EOTO Reaction

One of the most interesting lessons from my classmates' presentations was seeing how communication technology has evolved across different generations. From simple writing tools to digital media, each invention changed the way people shared information and connected with one another.

The story begins with paper, which was developed in China around 105 BCE and is credited to Cai Lun. Before paper, people relied on materials such as stone tablets and papyrus to record information. The development of paper lowered costs and made writing more accessible. As a result, literacy and education expanded, while books, newspapers, and libraries became possible on a much larger scale.

Writing itself also evolved through the invention of the pen. Early writing instruments included reed pens, quill pens, and later dip and fountain pens. In 1888, John J. Loud patented the roller-ball pen, and in the 1930s Laszlo Biro improved the ballpoint design. By the 1940s, ballpoint pens had become increasingly popular, making writing more convenient for everyday use.

As technology advanced, communication expanded beyond the written word. The invention of radio was not the work of a single inventor. Maxwell published his theory of electromagnetic waves in 1865, and Hertz later proved the theory in 1888. Marconi built upon those ideas and helped transform radio into a practical technology, even establishing a radio factory in Britain.

Motion pictures also changed communication in powerful ways. Like radio, film had no single inventor. Early technologies such as the Kinetograph helped make motion pictures possible. More importantly, film changed how audiences viewed the world and transformed movies from simple documentation into a form of storytelling.

New innovations continued into the modern era. Television saw major breakthroughs beginning in 1884, followed by the first television in 1926. Decades later, CDs were developed by Philips and Sony in the 1970s for music. They became the dominant music format of the 1990s, encouraged greater use of digital technology, and provided a way to store files and other digital information.

Looking back, it is clear that each invention built upon the last. Whether it was paper, pens, radio, film, television, or CDs, every technology played a role in shaping how people communicate and share ideas.

AI Disclosure: AI was not used in the research and information for this blog post. All information came from notes that I took while attending lectures my classmates were presenting on their given subjects. I then prompted Microsoft Copilot Pro to help me shape my notes into a blog post of between 300-350 words written in a smooth professional style. Finally, I added appropriate images and captions to help break up the type and give the post a more professional look.

The Impact of Cameras on Communication and Society

It is difficult to imagine modern life without cameras. As a 19-year-old college student, I use a camera almost every day, whether it is taking pictures for social media, documenting memories, or communicating with friends and family. What many people do not realize is that the camera is one of the most important inventions in history because it completely changed the way humans communicate.

The camera's origins can be traced back to the camera obscura, a device that projected an image through a small opening into a dark space. Ancient scholars such as Mozi and later Ibn al-Haytham helped explain the scientific principles behind how light creates images. These discoveries laid the foundation for what would eventually become modern photography..

For centuries, the camera obscura could only display images, not save them. That changed in the 1820s when French inventor Nicéphore Niépce created the first permanent photograph using light-sensitive materials. His achievement proved that images could be recorded and preserved instead of simply observed.

Photography became practical for the public in 1839 with the invention of the daguerreotype by Louis Daguerre. This process produced detailed photographs and shortened exposure times, making photography far more accessible. According to Britannica, the technology spread rapidly across Europe and the United States and helped launch the photography industry.

One of the camera's greatest impacts was its influence on communication. Before photography, people relied on paintings, sketches, and written descriptions to document events. While useful, those methods often reflected personal interpretation, whereas photographs provided a more accurate visual record of reality. Additional background can be found in Britannica's History of Photography.

Photography also transformed journalism. Newspapers and magazines began using photographs to accompany stories, helping readers see events rather than simply read about them. Images from wars, natural disasters, and political movements gave people a clearer understanding of events happening around the world.

The camera also changed how families preserve memories. Before photography became common, painted portraits were expensive and often available only to wealthy individuals. Cameras allowed ordinary people to document weddings, birthdays, graduations, and everyday life, creating visual histories that could be passed down through generations. More on photography's growing popularity can be found in Britannica's Photography History.

In the modern era, digital cameras and smartphones have expanded photography's role even further. Today, billions of people can instantly share images with others anywhere in the world. Photographs have become a universal language that allows people to communicate experiences, emotions, and ideas without relying entirely on words.

Beyond personal communication, photography has played an important role in shaping society. Photographs have documented historic events, exposed social injustices, and influenced public opinion. In many cases, a single powerful image can communicate more effectively than an entire article, demonstrating the unique power of visual storytelling.

Looking back, the invention of the camera did far more than create a new technology. It transformed how people record history, preserve memories, report news, and communicate with one another. More than 180 years after the first practical photographic processes were introduced, the camera remains one of humanity's most influential tools for connection and communication.

AI Disclosure: AI was used in the research and information for this blog post. I used Microsoft CoPilot Pro to obtain the historical information by asking it to provide reliable sources and credit them so I can fact check the AI's work. I then prompted Microsoft Copilot Pro to help me shape my notes into a blog post of between 500-600 words written in a smooth journalistic style as a 19 year old college student. I then added the links to online sources that the reader could pursue for more information. Finally, I added appropriate images and captions to help break up the type and give the post a more polished look

Ted Talks - Online Privacy

As a 19-year-old college student, technology has always been part of my daily life. From social media to smartphones, convenience often feels more important than privacy. However, after watching two TED Talks on surveillance and digital identity, I began to question how much personal information we unknowingly surrender every day.

The first TED Talk focused on how surveillance technology originally designed for military use is finding its way into local police departments. Tools that were once used for national security are now being used to monitor everyday citizens.

The speaker explained how police departments collect information from every license plate they scan, not just those connected to crimes. Combined with cell tower data that can track phone locations, authorities can build detailed profiles of where people go, who they meet with, and how they live. The concern is that this information is stored simply because it "might be useful" in the future, raising serious questions about privacy and government oversight.

The second TED Talk explored how emerging technologies are making anonymity increasingly difficult. Concepts such as electronic tattoos suggest a future where our digital identities become permanently attached to us, creating what the speaker described as a type of digital immortality.

The talk also highlighted facial recognition technology. A simple photograph could potentially reveal someone's name and personal information. Face.com, which contained millions of faces online before being acquired by Facebook, demonstrated how easily personal data can be collected and connected. Through stories like Sisyphus, Orpheus and Eurydice, Atalanta and Hippomenes, and Narcissus, the speaker showed that humanity's struggles with temptation, obsession, and responsibility remain unchanged despite technological advances.

These TED Talks made me realize how casually I share information online. As someone who grew up with technology, I rarely consider how long my photos, location data, or online activity might exist. The idea that personal information could be permanently stored and analyzed is unsettling.

More broadly, society faces a difficult challenge. Technology can improve safety and convenience, but without limits, it can also erode the privacy that allows individuals to live freely.

Both TED Talks suggest that privacy is becoming one of the greatest challenges of the digital age. While technology continues to evolve, we must carefully consider how much personal information we are willing to exchange for convenience. Protecting privacy is no longer just an individual responsibility; it is a societal one that will shape the future of personal freedom.

AI Disclosure: AI was not used in the research and information for this blog post. All information came from notes that I took while watching two TedTalk videos. I then prompted Microsoft Copilot Pro to help me shape my notes into a blog post of around 300 words written in a smooth professional style. I then added links to online sources that the reader could pursue for more information. Finally, I added appropriate images and captions to help break up the type and give the post a more professional look.

8 Values of Free Expression

The value of Free Expression I currently find the most significant is Individual Self-Fulfillment. This can be attributed to my own personal beliefs, our current society, and current government. To me, Individual Self-Fulfillment means developing beliefs and values based on personal selection instead of accepting what other people think or believe. Free expression supports this because it allows everyone to create, communicate, and explore all kinds of ideas and flesh out a powerful identity for themselves. 

I am a firm believer in taking control of our human rights and creating a true identity, which is backed by careful thought and decision regarding morality, the lives of others, and how we can improve the world today to make it better tomorrow. This value of Free Expression explicitly allows individuals to express themselves and create their own identity, aligning with my own beliefs and thereby making it of significant importance.

Why does this value of Free Expression matter especially in today's society? Well, one important difference now is our methods of communication and social media. In the past, ideas were spread by word of mouth or writings, meaning location had significant impact on your ideas and beliefs. In contrast, we can now spread an idea across the planet to millions by clicking a few buttons on a screen. While this doesn't inherently devalue the information or ideas being spread, many people are relying only on social media or online communication to form their beliefs and thoughts without having any real experience. While the internet does give individuals access to many more ideas, having access to this information does not mean people are critically or independently thinking about these concepts.

This is causing people's identities and ideas to become less individualistic and deep, and more like surface level group-thinking. I also think the concept of getting "cancelled" or any harsh backlash from social media discourages people from thinking or acting in ways that they might align with. This possibility of public disagreement also causes people to remain silent in the future, even about significant problems they should be speaking up about. A society that truly values free expression should respect and encourage disagreement rather than treating it as a personal attack. These reasons are part of why Individual Self-Fulfillment is so important for every individual today.

Individual Self-Fulfillment is significant in terms of today's government because of its many agendas and methods used to fulfill them. One example is the attacking and silencing of health professionals during the Covid-19 Pandemic that we discussed during class. Instead of allowing these experts to voice their opinion, they were forced to repress certain information so the government could handle the pandemic how they wanted to. The health professionals would've empowered the American people on an individual level by allowing them to take initiative or their own steps of caution. While scientific disagreement can often scare the public making them unsure who to trust, the conflict would ultimately be for the good of the American public, and if both sides were allowed to express their respective opinions, perhaps the quarantine could've been handled better.

Ultimately, Individual Self-Fulfillment aligns free expression with personal responsibility, and in today's day and age, I believe this value to be the most significant, especially on an individual level.