EOTO, Pt. 1 and 2

Illusory Truth Effect 

The Implications 

What is it? Illusory Truth Effect- the tendency to believe false information is true after repeated exposure. 

People tend to believe things to be true if they are in line with what they already believe. People are more likely to believe something if it goes with their values, morals, standards, or if someone in their immediate sphere of influence believes it to be true, who they look up to, or tend to relate the most to. 

According to Wikipedia, in a recent study they found that familiarity can actually overpower rationality and constantly hearing something, even if it is wrong, can influence a person's beliefs very strongly. Basically, this is exactly what the illusory truth effect does, it just makes you believe something is true, when it is not, through repetition. 

Affecting Society 

As you can imagine, this has devastating effects on things like elections, news media, politics, and advertising. 

After hearing a piece of information so many times, even when it is not true in this case, eventually the source of the information does not even matter. Typically, we tend to believe new information if it comes from a source we have interacted with before or has the same or similar view to us. In the illusory effect, after hearing something so many times, regardless if the source is not credible, you will still believe it. Now that poses a problem, doesn't it? Believing false information is one thing, but also believing a source that you know is not credible is another. It starts to become a thought like this, "Well, I know that news source is unreliable, but I have heard that from so many different people that they must be right, at least this time, concerning this." An issue, right? We practically start convincing ourselves to believe in things we normally would not, or sources we know better than to trust. If you think about it, it sounds like brainwashing, but brainwashing yourself. Obviously, this has a huge impact on society. Take voting in an election, for example. Say you have someone my age, 20s, a college student, new to voting, who does not know much about politics. On all platforms of social media targeted to our generation, we get political campaign adds all the time. Even if you do not know who the person is, or do not follow it, you are retaining some of the information you hear in the campaign video. Now imagine you decide to go vote, as you should, and you go to pick a governor and just associate a person's name with a snippet of the opposing runner's campaign against them and associate the two when you are there. Then, you think, "Oh, I remember hearing something bad about them, or that they wanted to raise taxes, so I am just going to vote for the other guy even though I dont know him or anything about him," This is just as much of a problem as believing incredible news sources. You are just associating the name with some piece of information that you do not even know to be true, from some platform you can't even remember to be credible. 

Different Segment Effection 

When I think of how this can effect different segments of society I think of the news sources and advertising. I hate to say this, but a lot of the time advertising is just a lie mixed with a good slogan. And the news? Can not even be trusted these days anyway. Advertising and news/media are two things that effect everyone on the planet, rich or poor. The news and media are skewed to favor the rich and pity the poor. With that being said, throw the illusory truth effect in there, and we have a nice recipe for disaster. When you are a kid and you see an ad for something on tv that you really want, the first thing you do is beg your parents and then save up the money when they say no, or wait for a holiday. Imagine wanting something so bad youve seen in an ad, but your parents, and you, can not afford it. However, the more you see the ad the more you know you NEED the item. Then, you get so driven to save your money for something that is probably not worth the money, because you are convinced you need it through so much exposure. That, and what if they tell you in the ad that this item has crazy affects. It'll make you psychic, fly to the moon, and become rich and famous. Then you waste time, money, effort, getting the product and believe it will change your life. This can get to all social classes, all levels of society, and every human being on earth who can comprehend english and owns a television. 

How It Effects You and Me

Everyone and anyone can fall a victim to this. My best advice, since this can and will affect everyone, is just pick and choose carefully about what you believe. Fact checking your sources, online and in person, is never frowned upon. I do not think there is much of a way to escape something like this since it is all around us, so trying to mediate it and take everything with a grain of salt will put your mind at ease. Making informed decisions can be hard, but do your best with what you got. Listen to your gut, that will never steer you wrong. 

And remember, believe none of what you hear, and half of what you see.
- Edgar Allan Poe

If you want to check out part two, here is the link!

https://prezi.com/p/edit/_9b48fnpw0_v/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_truth_effect

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psych-unseen/202001/illusory-truth-lies-and-political-propaganda-part-1

https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/xge-0000098.pdf
https://prezi.com/p/edit/_9b48fnpw0_v/

Online Privacy

Privacy? In this online day and age it really doesn't seem like we have any... or at times, it at least does not feel like it.
I almost dreaded learning about how the government and huge corporations use your information, and how frequently, and what for. I know it is so important to monitor your online presence, but in a century where everything is so technologically driven, it is so easy to give information up with the click of a button. Literally. I noticed when I started using my credit card for more online school related purchases, my MacBook would save my credit card information. Anytime I was at a checkout on any website, it would ask me, "Do you want to use this card ending in ****?" in a separate pop up window from the website. I understand technology like that was designed to help us out, or at least have us think so at the surface level, but it frightened me. I did not want my laptop remembering my card information. Plus, that is dangerous for me because it leads me to buy more and more because technology makes it so easy.

But if my MacBook knows my credit card number by heart, I am sure the corporations I buy from have that information stored somewhere too. The first TedTalk made an amazing comparison: social media and other online sources are just digital tattoos. Let that sink in! How scary is that? Something you do not want to think about or admit, I know I don't. But, it is true. Everything online is permanent and you have to be careful about what is put out there, like a credit card number! Anyone can look up anything about you, which I hate.

Much like what the second TedTalk was saying about the license plate reader cameras, I always thought they were red light cameras. And I think some of them are, but why not read your license plate and generate a virtual game of SIMS to play?? Edition? Your own life!
I.... I am not sure what to say here. I love writing these blog posts, but on a topic like this I just can't really say anything profound or anything that has not been said. Yes, it is scary that this is going on. No, it is not okay. But, what is anyone going to do about it? The sad and scary reality is, even if you live "off the grid" you can not escape from things like this because that is just what the world is now. It is sad, I know, and really screwed up, I agree, but I am just exasperated even thinking about what to do to help that because I just dont think there is anything.

In the end, you just need to do what is best for you. If you want to go off the grid, go for it. If you do not want social media, do not download it. If you do not want the gov to read your license plate, do not buy a car. But things like the last one are just so impractical that they put you in a corner. Plus, they will get you some other way. So, I say, just do what makes you happy. Just do not be a criminal and there really is no need to strike any immediate fear or panic into yourself or anyone else. We are all in the same boat here.

My Online Presence

Much like the article about the 14-year-old girl and her online privacy, she mentioned that her school had someone come and talk about their online presence. In my middle school, we had the same thing. We would have someone come once a year to talk to all the students about their online profiles and ways to stay safe. Although mostly geared towards us feeling guilty about what we post, and not so much about staying safe from predators, the message came across loud and clear.

Thinking back on those talks we got once a year, I am glad we had them. I think it would have been wholly beneficial to have them in high school too, especially as a freshman. It would remind those 'bad teens' what to be vary of posting on their social media since many of us would be going to college a few years later and needed to maintain a reputation.

One of the biggest things, only looking back on it now though, I am grateful for is my mother not letting me have social media at all. There was no age where I was allowed to have it, so when I did get an instagram in about 6th/7th grade, my mom knew immediately and actually created an account to follow me to keep me in line. Now, I am a good student. Those talks we had in middle school scared me pretty good. I have a good head on my shoulders anyway and always knew how to be responsible, but my mom getting social media to track my social media did give me an extra edge that at the time I did not want. However, I am glad she did it because it did make me think twice even about the things I would say in my captions. A lot of the time she followed people I was also friends with to see what I would comment on their posts. I knew my language had to always be clean and my comments should always be positive, which should be the case regardless if your parents have social media.

It was ingrained in me at a young age to be wary of your online presence, from school to at home. When I first got a twitter freshman year of high school, my mother screamed at me and told me not only to deactivate the account, even though I NEVER posted on it, and delete the app. She really did not let me have any form of social media she did not approve of. Part of me thinks she just wanted me to delete it because she did not want to have to make a twitter and monitor me. Honestly, as angry as I was back then, I do not blame her now. I am happy I never was allowed to have any of that. It made me not care about social media in a time when that was the only thing anyone really cared about at my age.

Neither of my parents had facebook, and therefore neither did I. I never had the slightest desire to have a Facebook, and still dont, especially with how much they exploit everyone on it and all the dirt that is being surfaced about it. My younger brother is 17 now and he does not have a Facebook either. Much like the rest of my family, he has no desire for it.

Social media is also a huge waste of time and energy. Inevitably, you are going to wind up caring about how others view you on those apps and that can make you very self- conscious. IT ISNT WORTH IT! Do not let your view of yourself be dictated by numbers on the internet! It is so unhealthy and can really damage, at least girl's, self- confidence so much... and for what reason? misery? There are going to be times, in high school especially, where you are going to see things on social media that you dont ever want to see. Maybe someones naked pictures got leaked, maybe your friends are hanging out without you, maybe your boyfriend is seen fraternizing with other girls... you might as well save yourself and dodge that bullet when you can.

I do notice that social media has different phases. In middle school, its all very wholesome content. Pictures of your pets, your friends, maybe you at the school dance, things you may find on your mother's facebook page. Then come high school, shit hits the fan and social media gets really dark. We never used to have such a big problem with cyber bullying until this age of social media either. We entered an era where people think that they only need to fend for themselves when they should just be making friends, then instead wind up only making enemies and being miserable. Then the college phase of social media blossoms where everyone uses it to kind of flaunt where they are now- whether that is in a sorority or fraternity, vacationing somewhere expensive, doing charity work for Habit for Humanity, or just hyping their gorgeous friends up, to me it seems more wholesome. College kids are either in college now and have a way better sense of what they can and can't post, being a part of affiliations like greeklife that limit their involvement online, and being able to legally drink and post it appropriately are all good signs of a healthy college life that wont make you lose a job in the future. Yes, maybe college is a time to party and find yourself and make endless mistakes, but the goal of college is to further your education and get a stable career after you graduate and social media posts can ruin that, and I think people know that more at that age.

I can speak on how my social media presence has changed coming to college, especially being affiliated with a sorority. my sorority has a very strict social media policy; they make you sign a social media contract once you get initiated. It seems like the rules are insane and that you really are not allowed to post anything you want, but its all to promote positivity not only in the chapter, but in the world. At least Alpha Chi, they look out for you on social media, that is why there are such strict rules in place. They are there because they want you to succeed. Don't get me wrong, it is so easy to get angry at the standards board when they make you take down certain posts, however, it is important to not lose sight of why they care and what they are doing to make you better people. I learned recently, in chapter, that when interviewing for a big job, say for a corporation or big name brand, they can actually purchase your snapchat stories... and not just the recent ones, every single one of them. The whole history of things that are posted on your private and public snapchat stories can be bought by potential employers and can potentially make you lose your job if you are not smart about what you post.

My social media presence is almost nonexistent. I use my instagram once every six months and I post basically only sorority pictures in formal wear. On my story I will post Alpha Chi affiliated tags or birthday posts, and that is it. Maybe a nice concert video or beach wave crashing down here and there, but nothing that you can't find stock images of online. I have snapchat, and I send a snapchat to everyone basically once a day. I never post on my snap story unless it is similar to the content I post on my instagram story. Snapchat and Instagram are the only two social medias I own and have accounts for, and I have every intention of keeping it that way. I really do not care about my presence on either of them. I don't feel the need to post on there excessively, if at all, and everything I post I know if I showed it to my grandma and grandpa, they would think it is not only appropriate, but cute and innocent. That is exactly the way I want it. All my accounts are private, and I never give out any of my personal information other than the school I go to on my instagram. My last name is not even in my bio. I don't need people finding me and I do not need anyone knowing any of my personal information; it is personal for a reason.

In the end, this world is crazy honestly. You need to live your life, no matter how crazy it is, but people dont need to see it. You do not need to broadcast it to the whole world. If anything, being mysterious online and private is the best thing you can do for yourself. Make sure all your accounts are private, don't post anything your boss would not want to see, and be smart about the things you say when you are online. Having an instagram and posting an appropriate bikini picture, you and your girlfriends at the sorority formal, you and your boyfriend on a Valentines dinner date, or even a birthday shoutout are things that are okay to post about. However, if you want to get blackout drunk every weekend because that is your business, although I am in no way recommending that, then go ahead. Just don't post it anywhere and dont let your friends post it anywhere either. Those pictures and videos are for you and your friends to look back on IN PRIVATE. Show the world your sophisticated side through social media, and then live your life however you want to outside of that. We dont all need to, nor want to keep tabs on your, nor do we care!


Just be safe and smart... you and the world need it.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90315706/kids-parents-social-media-sharing
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/facebook-users-still-dont-know-how-facebook-works/580546/
https://www.fastcompany.com/section/the-privacy-divide
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/04/facebook-asked-some-users-for-their-email-passwords-because-why-not/

TikTok and Its Popularity

I don't think there is any way that anyone, no matter the generation, has not at least heard or seen the logo for the new app called TikTok.

Social Media in today's day and age spreads like wildfire, even if the app sucks. Sometimes all anyone needs is something stupid and mindless to waste time with, even if the prosperity of the app is short. But have you ever come across an app and just thought, "why? just why?" I know I have, and I am sure so many others have too. There are many of times why I wonder certain trends catch on, for example, the reemergence of bell bottoms.. not sure why those came back, and I find myself wondering that about many social media apps.

I am not saying TikTok is one of those that I hate, or dread the existence of, at least anymore, because I hate to admit that I use it daily and for too long. However, there was a time when I was a TikTok hater. I despised that it was the new trend, I thought the premise was stupid and copying Vine, and I thought the hype around it was not deserved. I do still think all of these things, however, I have downloaded the app and do find myself laughing at a majority of the videos.

For those that do not know, TikTok is an app you can go on and make short 15 to 60 second videos. Content ranges from cooking, comedy, art, music, and the most popular being dances. Not to be confused with YouTube, a far superior platform, that you can watch and upload endless videos on and generate revenue from. A more wholesome platform, in my opinion.

If you have ever heard of the app Vine, which is described as, "an application that enables users to record and share an unlimited amount of short, looping video clips with a maximum length of six seconds," by Searchcio, you would understand what TikTok is.. because it is the exact same thing.

Vine was all the rage back when it reigned in 2013 until its doom in 2016 when Twitter, the owner, announced a shut down of the app. People in my generation and the generation above loved to not only view, but create, content on the app. I never had Vine, again because I thought it was dumb, but all my friends did and I had watched some during its lifetime. When Twitter killed Vine, I can not tell you how many millions of people were upset. And I understand- many people were making their livelihoods on that app and had some true talent. But, you would have thought that the ending of Vine was the beginning of a World War there was so much outrage. When Vine finally did kick the can, people were devastated. It was not until TikTok was created that very same year, that caused people to find joy again. Sad.

I always wondered why apps like Vine and now TikTok just absolutely blow up out of nowhere, when seemingly there is nothing more to it than media sharing. Then, I learned there was a whole theory behind this exact fad: Diffusion of Innovations, coined by Everette Rogers. This theory basically tries to figure out why, how, and what rate new ideas and innovations spread, socially. There are four main criteria that I have gathered that help with this theory: the innovation itself, communication channels, time, and social system, according to Rogers and Wikipedia.

Now, with TikTok, I understand why something like this blew up so fast. Picture this: it is early 2016 and Vine is now dead. The world is in shambles. Angsty preteens everywhere are at a loss for time killing, and need something to fill the void. Then, with seemingly perfect timing, as always, here comes China with the creation of TikTok! Hope, happiness, and faith were all restored in the now older angsty preteens of that era, and the world has achieved equilibrium once more.
Short success, at first, yes, then absolute madness ensued from 2018 until present day. TikTok blew up like the world was ending. Upon researching Roger's theory, it all makes sense now. TikTok was resurrecting the dead. Talk about time... no time was wasted in the siege of this app. China knew Vine died and scrambled to get Vine's doppleganger out as soon as they could. They preyed on the young in their time of weakness and grieving, and had massive success. Time, well it could not have been more perfect. It did not need time to even circulate because kids were used to its better twin sister Vine, they were already accustomed. As for social system, well they knew how to target their audience. The same kids that loved and missed Vine... these were the ones who devoured TikTok. The innovation itself was so far from original, in fact, it was basically copy righted, but that is exactly what made it blow up. The people wanted a replacement, and that is what they got. It was almost too easy of a success, but still followed every principle of the theory to a tee.

In the end, Roger's was right. You just need a semi-decent idea, an audience who is willing, and the social platform needed to create something amazing.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok
https://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/Vine-Vine-app