The introduction of smartphones and online media platforms has brought social problems to many people due to the increase in the number of hours one spends on them. Scientists claim that continuous use of those gadgets has led to addiction where an individual feels the need to keep on checking them. To understand this concept, psychologists claim that a certain satisfaction a person feels after using smartphones and social media leads to the release of a dopamine hormone. Dopamine is a transmitter responsible for controlling the emotional response a person makes towards certain stimuli. The reward a person receives from undertaking a particular activity motivates one to repeat the action and thus developing an addiction. This theory explains why an individual keeps on checking the phone after a short period.
Many people have claimed to have developed an addiction to their smartphones and social media. This session helps one to understand how the addiction develops and the psychological processes involved. The knowledge gained from these sessions may help one to know the steps to take to avoid social media and smartphone addiction. For instance, one gains knowledge on what to do to regulate the release of dopamine towards social media activities. One may also know the responsible way of using social media to maximize benefits and reduce negative effects.
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Session 2
Information and Communication Technology development (ICTD) has significantly enhanced how people communicate with each other in both the developed and developing world. This advancement has made people from different regions pass information without necessarily travelling. People may use ICT to inquire about the well-being of each other, coordinate various activities, and offering advice to family members. Information technology was also vital in facilitating people working in foreign countries to send money and other resources to their relatives back home and thus contributing to the economic growth of families living in rural areas. However, ICT has various limitations which when not monitored can bring negative implications to users. For instance, people must monitor the content they post on online platforms to prevent cybercriminals from manipulating such information.
This session is important as it helps one to understand the contribution ICT has brought to developed and developing countries. One understands various roles this advancement plays like enabling people to inquire about their family members’ wellbeing and coordinating activities in different locations. A person also understands the implication of misusing the ICT and the repercussions that can follow. This information is useful in helping one avoid online manipulation or losing vital information to cybercriminals. It also helps an individual the responsible use of ICT in trying to maximize benefits and reduce negative effects.
Session 3
An organization can assess the suitability of an applicant for a particular role without necessarily requiring the person’s physical presence. The employer assesses the applicant’s online information to determine whether the individual has the appropriate skills and experience to handle various duties, a process called cyber vetting. It is also possible to determine one’s interests by getting information about a particular individual from search engines and social media platforms and thus determining whether the person can fit in the organization’s environment. However, there are serious legal and moral concerns about this process as some people view it as a violation of a person’s privacy. Various governments have blamed technology companies like Facebook and Google for acquiring and sharing information of their users without consent.
This module is of significant use as it helps one to understand the contribution of the internet and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in various fields like in the hiring of employees. The knowledge gained can help one to know the processes to follow when using cyber vetting. A person intending to acquire a workforce significantly saves on costs and time as cyber vetting does not requires physical presence of applicants. However, this module informs an individual of some of the legal and ethical issues that arise from using online information to vet people for a particular position. A major concern is the harvesting and sharing of information about people without their permission. This exercise greatly violates a person’s right to privacy as it exposes vital information to potential cyber threats.
Session 4
The advancement of technology has brought many impacts in various fields. One of the significant uses of social media is political mobilization where public figures use those platforms to influence their supporters. This advancement has enabled political leaders and public figures to appeal to different people without necessarily holding physical meetings. However, advancements in technology and the introduction of social media have provided an avenue for the spread of false and misleading information also known as fake news. Fake news is defined as false information that resembles content meant to advance a particular intent. The history of fake news can be traced to propaganda during the First and Second World Wars. Different countries created fabricated information against their enemies and thus turning people’s perception. Fake news has various impacts like swaying the opinion of the masses on different people.
This session was useful as it enabled one to understand the role of social media in political mobilization. The knowledge gained can help one know the advantages of using social media to influence other people. For instance, one can reach many people within a short time and thus reducing expenses involved in the physical mobilization. However, one also understands some of the negativities arising from social media like the emergence of fake news. The session educates one on tips to use to identify fake news from authentic content.
Session 5
There has been a raging debate on whether Amazon and other e-commerce companies should be held responsible for defective products sold through their platforms. Some people feel that those entities bear significant responsibility for products sold through their platforms. Those people claim that Amazon and other e-commerce firms need to authenticate products sold through their channels to determine their suitability to customers’ needs. Critics blame those companies for being profit-oriented and not having concern for the customer’s safety. There has also been an issue of Amazon using its financial powers to drive other traders out of business or manipulating their suppliers in terms of price.
This module helps raise a debate on who to take responsibility for customer safety. There have been different opinions on the responsibility of the customer’s safety with some people claiming that Amazon should shoulder that burden. Other people shift their blame to the manufacturer claiming that Amazon and other e-commerce companies only provide a platform for trade to take place. Such debates help students have expanded mental engagements and understand how e-commerce operates. Those engagements help people reach a conclusion and make recommendations on how e-commerce companies should operate.
Session 6
This session dwells on challenges people working in technology companies undergo while undertaking their daily duties. For example, Facebook workers receive millions of content on daily duties and they have to determine whether to post them or not. Some of those contents affect their mental health in and outside their workplace. However, Facebook and other companies have restricted those workers from disclosing such information to outsiders, and those who fail to follow those regulations get harsh punishments. There are also cases of employers infringing on the rights of their workers like privacy and freedom of worship. Despite attractive pay, managers in technology companies micromanage their juniors by monitoring all their activities and disregarding their privacy.
This session highlights some of the challenges workers in technology companies undergo. Anybody wishing to seek employment in those companies needs to understand what to expect while undertaking their duties. The understanding of those challenges helps people formulate solutions meant to improve working conditions in those entities. For instance, students can propose a particular timetable where employees have a balance between work and personal life. The government also plays an important role in ensuring that workers in those companies face less manipulation from their employers by strengthening labor laws. This session sums the topic by highlighting the last negative implication of technological advancement.
Recommendations
There were various weaknesses that one can note with the general course. First, there was a bit of difference in the learning material provided for each session. This variation made it hard for one to make connections and thus a possibility of losing focus on the session. The second issue that arose was the lack of chronological arrangement and thus leading to a crash of ideas. Therefore, it was difficult to maintain concentration on the entire topic.
The first recommendation to correct those shortcomings is to provide materials with close resemblance to help a learner maintain concentration in the entire topic. This strategy also helps the student connect each article to the next one and maintain a flow. Secondly, educators need to formulate objectives to achieve at the end of each session. Those objectives will guide the student to know the reason for learning a particular module. The student also knows how to achieve certain goals by using the knowledge acquired. Lastly, there is a need for assessment at the end of each session to gauge understanding of the content taught.
