EOTO #1, Invention of the Telephone

The telephone was a major communications advancement. It revolutionized the way we communicate with each other and created more efficient communication. The telephone changed our ideas of privacy, business communication, literacy, education, and overall society. 

History of the Telephone

The telephone was first invented in 1849 by Antonio Meucci, however, it is highly accredited to Graham Bell who won the US patent for the invention in 1876. In 1878 the first telephone line was created and within 3 years there were 49,000 telephones in use. This was just the beginning of the widespread use of the telephone. In 1915, the transcontinental telephone line began operating, and the telephone became a staple in the US within 50 years. This was just the start of the spread of this massive communication advancement. 

Privacy After the Telephone

The telephone changed a lot of things in the United States. One thing that changed was privacy. At first, public phones were very popular. This allowed for other people to be able to hear private conversations. Another type of phone that was popular was the party line. This was a telephone line that connected multiple houses. This could become an issue for privacy because any one of your neighbors would be able to pick up the phone and hear your call. This created a concept of being a good ‘phone neighbor’. A good phone neighbor would make their calls short, not hog the line, and if the line was already in use, put the phone down and wait a few minutes to try again for your call. The invention of the telephone also popularized telemarketers and spam. This was also considered an invasion of privacy. Although there were negative effects on privacy because of the telephone, it also helped protect privacy in some ways. The telephone permitted people to share information without writing it down. This helped for talking to doctors, or lawyers about private things. The telephone also replaced unexpected visits from relatives or the appearance of door-to-door salesmen, because they would call instead. With all different kinds of advancements to the telephone, there still remain concerns and protections involving privacy. 

Effect on Business Communication

Business communication was another change that resulted from the invention of the telephone. The telephone made it easier and more efficient for businesses to communicate internally and externally. Sending messages became much more efficient. This would help with things like advertisement, or the sharing of general information. The telephone also expanded on the area a business could reach. This helped businesses or a national scale to get their product or service out there. Lastly, the telephone would help to build a stronger network of customers. This came from the ability to reach different areas with their message. 

Changes in Literacy and Education

Another change that the telephone created was changes in literacy and education. Before the telephone, communication was spread from writing. Letters were a popular way to get one's message out. Writing strengthened intrapersonal skills but the telephone worked to move society back towards focusing on oral communication rather than written communication. The telephone created a stronger communal feel to society. Verbal communication stresses the importance of listening, group learning, cooperation, and a sense of social responsibility. Educationally, the way students learned after the telephone was invented changed. Although there was still a reliance on written language in textbooks to learn, the telephone and advances in the telephone led to new access to information.

Effects on Society

There were also overall societal changes that resulted from the invention of the telephone. There was new efficiency in sharing ideas, beliefs, and events. Working with others became easier. This helped with things like new ideas and inventions. Also, the thought process of individuals became more self-reflective. In written language, you could take your time to make sure you were saying the right thing. With the invention of the telephone, people were more careful about what they said, and it became a bigger thing to think before you speak. 

The overall effect of the telephone struck the United States on a national level. The telephone still continues to affect the way we do things and communicate. As technological advancements happen, we are able to change the way communication works. 

Privacy in the Digital Age

    The Ted talks about privacy revealed shocking information about what the government and different people can have access to based on the calls you make, the things you post, the places you drive to, and the messages you send. In today's world, communication relies heavily on technology, but privacy is being invaded through these technologies. 

The issues of the invasion of privacy through technology affect everyone. As a young adult who uses social media, the idea of a digital footprint is very prominent to my life. In the Ted Talk spoken by Juan Enriquez, he uses the metaphor of a digital tattoo. There is so much information that can be found out about a person through the internet even without speaking to that person. What we post everyday can never fully be taken away, and that information can be tracked. The ted talk by Catherine Crump reveals how license plates are tracked constantly. The story about a man who found out the police had information about everywhere he went, even a picture of him and his daughters getting out of his car in their own driveway, was especially shocking. This is an issue that is close to everyone. My friends, family, and I all drive places. Although none of us have legally done anything that would need to be tracked by the government or police, they have information about anywhere we have driven. This is concerning to think about because private information is not private anymore. The Ted talk by Christopher Soghoian talked about wiretapping and how the government has access to phone conversations. Everyone uses messages, calls, and other types of electronic communication to talk to friends, family, doctors, and more. Not only is the government able to access these conversations, but so is any intelligence agency that hacks into the wiretapping. To me, this is concerning because why are my conversations, as a nineteen year old, able to be so easily accessed? 

The government should not have access to this information. The government should enforce laws that make local police stations delete the data of innocent people and their whereabouts. There should also be laws protecting cyber harassment through the sharing of private images. Encryption features in telephone companies should be enforced to protect private conversations between people, and to protect people from other governments being able to access this information.

There are many things that people can do to protect themselves. Some companies have encryption software in place that makes it extremely difficult for the government to access electronic information. People should research which communication companies have these softwares and use them. Another thing people can do is to be extremely aware of their digital footprint. Think before you post something and understand that nothing truly goes away forever on the internet. 

The Eight Values of Free Expression

The eight values of free expression are vital to the United States. They allow people to express their First Amendment right of free speech. Each of these values comes together to make Americans have their freedom, and each value is important in its own right. 

Although each value is important I do find that the one I see as most valuable to be the value of checking on government power. Within the government, there is a system of checks and balances, but the right of the people to check the government is what makes the United States a government of the people and for the people. As highlighted in the explanation of this value, freedom of the press comes to importance with this value. The press helps the general public learn about the abuse of power in the government, and then the people can do something about the abuse of power if they see fit. This helps the general public to be a part of the government, and keep things fair within society. 

The value that I feel most personally connected to is Individual Self-Fulfillment, or self-actualization. The ability that I have as an American to express myself and create my own identity is important to me. As a college-age American, I am learning about myself and what I want my future to be. I place a lot of value in having the freedom to make my own path and identity for myself through free speech. 

I see the value of participation in Self-Government today. With it being election season, debates are important for everyone to be updated on and be able to listen to. Debates are essential for voters to be informed on candidates' policies and therefore vote based on the knowledge they gain. Another value I see today is the Marketplace of Ideas. This is another essential value of freedom. This value I also see relating to the current election season. In politics, there is an unfortunate frequency of lies being spread. This value allows for the truth and the lies to fight themselves because the truth will win. This value also highlights the importance of freedom of the press. Milton who suggested this idea was against having a license to print or publish. This way, the press is able to talk about any issues occurring at the moment, and the truth is able to come out. 

Promoting tolerance, innovation, and dissent are 3 other values that hold a lot of importance in our society today. Tolerance is a concept that can be hard to grapple with. Hate speech is something that is heavily disagreed on, no one can agree on what exactly qualifies as hate speech, However, because hate speech is protected, it allows society to promote tolerance. Society is what punishes people for saying things that hurt other people. In this way, we are able to create a society of tolerance. Innovation is important to the progress of the United States. The ability of citizens to be creative and come up with new ideas and
then share them creates a society that promotes innovation. Lastly, dissent holds a value of importance. Similar to tolerance, people are allowed to say what they want and believe what they want to believe. This allows for criticism of the government. This is important because without criticism of the government, they would be allowed to do whatever they want. 

All of the values of free expression come together to make America the free society it is. These values exist in our everyday life even when we don't realize it. 

History and Workings of the U.S. Supreme Court

 The Supreme Court video gave insight into how the Supreme Court works, and what goes on inside the court. This video taught me a lot about the Supreme Court that I didn’t know. The justices read around 100 case proposals a week, and only take around 100 a year. Once the case gets accepted and goes to the Supreme Court, lawyers have 30 minutes to make arguments before the court. While they make these arguments, the justices are asking clarifying questions about the case to make sure all justices are on the same page. The justices frequently use the lawyer as a bridge to talk to the other judges to make sure they are all on the same page. The questions are asked to bring out information that was not presented in the briefs. Once both 30-minute arguments are made the justices have a private conference where they try to come to a decision. This discussion is completely private with no clerks or secretaries present. They find a majority decision. Once justice from the majority side is chosen to write an opinion explaining the legal reasons for the decision. Law clerks help to assist with this decision and it is an extensive process. Separate decisions are often written from the minority side. There are many revisions and different drafts of the opinion. Oftentimes the majority decision becomes the minority after several drafts. The process involves lots of compromises. After the decision is made, it is released to the press and they can have it printed in hours. 

The most important take-away from the video was the extensive process of how the court works, and what goes into forming the people who are in the court. The process of putting justices in the court includes being chosen by the president, then the senate confirming. This is what gives the public some sort of say in the court. The actual process of trying court cases takes months. Then after the trial, the judges have extensive discussions.  

The most surprising thing I learned is the amount of cases they get and have to choose between. Only taking 100 cases a year is hardly anything compared to the amount they receive, 100 a month. 

This video changed the way I thought about the Supreme Court, because it put into perspective all the decision making the process is. I did not realize how much work and time goes into making the decisions. There is also a lot of thought put into who can become a supreme court justice

Top Five Sources of News and Information

There are several social media sites that I am able to receive news from. Social media is my main intake of news. Through reposting, algorithms, and “viral videos”, I am able to see news that is relevant to my interests. Whether this be pop culture, political, or world news, I am able to get a wide variety of news on multiple different platforms through social media. The platform I get my news from the most would probably be Instagram. There are many accounts that are constantly posting news updates. I would recommend using social media for general information about what is going on in the world, but everyone should do more research than what they originally see on social media because it typically is not an extremely reliable source. 

My parents are another source from which I receive my news. My parents are constantly sending me articles and asking if I have seen or heard about this. This is how I get most of my updates about political news because my parents want me to stay updated on the political climate of the world. My parents are a semi-reliable source of news. They typically only send me news from right-wing media so I would have to research on my own to get the other side of issues. However, it is helpful to get news updates from my parents. 

The New York Times is another source of news that I enjoy looking at. They feature many types of news from domestic news, to national news, and to international news. There are many different sources of news that can be viewed on the New York Times which is helpful to extend my reach of information that I see. Also, according to the media bias chart, the New York Times is fairly centered on the scale and doesn't have a lot of bias in it. 

Apple News is another source of news that is easily accessible. The apple news updates pop up on my phone sometimes and if something catches my eye, I like to read it. Apple News also has an algorithm that filters articles that the user would be interested in. This is convenient because it gives me things that I have looked into in the past and would be of interest to me. 

Lastly, I use google news to keep myself updated on current and past events. It is a convenient site to quickly look up news that I want to hear about. Google News features articles from all types of news platforms which allows me to stay unbiased and look at all sides of current event issues. Like Apple News, Google News also features an algorithm that suggests news articles that would be of interest to me. This is helpful so I can keep myself updated on news that I would need updates on.