The Issues & Future of [Technology]

Introduction

This is not a course - this a list of resources. I'm a huge fan of technology and on speculating how it is impacting our lives and how it will impact our lives in the future. I love speculating what technologies are in reach based on current technologies and current research. I love thinking about new ways a technology can be used. But there's a lot to say about the issues that much of this technology may imbed in our society. Hopefully this material inspires you and causes you to be a little more introspective.

Potential Resources

The following Curriculums come from MIT OpenCourseWare and are worth exploring for resources.

Readings - Blown to Bits

Blown To Bits (Free Book)

The following is the website's summary of the book:

Wherever you go‚ whatever you say, write, photograph, or buy‚ whatever prescriptions you take, or ATM withdrawals you make you are generating information. That information can be captured, digitized, retrieved, and copied ‚ anywhere on Earth, instantly. Sophisticated computers can increasingly uncover meaning in those digital traces‚ understanding, anticipating, and influencingyou as never before.

Is this utopia? Or the dawning of a 1984/Brave New World horror world? Whatever you call it, it’s happening. What kind of world are we creating? What will it be like to live there? Blown to Bits offers powerful and controversial answers to these questions‚ and give you the knowledge you need to help shape your own digital future, not let others do it for you. Building on their pioneering joint MIT/Harvard course, the authors reveal how the digital revolution is changing everything, in ways that are stunning even the most informed experts.

You’ll discover ten paradoxical truths about digital data, and learn how those truths are overturning centuries-old assumptions about privacy, identity, and personal control.

You’ll view the indelible digital footprints you’re making when you search Google, send emails and text messages‚ write Microsoft Word documents‚ download MP3s‚ make cellphone calls‚ post blog entries‚ pay highway tolls‚ use your supermarket discount card. And you’ll see how others could be following those footprints, in ways you never thought about, and might not like.

Writing in plain English, the authors illuminate the myriad implications of the digital revolution, answering the questions you’ve wondered about‚ or ought to wonder about. Who owns all that data about you? What do they owe you? How private is your medical information? Is it possible to send a truly secure message? Who can you trust for accurate information when traditional media is replaced by thousands of unfiltered Internet sources?

Along the way, they reveal the decisions governments and corporations are making right now that will shape your future‚ and show how to have your say in those decisions. Because you have an enormous stake in the outcome. We all do.

How the Digital Revolution Is Transforming Your World
More Profoundly Than You Ever Imagined

> Who’s watching you, what do they know about you, and what will they do with that knowledge?

> Is it time to say goodbye forever to privacy and personal identity?

> What kind of world are we creating‚ and what will it be like to live there?

The Future of [the Past]

Key Terms:

Futurology: The science of predicting future technological advancements based on current trends, studies, and technological advancements.

We are living in the future of our past.

What were we saying 20 years ago about what would be here now?
How many of those things came to pass?
How many of those things are really close?
How many of those things are still a long way off?

Resources:

Article: Is That a PITA in Your Pocket?

Article: The Wonderous World of 1990

Article: The phenomenal World of 2036 (Missing Link)

Podcast: Stuff You Should Know - How Futurology Works

Video: Is Technology Making Life Better or Worse?

Assignment:

Journal Prompts
- Is technology making life better or worse? Provide examples and evidences
- List 4 inventions mentioned in any of the above resources that have not yet come to fruition.
  - Explain what hurdles have prevented this inventions.
  - Explain when you think they'll get here (if they'll ever get here).

Why we should look at Ethics, Issues, & the Future?

Essential Questions:

What impact does technology have on us?
What is our responsibility as individuals who use technology?

Personality Tests

BigFive Personality Test
16Personalities
- Explanation of the Five Personality Aspects

Resources:

Teacher Resource - Oak National Academy - How Does Technology Impact Us?
Emate: Ethics/Values
Video: TED Talks - How to see the future coming - and prepare for it
Video: TED Talks - Ethics in the Age of Technology (17 minutes)
- This video highlights topics that can be sensitive to students. It specifically discusses the history of ethics related to slavery and LGBT (ie. how did society view these topics 100 years ago, how do we view them today, and how will they be viewed in another 100 years?).
Video: TED Talks - How Technology Changes Our Sense of Right and Wrong (8 minutes)
- Same speaker as the previous video, but this aims less at informing and more at teaching.
Video: Does Technology Need to be Ethical? (2 minutes)
Moz://a: Introducing IRL
Google I/O 2018 Keynotes in 14 minutes
TED: The unintended Consequences of Technology

IRL: Because Online Life is Real Life

Ethical Dilemmas

Article - Ethical Dilemma

Wiki - Ethical Dilemma

Video - TED: Ethical Dilemma: Would You Lie?

Video - Ted Talks: The Ethical Dilemma of Self-Driving Cars (4 minutes)

Teacher Resource - Oak National Academy - Ethical Impact

Teacher Resource - Oak National Academy - Cultural Impacts

The Future of [Data and Your Digital Footprint]

Resources:

Youtube: Veritasium - I used to hate QR codes. But they're actually genius (History of QR Codes)
Teacher Resources - Oak National Academy - The Law, Data Protection, and Copyright
Teacher Resources - Oak National Academy - Freedom of Information and Computer Misuse

Watch:

PBS: How Much Do Social Media Algorithms Control You?
KnowB4: QR Code Safety

Listen:

TED Radio Hour - How AI is using your data to influence you

Discussion Topics:

Discuss the ethical implications of collecting and using big data

How does the collection of big data impact individual privacy?
What are the potential benefits and harms of using big data in decision-making?
How can companies ensure they are using big data ethically?

Explore the role of big data in shaping public opinion

In what ways can big data influence the information we see online?
How might big data be used to manipulate public opinion or behavior?
What are the responsibilities of companies and governments in managing this influence?

Analyze the potential biases present in big data

How can biases enter into big data collection and analysis?
What are the consequences of biased data on decision-making processes?
What steps can be taken to minimize bias in big data?

The Future of [Privacy]

Resources:

Teacher Resource - Oak National Academy - Privacy and Surveillance
Ethical Dilemma - Location Tracking ID Cards in School

The Future of [Reputations]

Everything you do online leaves a trail. Some trails are hard to find/explore because it's well guarded, but someone has it and is doing something with it (Google, Apple, Facebook, etc.). Other trails are easy to find because you left them wide open (Social Media). What you do, what you prompt, what you say, and what you show all tell a story. A story about you that you may, or may not have intended. You can try to direct the story, but ultimately the readers get to make the final decisions about their own perception of you. Your reputation is partly what you build and partly what others interpret. How others profile you.

The following info is information generated by Gemini Pro 2.5 about online profiling.

What is Online Profiling?

Online profiling is the process where companies (like Google, Meta, Amazon, and others) collect, gather, and analyze vast amounts of data about your digital activities. The goal is to create a detailed "portrait" or profile of who you are, including your habits, preferences, interests, beliefs, and demographic information.

This profile is not just a list of facts; it's an inferred model designed to predict your future behavior. Its primary purpose is commercial: to serve you hyper-targeted advertisements or to personalize content (like your Facebook feed or YouTube recommendations) to keep you engaged on their platform longer.

What Builds Your Profile?

Companies build these profiles by tracking nearly everything you do. The data points are often small and seemingly insignificant on their own, but when combined, they create a comprehensive picture.

Examples include:

Search History (Google): Every query you type reveals an intent, a need, a curiosity, or a problem (e.g., "best running shoes," "symptoms of anxiety," "local divorce lawyers").
Social Media Activity (Facebook/Instagram/TikTok):
Likes/Reactions: Shows your stance on political issues, social movements, products, and media.
Posts & Comments: Your own words, opinions, and photos.
Friends & Connections: The saying "you are the company you keep" is applied algorithmically. Your profile is influenced by the profiles of people you interact with.
Dwell Time: The system even measures how long you pause on a photo or video, even if you don't "like" it. Pausing on a post about a specific political candidate is logged as a sign of interest.
Browsing Habits: Tracking cookies and pixels follow you from site to site. A company can see you researched a product on a blog, then looked for it on Amazon, then saw an ad for it on Facebook.
Purchase History: What you buy (and what you put in your cart but don't buy) is a powerful indicator of your lifestyle, income level, and life events (e.g., buying prenatal vitamins).
Location Data: Your smartphone's GPS tracks where you live, where you work, what stores you visit, and even which doctor's office or place of worship you attend.

How Profiles Can Damage Your Reputation

Reputation damage can come from two different directions: the algorithmic reputation created by companies and the social reputation perceived by individuals.

Damage from Company-Built Profiles (Algorithmic)

This form of damage is often invisible. You don't see the "label" the company has assigned you, but you feel its effects. The profile an algorithm builds can be a distorted, simplified, or incorrect caricature of you, which can lead to real-world consequences.

Misclassification: You search for a medical symptom for a friend, and the algorithm permanently labels you as "high-risk" or "chronically ill." This profile can be sold to data brokers and potentially used to offer you higher insurance premiums or deny you coverage.
Discriminatory Targeting: Based on your browsing, location, and inferred interests, an algorithm might place you in a specific demographic category. This could cause you to be excluded from seeing certain job advertisements, housing opportunities, or credit offers that are (sometimes illegally) not shown to your "profile type."
Simplified Assumptions: You "like" a few posts about financial planning, and the algorithm profiles you as "financially distressed." You are then bombarded with ads for predatory, high-interest loans, which can create a cycle of financial trouble.

2. Damage from Individual Interpretation (Social)

This is the more familiar form of reputational damage. It happens when other people—like friends, family, or potential employers—see your public or semi-public posts and form their own negative interpretations.

Context Collapse: You post an edgy, sarcastic joke intended for your 10 close friends. However, your post is also visible to your boss, a future college admissions officer, or a distant relative. Without the context of your personality and humor, they interpret the joke as genuine ignorance, cruelty, or unprofessionalism.
Guilt by Association: An individual might judge you based on the posts of your friends. If someone you are "friends" with on Facebook posts offensive content, others may assume you share or condone those beliefs.
Old Posts as "Evidence": A potential employer can (and often will) look up your social media history. A poorly-worded post, a complaint about a previous job, or a photo of you at a party from ten years ago can be screenshotted and used as a reason to deny you a job, painting you as "unprofessional" or "high-risk" even if it no longer reflects who you are.

Doxing is publicly posting someone's private information, such as an address, vehicle, current location, phone number, job contact info, etc. This is usually done in retribution (such as to retaliate against a post you disagreed with). Doxing is unethical and should not be done as you don't get to control the outcome of what others do with that information. People who have been doxed have lost jobs, been forced into hiding, and even had swat teams called on them which resulted in wrongful deaths.

Social Retaliation

A Note on Today's Discussion

Today we will be analyzing articles about a very recent and sensitive event: the public's online reaction to Charlie Kirk's death and the consequences many individuals faced, including doxing and job loss.

Our lesson's objective is to analyze doxing, online reputation, and how misinterpretations of our online actions can have severe, real-world consequences.

This case study is connected to intense political and moral issues that bring up strong, valid feelings for everyone. However, this is a computer science class, not a political debate.

To have a productive and safe discussion, we must all agree to these ground rules:

We WILL NOT debate the political figures, their personal stances, or related topics like gun control, LGBTQ rights, etc.
We WILL focus strictly on the outcomes of the online activity.

I am asking everyone to please keep your comments centered on our primary topics:

How intent can be misinterpreted online.
The speed at which online information spreads.
The real-world consequences (personal, professional, and legal) of digital posts.

If the conversation veers into political or religious debate, I will redirect us back to the lesson's main focus.

Case Study Articles

Re: Charlie Kirk Assassination

Video: Workers Fired for Charlie Kirk Comments discusses the legal and free-speech dimensions of employees being fired for their public comments, which is directly relevant to both case studies.

Quote analysis: "Never [post] anything you wouldn't be comfortable seeing on the front page of the New York Times"

- Will Creeley

If students find doxing articles related to other situations that seem worth posting (such as George Floyd or "Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade"), please share those with me.

Resources

Youtube - From Rating Products to People in China

The future of [Phones & Social Media]

NY Times - Do Technology Bans Work on Teenagers?

The Future of [the Technology Gap]

Essential Questions:

How does technology enable people?
How does technology disable people?

Resources:

Article: Not a Coder? With A.I., Just Having an Idea Can Be Enough. (Article is also in the AI section)
Moz://a: Digital Inclusion
Moz://a: Does the digital world need libraries?
Mozi//a: Boost your digital fitness with a data cleanse
Technology Bridging the Age Gap
IRL: All Access Pass
IRL Podcast: Digital Overload

The Future of [Education]

Essential Questions:

What is a MOOC?
How do MOOCs change education?
What are the pros and cons of MOOCs?
What tools are currently available for group collaboration?

Resources

A Wiki Paper (Missing Link - Birkel Resource)
High School MOOCs & Educators (Missing Link - Birkel Resource)

The Future of [Digital Assistants & AI]

Quote Analysis

"It is said that to explain is to explain away. This maxim is nowhere so well fulfilled as in the area of computer programming, especially in what is called heuristic programming and artificial intelligence. For in those realms machines are made to behave in wonderous ways, often sufficient to dazzle even the most experienced observer. But once a particular program is unmasked, once its inner workings are explained in language sufficiently plain to induce understanding, its magic crumbles away; it stands revealed as a mere collection of procedures, each quite comprehensible. The observer says to himself 'I could have written that.' With that thought he moves the program in question from the shelf marked 'intelligent,' to that reserved for curios, fit to be discussed only with people less enlightened than he."

Joseph Weizenbaum. MIT Professor & Inventor of the first chatbot, Eliza 1966

How does the following quote relate to the use of AI?

"We don't go to the Gym to lift weights, we go because the weights lift us"

What is AI?