure, and function.

1. What did you learn about the Supreme Court that you didn't already know?

One of the interesting insights is certiorari and the "rule of four." I did not know that the Supreme Court has discretion over the cases it takes up and only takes them up when at least four of the nine justices believe a case should be decided. The gatekeeper mechanism enables the Court to work on cases with great constitutional consequence and allocate the limited resources of the Court to those issues which have an impact on national jurisprudence. The video also pointed out to me the distinction between positive and negative rights, which is a distinction I had never really thought about. Positive rights require action by the government to provide services, like public education, where negative rights serve to protect individuals from government interference, like freedom of speech. This is an important distinction because it aids in understanding how the Court views interpretation of rights under the Constitution.

2. What is the most important take-away point about the Supreme Court?

More importantly, however, the Supreme Court has used its power of judicial review, established in Marbury v. Madison (1803), to act as a guardian of the constitutional balance of power: not only checking the other two branches by declaring laws unconstitutional but also working toward keeping the Constitution as the highest law in the land. In this manner, the Court performs an important function in safeguarding democracy and individual freedoms.

3. What did you find most surprising to learn?

More surprising to me was the principle of stare decisis and how flexible it can be: whereas the Court generally follows precedents to ensure stability and predictability, cases such as Brown v. Board of Education reveals quite the opposite the Court does change its mind as society and values are different from before or when a previous ruling was wrong in hindsight. This flexibility within the Court's practice was what I wasn't fully aware of before.

4. How did the video change the way you thought about the Supreme Court?

That video changed my view of the Supreme Court as a legal institution into a living one: reflecting and changing along with societal variation. Its rulings transcend simple interpretations of laws carve out national values and answer some of the most profound ethical and political questions. Discussion on prior restraints versus subsequent punishments further showed how subtly the Court is balancing free expression against the need for order and accountability.

Conclusion

But the Supreme Court is far more than a method of settling legal disputes; it is a cornerstone in American democracy that also evolves with the nation's strategic case selection to its pivotal role in interpreting the Constitution-thus, the Court is influential in the lives of every citizen and course of society. These insights not only deepened my understanding but also made me realize with greater emphasis the importance of this institution in shaping the past, present, and future of the United States.

Blog Post #1 : 5 Favorite News Sources

1. ESPN

About watching sports, I always turn to ESPN for keeping me updated: the leading sports news. It features broad coverage of NFL, PGA, MLB, NBA, and motorsport. This commitment is not just in breaking news, but they give in-depth analyses from former athletes and field experts. Digital platforms are well developed, including video highlights, live streaming, and article details. I was satisfied enough to download the ESPN application; since then, I received notifications direct to my phone about every important happening in the sport's world. This ease does well with me as I do everything in traffic-possible style. Its' on-the-go Sport Center program quickly sums up sports recaps or makes catching up with the days action in the world of sport easy. Be it highlights of games, interviews of players, or even expert predictions, ESPN is a source upon which one always relies comfortably and variably for anything sporting. 

2. The Athletic

I find the quality of The Athletic unmatched for journalism in sports news. Subscription-based and ad-free, it probably is the reason it can maintain well-researched, long-form content. Insider interviews, deep dives on things-those are things that I really read and appreciate since they add context to sports stories, adding nuance. And about the news, The Athletic often has the access to teams and players no other places tend to give access for this view to be shown of topics broad in gamut from basketball, football down to motor-sports so take your pick. But what I think I like the most, however, is the concentration on storytelling. This allows me a way not just into events in and of themselves but also into the feelings and motives of the tellers. For true, deeply interested team coverage in franchise following, this is serious coverage. Where deeper analysis is available, especially for anyone interested in going more deeply than just the headlines, is through reading The Athletic. 

3. Motorsport.com

Motorsport.com is a fantastic website that genuinely does its best to provide coverage of all races for sensitive motorsport fans. It features Formula 1, NASCAR, MotoGP, and IndyCar in ways that no general sports website can. It even makes race updates sound cool: river profiles, technical breakdowns. Equally impressive is the way in which it handles the delivery of multimedia content such as real videos, photo galleries, and live timing, hence making experiences such as mine more realistic. Since then, it has broadcast all major international events, occasionally even those regional, including exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes material-really close to the world of racing. As a matter of fact, it's a real treasure trove of news and analyses for the person who lives and breathes motorsport.

4. BBC Sport

When it comes to good, translucent, flowing sports, BBC Sport is my perfect place to go. If there are three words one would want to appreciate in journalism, then it has to come with the qualification of a "between accuracy" because you feel the trustworthiness of their duties, and they have an entirely top mark for putting together such historical context to current updates. All things sports-Mechan is, in fact, everything, from motorsports to FIFA World Cup through to the Olympics. Short articles do nothing in it; there are, however, live text commentaries and match reports during times of significant events that keep me stored in sports. Moreover, this site has also helped me make other matters available to me, among them international meetings as the Olympics and FIFA World Cup, and shall delve deeper in revealing what is indeed happening in the world of sports. The BBC Sport, then, is a steady source of sports news which holds itself out as striking a happy balance between accessibility and very thorough writing.

5. Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated is an aged source and undoubtedly is right from various standpoints about sports news that have a huge neu-stimulus content and long tales within them contains. Their coverage is also almost complete and goes into the major areas like NFL, NBA, MLB, motorsports, and has long descriptions regarding an athlete or team as per his/her personal devoid. Furthermore, they surely do great adoringly in grace of their long-held principle of investigative journalism like really getting into the stories beyond the scores exactly which is exactly what Sports Illustrated does. Apart from these things, they even have some special coverage text when any historical sports occurrence takes place, therefore very informative words while being in today's world. Multimedia components are integral parts in their digital platform like videos or photo galleries, and those provide specific accessibility in respect of picture and sound. Consequently, their editorial packages give a totally rare as well as scholarly perspective regarding the sports narrative. This is exceptionally appropriate for a practice of classic regime reporting and modern analysis for fans.