Author: Ayushee Kalura

Social media has become a widespread necessity in many people’s lives. Content creators rely on it for their livelihood, while many others use it for entertainment. Facebook has nearly 3 billion profiles, which goes to show how many people truly use it. Throughout the years, the uses of social media have changed greatly. From what was once only a means of entertainment is now essentially a new search engine. With this growth, social media has a significant impact on the environment. From promoting overconsumption, to electrical use, there any many ways in which social media impacts the environment negatively. 

With the rise of TikTok, the proliferation of fast fashion and the constant need to haul new clothing and accessories has become more prominent. Fast fashion is a term used to describe the mass production of cheap, trendy clothing that is designed to be worn for a short period of time before being thrown away. This has been fueled by the popularity of social media, where influencers and celebrities constantly showcase their latest fashion hauls and encourage their followers to buy the same items. As people watch their favorite influencers ‘rave’ about the newest products, they feel pressured to keep up with the trends and buy the same items, creating a never-ending cycle of overconsumption. Often times, these products are used once or twice before being discarded, filling up landfills at a much faster rate. Fast fashion relies on the constant production of new clothing, as trends will change rapidly, which requires vast amounts of resources and generates a significant amount of pollution. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world, second only to the oil industry.

In addition to its environmental impact, social media also contributes to our growing “digital footprint.” Every time we post a photo or leave a comment, we generate data that is stored on servers, which requires a significant amount of energy to power and maintain. The increasing amount of data being generated by social media has led to the construction of more and more data centers, which are major consumers of electricity and can have a negative impact on the environment. 

In order to combat the negative effects of social media on the environment, it is important for individuals to take responsibility for their own consumption habits and digital footprint. This can involve making a conscious effort to buy fewer items of clothing and choosing higher quality, sustainable options instead of supporting fast fashion brands. It can also mean reducing our use of social media and being mindful of the amount of data we generate. 

Overall, while social media has many perks, it is important to recognize the multitude of ways in which it can also harm the environment. Next time you post or share something, remember your digital footprint. When tempted to buy something you’ve seen online, ask yourself, “Do I really need this, or do I only want it because everyone else has it?”

Within the past 200,000 years, modern humans began to appear. Though it took thousands of years to get to the Industrial Revolution, since then, technology has grown exponentially. In fact, the majority of new breakthroughs in technology have occurred within the past 250 years. Compared to the span of human existence, this time period is fractional, and it goes to show the rapid changes made in the technology sector. 

In 1942, the first modern digital computer was built, and it weighed over 700 pounds. This machine was called the Atanasoff–Berry computer, or ABC. This machine was built to compute calculations with up to 29 variables, and it performed one operation every 15 seconds. Fast forward only 80 years to 2022, when Apple released their new Macbook Air. This laptop barely weighs 3 pounds and can perform millions of computations per second. It has a 1080p camera and has configurable storage up to 2T. Not even at 1% of the weight of the ABC, the Macbook Air can do so much more, and only within 80 years of development too. What the ABC could do then, the Apple Watch can do now. The progress has been extremely rapid in the last few years, and that leads me to stop and wonder: Will we hit a roadblock soon? Will there be no more changes left to make? What’s next in the future of technology?

Every couple of years, humans make incredible progress in the technological world. In the last 2,000 years, technology has advanced exponentially. When we imagine the future, we think of robots, advanced technologies, and even a cyberpunk-esque environment. The 1985 classic film, Back to the Future, got a lot right about modern technology, but it was also quite ambitious with some predictions. For example, the flying car, hoverboard, and the sleep-inducing alpha rhythm generator are all inventions that don’t exist today. On the other hand, the power lacing shoes, drones, and biometric devices are examples of technology that do exist now. Now while some of these technologies might never exist, one can’t help but wonder, which ones will? In the 20th century, the idea of the future was very metallic, robotic, and monochromatic. Now when we imagine the future, we imagine AI, big cities, and advanced tech in every aspect of our lives. So what does the future hold for us? 

I think what we currently envision for the future is only partially accurate. Just like in Back to the Future, only some of the technologies actually came to be. While we have an idea of what the future holds, part of it is shrouded in uncertainty, and it won’t be something we’ll be able to predict. Our future technological advancements primarily depend on what we need, and that need could change with multiple factors, like climate change, overpopulation, and etc. Artificial intelligence wasn’t a larger concept until the last couple of years, so it was never in the predictions for future technologies until recently. Now that it has become such a widespread topic, we think of it as the ‘next big thing.’ So while we can have some idea about what the future holds for us, we can’t fully predict what it has in store. Maybe civilization will never have a need for flying cars, or maybe we might need to develop technology to live underwater. Who knows?

Sources:

https://theconversation.com/what-was-the-first-computer-122164#:~:text=The%20first%20mechanical%20computer%2C%20The,computer%20we%20all%20use%20today.&text=The%20ABC%20weighed%20over%20700,had%20small%20capacitors%20on%20it. 

https://www.vulture.com/2014/12/which-back-to-the-future-ii-tech-is-closest.html 

If you think of science fiction, you might think of Victor Frankenstein. Originally from Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein, the creature and its lore has been modified over the centuries, but the general idea has remained quite the same. The story follows an ambitious student of natural sciences, Victor Frankenstein, who creates artificial life from pieces of corpses. Now, most people assume the creature is named Frankenstein, although that is the name of the scientist who created it and the monster itself is just known as Frankenstein’s monster. When you think of the monster, you probably imagine some stitched up humanoid creature, with nuts and bolts and different colored body parts, pale gray or even a light blue/green shade. But you get the idea: it’s a creature composed of body parts from several different corpses. What if I told you that there is an actual science relating to what Frankenstein did? It’s not exactly creating artificial life from human body parts, but it’s transplanting living cells, tissue, or even organs from one species to another. While it sounds like a concept straight out of a science fiction novel, it is in fact a real scientific concept that has been used in the past and present, and it is known as xenotransplantation. 

Why is this even a concept? Frankly, it sounds impossible. But it is an important subject, and it is a very heavily debated one. In the USA currently, there is a long list of patients waiting to receive an organ transplant. There aren’t enough organ donors to meet the demand, and as a result, 17 people die daily waiting for a transplant. When there’s such a shortage of donors, we need to turn to science to help us find a solution. One proposed solution has been xenotransplantation, which is not a new concept in medicine, but very heavily debated, and hasn’t had much success proving itself as a viable option. The biggest concern with xenotransplantation right now is success. Every trial of it has ended in the death of the patient, largely due to infections and complications with the body accepting a foreign organ. The first recorded case of heart xenotransplantation was in 1964, when Dr. James Hardy transplanted a chimpanzee heart into a semi-comatose patient experiencing a vascular disease. The transplant was only successful for a couple of hours, before the patient passed away due to the chimpanzee heart not being large enough to support the blood circulation. 

Potential animal donors include pigs, chimpanzees, and baboons; primates being the most common due to their compatibility with humans. Currently, there is a lot of research going into genetically modifying these organs to be compatible with the human body. A more recent case of xenotransplantation was a kidney transplant in September of 2021. While the donor recipient was technically deceased and placed on a ventilator, the point of the transplant was to study the function of the kidney and watch for signs of rejection. In this case, the kidney was a genetically modified pig kidney. Throughout the period of study, which lasted 54 hours, no signs of rejection were detected and key indicators of a properly functioning kidney were present. This is a huge step towards the implementation of xenotransplantation in the future, but much more research remains to be done. 

Ethical concerns are also brought up in discussion of xenotransplantation. There is a public health risk associated with cross-species transplantation; we do not know how interactions with the donor recipient and the general public will go and if there is risk of disease transmission. Therefore, the question is brought up: can we allow xenotransplantation if it will affect people outside the recipient and how do we gauge that level of consent? Aside from public health, animal rights are also brought into question. Animals cannot speak for themselves and therefore do not have a say in what happens to them. Is it ethical to use animals like chimpanzees and pigs solely for their organs, and if not, what makes it different from raising animals to kill them for their meat? Is killing a primate more serious than killing a pig due to its proximity to humans? What actually lets us determine if it is or isn’t ethical to raise and kill animals for the purpose of using their organs? What are our limits, as human beings? These are only a couple of questions raised when debating the ethics of xenotransplantation. 

Until the risk of transmission of animal pathogens is eradicated, and researchers actually find a way for cross-species transplants to be successful, xenotransplantation remains out of the question as a solution to the organ donor shortage. We cannot think of xenotransplantation until we make a medical breakthrough that would allow it to be a success, and have recorded success. The ethical debates surrounding it also can only be considered when progress is made. Regardless of the chance of success, it is still an interesting topic to think about. The implications of xenotransplantation affect subjects just beyond organ donors; cross-species medicine could be the future. While it isn’t the same science as Frankenstein, the intersection of science and science fiction is truly amazing to see. 

Sources: 

https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/xenotransplantation 

https://www.organdonor.gov/learn/organ-donation-statistics 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3246856/ 

https://nyulangone.org/news/progress-xenotransplantation-opens-door-new-supply-critically-needed-organs 

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/organfarm/regulators/clark.html#:~:text=Ethical%20issues%20concerning%20xenotransplantation%20include,given%20the%20public%20health%20risks 

You’ve probably seen memes about Victorian children not being able to survive drinking a McDonald’s Sprite because it’s so fizzy, or eating a spoonful of Taki powder because it’s too spicy, the Victorian era spanning the majority of the 19th century. If you haven’t, well, it’s a common joke online to say that a Victorian child couldn’t survive the wonders the modern era has to offer, whether it be a very spicy snack or loud music like heavy metal. What exactly is the reasoning behind saying that? It’s sparked debate online: most people believe that a Victorian-era child would not survive consuming a lot of modern-day food, while a handful argue that if those children could survive unsanitary conditions, they could survive eating a spicy chip today. But what would actually happen? Since the Victorian age, we’ve made some clear medical progress and we’ve also evolved further as humans. Let’s take a deeper look into how humans have evolved biologically since the Victorian era and finally answer the question: would a Victorian-era child survive the miracles of the modern day? 

Historically, the average life expectancy for a newborn infant in the 19th century was 41 years, whereas in 2021, it was 79 years. What this means is that anyone born in 2021 is expected to live almost twice as long as someone born in the Victorian era, for a multitude of reasons. The primary reason for such a low life expectancy was because infant mortality rate was very high; many infants would not live to their first birthday, significantly dropping the overall life expectancy. Lower class children were usually forced into labor that entailed dangerous working conditions that would often result in a multitude of health conditions and deaths. Public health was not as advanced back then as it is now, so people who contracted diseases were mostly likely to succumb to their illness. 

In fact, the medicine of this era was a concoction of drugs that would not be found in normal medicine today, like cocaine, morphine and opium. Morphine could be found in soothing syrups, while opium was widely used for treating coughing and diarrhea. Many children would often die as a result of consuming this medicine, and those who didn’t would most likely develop an addiction to it. Many of these medicines would lead to serious medical complications, such as destruction of the teeth and jaws and organ damage.

Another factor to consider in this debate is the type of food consumed in the Victorian era. Most people in this time period depended on seasonal crops, and the food for the working class was often lacking in flavor. Most of their meals were fruits and  vegetables available in that season and were usually accompanied with bread. Meat was expensive for poor families, while middle and upper class families could indulge in imported foods that contained sugar and coffee. As a result, most of the food was rather bland as seasonings were more of a luxury. Most meals were accompanied with low alcohol beer, as beer tended to be cleaner than the water available. 

All that being said, let’s finally answer the big question. Today’s foods tend to be very processed and contain a variety of different chemical preservatives to ensure it lasts longer.  Realistically, a Victorian child would not die from eating a Taki. However, that doesn’t mean they’d be perfectly okay after consuming modern-day food. Today’s food would contain a large amount of unfamiliar bacteria that would most likely lead to stomach issues, and in the long run, if consumed regularly, death. Victorian children already had weakened immune systems, so consuming something that contains a lot of chemicals would worsen their condition. Prolonged consumption of modern-day food would surely lead to major health issues if not death. Additionally, one serving of modern-day would probably cause a lot of stomach issues due to gastric distress from unfamiliar seasonings and excess sugar. Modern age food is prepared for modern taste, and it’s important to remember that the average Victorian child didn’t consume heavily seasoned food. So while it’s funny to think about it, one single serving of modern-day food would not kill a Victorian child. It’s a different story if they’re eating it regularly, but one serving would at most lead to an upset stomach. 

Sources:

• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3228085/How-live-TWICE-long-Victorians-growing-life-expectancy-means-pensions-run-out.html
• https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/look-back-old-time-medicines
• https://backinthedayof.co.uk/food-in-the-victorian-era

In the digital age, social media has become a staple in millions, if not billions, of people’s lives. From Tumblr to Twitter, the digital space is full of many different kinds of social media platforms. What we’re looking at today, though, is TikTok, a newer platform that gained immense popularity over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Known for its video sharing capabilities, TikTok has been named the most popular website of 2021, according to Cloudflare. You either use it yourself or know someone who does, but regardless, TikTok is immensely popular, especially among millennials and Gen Z. Being such a popular platform, it’s only natural that it comes surrounded in controversy. The list could go on for a while, but dangerous trends, censorship, cultural appropriation, privacy concerns, and cyberbullying are just a handful of issues on the platform. Despite all of these concerns, the platform still has well over a billion users – why is that? The problem lies within the way the app is designed. The two key components TikTok has successfully embedded into their platform are its algorithm and the content available on it. Together, let’s look at these components and how they work together to create such a powerful, addictive social media trap.

One of TikTok’s most striking features is its algorithm. It curates a near-perfect ‘for you’ page, keeping users scrolling for hours and hours. The craziest part is that no two feeds are the same. How does this algorithm work exactly? Artificial intelligence and data analysis are our main suspects here. While all the details aren’t out there for the whole world to see, we know the system works by recommending videos similar to the ones you like, share and save, along with analyzing the comments you leave and accounts you follow. The algorithm monitors how much time users spend scrolling or watching videos, and it keeps collecting information to accommodate trends and changing styles. That’s the simple explanation of it, but let’s break it down a little farther. The algorithm splits user data into three categories: content, user and scenario data. Content data consists of the traits of the videos posted onto the platform so TikTok can categorize and recommend videos based on the content. User data includes profile data such as age, gender, and interest tags users choose when creating a profile. Lastly, there is scenario data, which is tracking the user’s preferences based on their current scenario. An example of this would be tracking what a user likes to watch when they’re at work/school compared to when they’re traveling or at home. This form of data collection relies on location tracking and/or time of day to monitor user behavior. 

From those three types of data, the algorithm derives certain features and sends that to the recommendation engine. These are correlation, user-scenario, trend and collaborative features. Correlation features represent the correlation between content and users, user-scenario features include location and time of day, trend features include global trends, themes, and trending topics in general, and collaborative features compare users with similar behaviors to categorize them. Using those features, the algorithm determines whether or not a video is suitable for a user’s ‘for you’ page. This behavior tracing is known as machine learning – the algorithm quite literally learns your habits on the app and uses that information to recommend you videos. This keeps users’ ‘for you’ page up-to-date and accurate, giving them endless content to stay hooked on. If you were constantly fed content relating to things you like, you’d probably find it hard to look away too, right?

Well, where’s the psychology in all this? A big consequence of the digital age is reduced attention span. You’ve probably heard of the term ‘iPad kid’ used to describe cranky kids with limited awareness of their surroundings, constantly needing a screen in front of their face. That’s the poster example of limited attention spans as a result of devices, and that’s exactly what using social media for a prolonged period of time does to you. If you’re using TikTok, you’re probably also using some other social media like Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, and chances are you’ve been using them for a while too. TikTok is designed to specifically target these people – with endless scrolling and short videos ranging from fifteen seconds to three minutes, it’s the perfect trap for users with short attention spans. You spend a couple seconds watching one video, and then it’s onto the next, and within one minute, you’ve already watched four videos. The design keeps people hooked, and it becomes very easy for people to spend hours scrolling. 

Apart from catering to limited attention spans, a large part of why so many people stay hooked on TikTok is due to gratification theory. Uses and gratification theory (UGT) explores the relationship between people and media, specifically how people use media to satisfy certain needs. These needs are categorized into one of the following: cognitive, affective, personal integrative, social integrative and tension free. Cognitive needs refer to the academic, intellectual or social knowledge and information that people use media for. For example, people watch the news to learn more about current events or use search engines to learn more about a specific topic. Affective needs, as the name suggests, refers to emotional needs. People will watch thriller or horror movies for a good scare or adrenaline rush, or maybe a sad romcom to get a little emotional after a long day. Personal integrative needs are essentially self-esteem needs; people are active on social media to reassure themselves, establish their online presence, and gain credibility. Often, people see more likes on a picture and a higher follower count as a self-esteem booster. Social media also lets you only post certain aspects of your life, so you’re free to build your own image on there. Next, we have social integrative needs, which refers to the desire to fit into society, whether it be friends or family. People will start a social media profile if all of their friends have one, or might start watching a new show solely because their crush said they liked it. Lastly, there are tension free needs, or one’s escapism from daily life. After a long day of work, you might just want to relax and watch a movie, or scroll through memes on Instagram, but either way, you’re using media as a form of escape to relieve yourself of stress.

Each user of TikTok has some combination of these needs – maybe they want to fit in since everyone they know is on it, they seek validation from certain videos they see, or just to scroll and laugh at funny videos after a long day. People are motivated by the fact that TikTok allows them to seek fame, expand their social network, and express themselves in many creative ways. Since it requires a shorter attention span than a platform like YouTube, many people have turned to it as their new social addiction. The algorithm works hand-in-hand with UGT to create a social media trap – one that the users keep running. They’ll like and watch videos, and the algorithm will just keep recommending more. This process is endless until the user decides to stop, which is harder than you think.

Citations

https://towardsdatascience.com/why-tiktok-made-its-user-so-obsessive-the-ai-algorithm-that-got-you-hooked-7895bb1ab423

https://www.communicationtheory.org/uses-and-gratification-theory/#:~:text=in%20Mass%20Communication%2C%20Psychology%2C%20Behavioral,when%20their%20needs%20are%20fulfilled. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8010681/

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0735633117743917