Every single day, billions of people spend countless seconds, minutes, and hours on social media. Why?
This occurs in part because it is the business of social media companies to do their best to hold you captive. They want their sites to be “sticky,” so that you spend your time (and ultimately your money) there.
Thus, at bottom, as businesses that have as their appropriate mission the duty to maximize profits for shareholders, they compete fiercely for the attention of social media users.
Has our ability to stay present in the real world largely been destroyed by the internet? If so, how has that happened? If we erected internet “stop signs” would we be better off?
While we were saturated with different sources of information, news, and entertainment as recently as the Twentieth Century, those sources had naturally occurring stop cues that allowed us to pause and consider disengaging from the sources. Continue reading “We Need Internet Stop Signs”
Most of us are aware that our personally identifiable information, like our credit card numbers, are at risk when retailers are hacked. However, there may be even greater risks. Indeed, the U.S. government has issued a recent warning about a hacking campaign targeting nuclear and energy sectors. Continue reading “Are Nuclear and Energy Sectors at Risk of Hacking?”
It is natural for us to ponder the future and to wonder what is coming next. For example, right now we are considering how far will Artificial Intelligence (AI) go. Will more and more of our lives be facilitated positively by AI? Or, will AI robots ultimately work toward their own superiority and survival over that of their human creators? But let’s also consider the history of the future. What were past predictions of the future? And what about future look backs to this present time? Continue reading “The History of the Future and Back”
Perhaps you saw the movie “Ex Machina” a couple years ago. In that movie, a male internet coder was drawn into an unusual experiment, as he engaged with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) being provided in the form of a very attractive female robot. Is this the stuff of science fiction, or are we already dealing with AI, even when we do not know that is the case? Continue reading “Are You Dealing With a Real Person or AI?”
When we think of addictions, we typically think of alcohol and drugs. But, are many of us addicted to the internet? The answer apparently is a resounding “yes.”
Indeed, according to a study conducted by scientists in Italy and the United Kingdom, habitual internet users often experience heightened heart rates and blood pressure when they go offline. And, according to an article posted on Scroll.in, these physical changes are similar to those found in people who cease their frequently used sedatives and opioid drugs. Continue reading “Addicted to the Internet?”
Since the internet expanded beyond the narrow confines of the military and a few educational institutions and became a more general phenomenon, there has been concern about the internet haves and have-nots. There has been talk about the digital divide — meaning those who already have greater resources will get further ahead by virtue of internet access, leaving those without resources and access even more behind and in the dust. Well, is that about to change? Continue reading “Global Internet Access for Everyone?”
Let’s face it — many of us are addicted to our tech gadgets. We constantly have to check our smart phones for all sorts of communications and updates. Of course, this can be problematical, especially when we might want to reach for our handheld devices while driving our cars. Indeed, texting while driving can be rather dangerous; it is difficult to focus on your driving while looking down into your phone to text.
But if you manage to text while driving without causing an accident, are you out of the woods? Not necessarily. And what if you are involved in an accident? Well, you may be busted by a “textalyzer.”
Sure, sure, like most of us, you use Amazon often to buy things online and have them delivered to your home without the hassle of actually having to go out to the store. So, given your buying familiarity with Amazon, you might think you know quite a bit about the company. But perhaps there is much more to know.
Indeed, in a recent book by Brad Stone, titled “The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon,” profiled by Business Insider, much is revealed that you might not know. (And yes, big surprise, you can purchase the book on Amazon). Continue reading “What You Might Not Know About Amazon”
Artificial Intelligence (AI) sounds exciting in terms of what AI can do for humans; however, a more fully automated world comes with a price — many jobs lost that were previously performed by humans. This is especially true in specific employment sectors: sales, customer service, transportation, shipping/logistics and healthcare/legal paraprofessionals.
A recent article posted on Futurism.com walks through each of these sectors and how they will be impacted by AI. Continue reading “Watch Out for Your Job — Artificial Intelligence Is Coming”
