Final Blog Post

     For the last few years, I have set my sights on social media. I don't just mean I am an average Gen Z obsessor. I genuinely am interested in making it my livelihood. I love the way it changes constantly and always demands creativity and innovation. Though, since my first welcome into social media on my thirteenth birthday, my parents have repeatedly reminded me that my social footprint matters.  At the time, I simply was annoyed, but now I see how correct they are and how grateful I am for their watchful eye over my accounts. They have also enabled me to be in control of what I put out online and ask permission before they post me. This, however, is a major issue facing children today. Many children are not given autonomy over their digital footprint because their parents are posting them before they understand what social media is. More on that later. I will now discuss my digital footprint.  

    A brief account of my online footprint

    So when you google Taylor Ann Hartley, it brings links that I am fairly proud of. In true HPU fashion, the first link in my LinkedIn, which I have been working on since the beginning of last year. What also comes up is my Twitter, which I have never posted a single thing on. Another link that appears is my student profile from my high school newspaper. Though, for some reason, it is my profile from my first of three years as a newspaper staff member. It also turns up the interviews I did for my recent internship with the National Sports Media Association. Lastly, a super fun one, the obituaries of my grandparents. 

    I also have a Facebook account that I created to join college groups when I was a high school senior. Though, every once and a while I visit the site to see what my parents have posted about me. I often find pictures on there that I have never seen, though my parents did ask my permission to post after whatever event took place. Of course, they often can be embarrassing.

    All in all, I think my online presence reflects the values my parents set out for me, and for that I am proud. In the age of Fintas and private stories, I hope to remain diligent about my digital footprint. I don't want my career to be ruined because of a momentary lapse of judgment I put on the internet.

Helpful or Hurtful?

    Now, we take a brief pitstop into a world I am learning about for the first time, Artificial Intelligence. Similar to social media, AI is changing the way we live and interact with one another. Though, AI may be more impactful and more costly to our future. This will be a pivotal technology similar to the revolutionary qualities of the internet itself.

  

An example of China's facial recognition software. 

 Technology, in theory, is a helpful, innovative, and sometimes life-saving endeavor. Though, it comes at a cost to our privacy, our relationships, our values, and maybe even our peace. The 1965 FUTURAMA ride saw blissful utopia but was unable to foresee the unrest that was to come. The documentary In the Age of AI does a wonderful job of examining the positives and negatives of technology.

    The game Go, which is popular in China has been played for generations. Recently, Google created Google Alpha Go that featured deep learning.  The machine was able to make moves that humans have not thought of in their years of playing Go and beat the best Go player in China. This is one way that AI has been able to beat human intelligence. This marked our entrance into a new age of AI which will, like all other aspects of technology challenge our way of life. 

    China itself is firmly in the age of AI, where for Americans it feels more like a distant possibility. The citizens are able to pay with facial recognition software. A person can get a loan in eight seconds because a computer is able to survey over 5,000 data points in that time. China is taking on the world's most innovative AI culture. Though, we are yet to see the ramifications of an AI culture, meaning China serves as an experiment. By 2030, China plans to lead the world in AI, and they are well on their way. 

    In AI, data is the most valuable thing. The facial recognition and advanced technology in China have allowed them to collect an immense amount of data. The amount they have is about 10 times the US. As AI runs on data, China's AI will inherently work better because they have more information to use as a foundation. China is living in a culture of surveillance and convenience. These two aspects come together and remain together with innovative technology. One must decide if they are willing to sacrifice their privacy for ease. 

    Though, this technology will come at a price. An estimated 50 percent of jobs will be threatened by AI. The creation of self-driving trucks could possibly eliminate the job of a truck driver. This is a livelihood many depend on. White-collar jobs are especially threatened, as the computer can do much analysis and reporting. Computers are less equipped to perform blue-collar tasks that provide humanistic skills like that of hand-eye coordination.

    AI is the perfect case study to see technology's effect on human life. Technology was created to revolutionize our lives, and it did. Though, it also shifted our spread of information and relationships. Even Wired magazine, which used to champion technology, now warns of its effects from an observational stance. 

    So, does technology help us? Absolutely. Does it hurt us? Yes. Both can be true. It is up to us individually and as a society to choose what power we will give technology.

Kids should Choose

    Moving back to the technology of social media, I wanted to discuss the issue of the privacy of children online. Young parents right now and in the next decade will have an immense responsibility to help their children navigate the digital age. Recently, we have seen multiple celebrities be 'canceled' based on their social-media history. Though some of these things certainly deserved to be pointed out, my mind travels to those who have no control over their digital footprint: the children of family vloggers. 

    In middle school, I became embarrassingly interested in the picture-perfect lives of family bloggers.  They are the typical nuclear families that name their children after nature and seem to have endless supplies of money. This, however, is new. We do not yet know what the children of these parental vloggers will think about their claim to fame. Their birth, first steps, the first day of school, a bad grade, bad behaviors, and everything in between is documented. Will they be bullied? Are they being compensated for their work? Does spending time with their parents feel more like a business transaction? AI may one day restrict our privacy, but these children do not have privacy in their own homes.  They have no say, no regulations to protect them, and no concept of the ramifications a video could have on their future. Their parents are not obligated to give them the money they earn, nor are they mandated by child labor laws. The vlog may be the child having fun in Disney, but it is still working because a camera is in their face. 

    I wanted to write about this for my final post because I can sympathize with these kids. As mentioned above, I too have been embarrassed as a result of a post that I did not know my mom made. I set boundaries with her after that embarrassment so there was no harm done. However, these children are not cognizant enough to set boundaries with social media because they are vlogged from the womb. The 14-year-old in this article shared the same sentiments when she awakened to the world of social media. She too set boundaries after her embarrassment. Then, imagine that is your parents' entire livelihood. Your most embarrassing moments, your highs and lows are all on the internet. These children are too young to understand what this will mean for them in the future, and I can only hope regulations for them will be implemented in the coming years. 

    In the below video, a YouTube creator discusses in great detail family vloggers. It is really lengthy but has a lot of great information:

   So, what can we do? At the very least wait to post your child's face until they are old enough to agree to it and really understand the implications. There are creative ways to still share your child on the internet without identifying them. The world can wait to know them.

Peer EOTO: Overton Window

     For the second round of Each One Teach One presentations, I really enjoyed learning about terms that I was unfamiliar and familiar with. One presentation particularly about the Overton Window was of interest to me. 

       The Overton window is one of political possibility. Meaning, it is the range of political opinions or ideas the general public accepts. For example, a woman’s right to vote was once on the outskirts of the Overton window, but now it is firmly in the center of it. It seems to now be a shared ideology for all people indicating the shift in the Overton window. Though, this right once seemed radical. 

    The Overton window can also be used as a tool for politicians. The politician would investigate where their particular policy falls in the Overton window. They can then use this knowledge to best campaign for their ideas. They can obtain this information mainly through polling.  It has also been called the window of discourse. 

    The term was coined by American political Analyst Joseph P. Overton.  He believed that whether political opinions are viable depends on if they fall within the window, not the politician’s own preferences. Overton passed away before the theory was fully developed, but his colleague Joseph Lehman developed it further. He believes that it is a window of policies politicians can mention without seeming too radical or extreme. In order to shift the window, large social movements must take place. Politicians themselves are unable to shift the Overton window. They must learn where the window is and shift their opinions to match it.

   The spectrum of the window moves from more to less freedom and is divided into six degrees of ideas. These include unthinkable, radical, acceptable, sensible, popular, and policy. In its most basic form, it explains how ideas gain and lose popularity. 

    The Overton window is a concept that does not seem to directly impact us but is foundational to how political opinions flow. I think to be an informed voter this term is an important term to be aware of. It helps explain why some policies get made and why others are unable to ‘catch on.’  The Overton window has been foundational in political happenings like that of Donald Trump’s presidency and Brexit. These ideologies were able to make change because they were made to be in the Overton window. 

    Those of different generations having an understanding gap is a great example of the Overton window. Many of these generations have a wide range of conflicting beliefs and opinions. Current events are often challenging our beliefs and therefore shifting the Overton window. 

HPU Students are reluctant to visit Student Health

High Point University Student Health seeks to navigate student wellness throughout a pandemic.

Taylor Ann Hartley

Q News 

High Point University Student Health is slammed with students due to a recent increase in sicknesses since the Fall of 2020, leading to uneven care and rumors in and about the clinic.

“The clinic has been inundated with people,” said Senior Vice President for Health and Wellness Gail Tuttle. “With COVID, people are much more prone to go to the doctor than they were two years ago, and we only have three healthcare providers.”

I’m sick. What now?

    Tuttle, who gets reports of students that pass through Student Health, coordinated the quarantine of a

student who was symptomatic for 10 days before going to the clinic. According to Tuttle, the university

sees cases like this often.

    Though this student is not the only one that has been in this situation, a lot of students are reluctant to go see a healthcare provider, particularly Student Health when they feel symptoms; however, the resounding response from professors, university officials, and students is that a visit to the doctor is necessary. 
“I think it’s scary to go to the doctor because you don’t know what’s going to happen,” said sophomore Lily Maggio. “At the same time, not going to Student Health or a different doctor will only make you sick longer and you could infect other people.”
Once a student feels symptoms they can make an appointment either by calling Student Health or booking an appointment online using MyChart, the app of Novant which is HPU’s healthcare affiliate. If the clinic cannot provide medical care for the student, they will refer them to a provider who can. 

“We have a great relationship with the Kernersville Medical Center,” said Tuttle. “I have visited the facility at the emergency room where our students would go, whether it's an MRI, an x-ray, or specialized testing.”

However, students that have symptoms treatable by Student Health encounter a variety of rumors and statements about the procedure the clinic goes through with students.

"I heard that when you go in, they just test you for everything,” said Maggio. “I thought I was going to be tested for strep throat, mono, and COVID.”

According to Tuttle, students will only be tested for COVID-19 if the provider deems it necessary. This is a result of the low supply of preferred tests the clinic has.

“There are effective rates of different rapid tests, and our clinic had the two rapid tests that they wanted,” said Tuttle. “The clinic ran out of those and used a different brand, which caused some confusion.” 

This confusion and reluctance to visit the clinic is intensified by students who fear their professor will not be

accomodating if they miss class. Despite this, Assistant Professor of Game Design Kristina Bell noted that in her experience professors at HPU are accommodating when students are sick, but she recognizes there is room for improvement.

“I think we need to change the culture around working and illness to make it more accomodating to those that are sick,” said Bell. 

The university is making attempts to improve this culture as far as their response to COVID in the classroom. HPU professors are highly encouraged to accommodate their sick students, especially if they are quarantined.

“The protocol is, if an individual has moved into the hotel, an absence notification is sent on the students we have, and it will say that the student will not be in class during a two-week window and to please work with them during this time,” said Assistant Vice President of Student Life Scott Wojciechowski.

The quarantining process has now been altered since its implementation during the fall of 2020, reducing the likelihood a student will get quarantined. Asymptomatic students who are contact traced and prove their vaccination documentation can continue on as normal.

    "During contact tracing, we now either work with them for quarantine or verification of their vaccination," said Wojciechowski.

Tuttle and Wojciechowski acknowledge the apprehension of students but both encourage students to take autonomy over their health, especially while living in a congregant environment. They emphasize the seriousness of taking care of one's own health for the student themselves and for those around them.

 “Just like when they're in the car, do they intentionally drive like a maniac?” said Tuttle. “That's basically how they need to see when they're symptomatic. They need to know, metaphorically, that they're in a car potentially ready to run over somebody.”

Uneven Experiences

     Maggio found herself with a fever, headache, and sore throat during the fall semester

of 2021. With her roommate, she decided to make a trip to Student Health but was reluctant to do so.

When she was not able to get an appointment, she was forced to go to a nearby urgent care clinic.

    The university has seen an increase in students going to the clinic and alternative healthcare providers, according to

Tuttle. Students are tasked with navigating health care on their own for the first time in their life, all while the clinic is overwhelmed.

Due to the in-demand nature of the clinic, students are finding that appointments are harder and harder to make. 

“I called Student Health a few times when I was really sick and they didn’t answer,” said Maggio. “I left a voicemail, and I never got a call back.”

If students can get an appointment at Student Health, Maggio claims they may find they will get different medication and recommendations for the same diagnoses of someone close to them.

“I feel like the standard of care is blurry,” said Maggio. “ I had two friends test negative for strep with the same symptoms and one got antibiotics and the other one got nothing.” 

Even if the student gets an appointment, they often chose to go to a different health care establishment the next time they are sick, after having larger expenses incurred from the clinic than expected. Tuttle attributes this problem to how some insurance plans do not cover out-of-state medical care. 

“I think because Novant files for office visits with their insurance providers and some don't cover that movement to a different state," said Tuttle.

Many of these complaints can be found on the HPU parent Facebook page, which is a closed social media page where parents post complaints and information. Tuttle states that HPU's health and wellness department keeps a close eye on the page. 

Though, this does not account for the verbal rumors and opinions of the student body that do not get communicated to the parents. Some students are concerned that Student Health does not fulfill its role as an effective on-campus clinic that cares for students when they are away from home.

"You're away from your parents, you're on your own, but they're supposed to be like the school nurse," said Maggio. "You know, sometimes I feel like the school nurse is utterly failing."

Tuttle recognizes that the clinic has room for improvement but COVID has prevented them from taking that initiative. According to Tuttle, there are no actions in place to improve the clinic or plans to do so. 

“We've talked about this preventative and proactive health care on our campus,” said Tuttle. “There were big dreams about wanting to do that and then COVID hit.”

Tuttle wants any student at HPU to know that if they have difficulties with Student Health to reach out to her. The student or their parent can also reach out to Campus Concierge and will be connected to her through them.

“I'm here to help somebody who has issues with the clinic,” said Tuttle. 

HPU's Different Approach

Information found at HPU Health Hub, Healthy Elon,  
WFU COVID Dashboard

    Wake Forest University student Sydnie Cockerham is in her second year of college but had her first in-person class this year. She has yet to have a college class without wearing a mask.

    "Last year everything was so restrictive with a large portion of classes being online or a hybrid modality as well as not being able to have gatherings with people," said Cockerham. "It was definitely difficult to feel plugged in and a part of a community."

    In contrast WFU students, those at HPU are able to make their own choices about masks and vaccination. Though, mandating these things have allowed them to ease restrictions.

    "Overall, I feel happier this year than I did last year and I think that less restrictions, made possible by a high vaccination rate on campus, has allowed for that increased happiness and well-being," said Cockerham.

    High Point University, comparatively to other universities like WFU, had fairly low numbers during the 2020-2021 academic year. Though as we transition back towards normalcy, HPU is making different decisions than its counterparts. 

    As of November 2021, the mask mandate of the university was lifted, following the guidelines and recommendations of Guilford County. Though, as a private institution, HPU could have kept the mandate in place.

 “Overall, we wanted people to be able to make their own choice, right or wrong,” said Tuttle. "I think you could go and make a case for either point of view.”

This decision was influenced by the complaints Student Life received about both the mask policy and concerns about a vaccine mandate. 

“We get lots of calls about the vaccine and masks,” said Wojciechowski. "Even when we were advertising the vaccine clinic on campus last spring, and we got 10 to 15 angry phone calls about that.”

Also unlike other universities, HPU only tested students who came to Student Health with symptoms. Due to this, there are fears that some COVID cases went unnoticed. 

 “We're basing it off of reported cases. So I think a lot of other institutions that had scheduled testing were on a different level because they're catching it. After all, we're based on an honor system,” said Wojciechowski.

As a result of this honor system, Tuttle is concerned HPU students learned to not report their COVID cases to stay out of quarantine. Though, the numbers of the HPU athletes, who were tested regularly, reflected better than average numbers as compared to other universities.

“We were doing surveillance testing on the population of athletes because the NCAA required it, so we were still doing better in that regard,” said Tuttle.

    In keeping with allowing students to choose how they care for themselves, the university does not require a COVID vaccination. Though, many HPU students are still choosing to be vaccinated, according to Wojciechowski.

“Anecdotally, the number for students who are identified in close contacts, a significant number have been able to provide proof of vaccination, which in absence of a vaccine mandate is great,” said Wojciechowski.

Requests made for the statistics of vaccinations or quarantine statistics from past months were denied. According to Wojciechowski, these statistics are not recorded in a database.

The information regarding COVID numbers available to the public is updated daily and is available on HPU's website.

"We are sharing what we want to share," said Tuttle. "Anything that needs to be shared is already available."

Facebook through the Lens of Rogers' Diffusion for Innovations Theory

    Rogers' Diffusion for Innovations theory is a great lens to examine Facebook as it goes through a time of change. 

    Facebook's original idea was sparked from a site called FaceMash when Mark Zuckerberg wanted a way for the college students to meet with one another online. So, when Zuckerberg launched his site, the first 1,200 people that signed up in 24 became a part of the pioneer group. This was the group that was excited and saw the potential for the platform. 

    Soon Facebook expanded to Yale, Columbia, and Stanford. This marks the beginning of the adoption phase. These Facebook users on other college campuses were the early adopters that paved the way for everyone and their grandma to make a profile on the platform. However, that does not happen until much later. 

Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations Theory

    As the adoption phase continues, Facebook hits 1 million users in December 2004. Nearly a year later, Facebook is introduced to over 800 college campuses. The platform became ubiquitous on college campuses, signaling that the early majority for the platform was squarely in the hands of college students. 

    Facebook then moved from its original collegiate-based platform to a platform of international recognition. By September of 2006, anyone who wanted to join could now sign up for the platform. 

 For Facebook, I would place the laggards in two categories: the older generation that is hesitant about social media and/or technology, and the younger generation that is hesitant to get on a platform filled with parents and grandparents. Depending on which time period you view as the tipping point for the platform determines who the laggards are.

    The late majority of Facebook and its tipping point was in progress for a significant amount of years. It took data breaches and an aging group of Facebook users to signal this switch. Personally, I was reluctant to join Facebook, because I felt it was really just the domain of my parents. I made an account to join groups when I was applying to college but I do not currently use the platform, though my account is still active. 

    I think we are firmly in the long tail period of Facebook. Anyone who is now old enough to join the platform will be interested. Additionally, with Facebook's rebrand to Meta, the company may be attempting to start their potential of adoption once again. 

    However, with the frequent data breaches and scandals, is it worth it for Faceboook, or rather Meta, to have all this information? I think as Meta rebrands, their new name is not going to change their checkered past and potentially checkered future. The need for a rebrand in general reveals that there is an inherent flaw to the technology. The serious threat to our privacy will keep any laggereds away from the company. Though, I seriously doubt Meta will have trouble becoming popular.
As for me, I will have to do some serious contemplation before I dive head first into the Metaverse. 

   

Mainstream Media

     Mainstream Media or MSM generally refers to where Americans get their news. Previously, news consumption of an individual comprised of a local newspaper, a local TV news station, and a national news station. However, as technologies have advanced, consumers are inundated with choices for news consumption. 

    The outlets that comprise MSM can be a subject for debate, however, it is generally agreed upon that newspapers, broadcast news networks, and radio are the most typical. A study by the Pew Research Center found that Americans mostly agree that ABC News, CNN, The New York Times, MSNBC, Fox News, and WSJ are mainstream media outlets. One thing that makes them stand apart is their multimedia approach and team effort to produce content. Meaning, they have reporters, editors, multimedia staff, etc. all working together. Additionally, they focus on many news beats and provide space in their publication or broadcast for advertisements. MSM is a business as much as it is a publication, driving its loyalties towards advertisers and the audience. 

     In theory, MSM is the gold standard for journalism. These are the publications that have paved the way for alternative media and multimedia content. They are the driving force that keeps Americans informed about many topics. Many of the staff members serve as a model for budding journalists to learn from and effectively communicate the truth of stories to their audiences. These news outlets are known for their credibility and content delivery. However, some journalists within these companies are giving power to bias reporting. So, if MSM is allowed to be biased, then alternative media can create echo chambers of conspiracies for some consumers. 

 In practice, MSM allows for bias and restrictions on the flow of information. It can give a voice to the voiceless and take power from the oppressed in one news broadcast. This is a reason why a good news consumer never examines a story from only one source, they must seek to create the full picture from multiple outlets. This will help them identify bias and form their own opinions. Also, the increased bias in mainstream reporting has created a deep distrust in the news media for consumers, making a way for disinformation or the so-called 'fake-news.' The MSM also must filter stories to best suit their audience, meaning lots of stories are left behind.  The large audience MSM garners demands a certain amount of filtration of information. Certain issues will be ignored because of air space, print space, and/or general public disinterest. However, sometimes these stories are the ones that are the most important. The public will not know about a problem, without being informed of it in the first place. 

    That is why news consumers need both MSM and alternative media to coexist. Alternative media provides us with those unique perspectives that MSM misses. Though, the expertise and source contacts of an MSM company are unmatched by the alternative media. Both have their validity and their place in news consumption. Both push each other to be better and more innovative. 

    MSM as a whole typically requires some sort of cost to be consumed. So, those of lower socioeconomic

status have less access to MSM content. This means some people can be misinformed, not based on their disinterest, but because of their station in life. This would be the only option for gaining information before alternative media came into the picture. Now, alternative media provides a low-cost and often free alternative. 

    MSM was a constant presence and background noise of my childhood. My mother often watched the news as she cooked dinner and my father read the paper each morning. This, however, is changing. We now expect our headlines instantly and quickly, especially through mediums like that of Twitter. Though, we wouldn't have this without the print news writers that came before. For myself as a future communications professional, this affects the jobs that will be available to me. Will the big powerful companies be powerful when I enter the job market?  Still, our society, democracy, and the spread of information are built on and around MSM. 

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MSM Chart

Political Cartoon

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The Myth of Online Privacy

    I try not to think about online privacy too much, because it can honestly be overwhelming. I don't like thinking that all my information is tracked and stored. I have been on the internet almost my whole life. Only now am I beginning to consider the scope of the data stored. I think it is easier to sit back and be in ignorant bliss about privacy. So, I am taking this blog post to challenge myself and reflect on how I can do better to protect my data and how I can call for corporations and the government to do likewise. 

    I have long been told to be mindful of what I post online. My parents closely monitored my social media

posts and interactions. That goes well with Jaun Enriquez's idea of an electronic tattoo. These are permanent data pieces that provide information about who and what you are. Likewise, our phones have facial recognition and thumb print scanners that are stored and even shared to the government. That means we cannot hide from the immense facial recognition technology. A website called Face. com has 18 billion faces, all of which were sold to Facebook. This essentially means we are getting closer to immortality because our data will outlive us. 

    Sticking with the vein of mass surveillance Catherine Crump enables police departments to gather information about much of us in new ways. Police are able to make decisions about who they think we are based on our information. They have photos of us doing everything- even if we have not done anything wrong. The police hang onto it just in case the data could be useful one day. 

    Christopher Soghoian points out that our cell phones were first and foremost designed to be surveillance devices, but developers in Sillicon Valley have created encryption software to prevent this. Government officials are mad because the encryption features are turned on by default, keeping them from being able to listen at any point. Without this encryption, wiretapping does not discriminate. It can listen to my phone as easily as a drug dealer's phone. In the future police, will have a harder time catching bad guys but the alternative is that anyone can be wiretapped by people with bad intentions.

    The notion that myself, my family and loved ones can be monitored at any point is nervewraking. Though I am doing nothing wrong, it feels like my privacy is being violated simply for monetary gain. Though, I still want it to be easy for 'bad-guys' to get caught. This makes it a safer place for my future. Still, if we let the government access our data now, as we become more dependent on technology we will loose much of our agency. 

    To be protected I think I need to be more stingy with my data. I will be making sure my devices have the encryption features turned on. Furthermore, I have been using a VPN more frequently to try and protect my data. My next steps will be phasing my browsing and work off of google apps and onto other apps. I think everyone should at the very lest clear their cookies and browsing history, if not take more steps. 

    Additionally, I think the government should allow encryption of devices to be the default of devices. Though, this would not be easy as many politicians want full access of people's data. At minimum, I think the government should stay out of our data unless they have probably cause to look into it mainly in the instance of law enforcement. 

    It is important to be an informed person about data and how the government and corporations might use it. This can allow you to be more vigilant about what you do online and take preventative measures to increase the amount of security and privacy you have.

EOTO Peer Presentations

    The EOTO presentations were very impactful for me as it is not often I am taught by my peers. Hearing about the history of technology from varying perspectives caused me to learn a lot. One piece of technology stood out to me because of its pivotal nature to the distribution of information: The Printing Press. This presentation was given by my team member, Kayla Miller-Sissoko. She was very effective at communicating the ground-breaking nature of the technology.

    The printing press allowed for printed content to be mass-produced for the first time. We accredit Johannes Gutenberg with the invention of the modern printing press in 1436. This is known as 'The Gutenberg Press.' Though, the first printing press is unknown but thought to be originally a block printing press from China in the fifth century. 

    The main problem Gutenberg was trying to address was to find a more affordable and effective way to mass-produce writings. Before the creation of the printing press, texts would be hand-copied or it would be very costly to produce them using technology. So, the Gutenberg Press was game-changing for the way information was spread and laid a foundation for many other pieces of technology.  

  Thus, the impact of the printing press was monumental. The printing press' invention and the subsequent commercialization allowed for improved distribution of ideas, books, and information. It was also very impactful to Europe's socioeconomic status. The printing press put an end to the middle ages and marked the beginning of the modern ages. The increased distribution of books led to an increase in literacy and communication. Though, the printing press was said to replace workers by doing the work they would have done during the Industrial Revolution.

    Refreshing what I knew about the printing press was very informative for me. I think it is very interesting how this machine began the era of technology making things easier while threatening the livelihood of some. This mirrors each new invention of technology and its impact. Though, all of those would not be there without first the printing press.

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