This assignment started out by learning a definition of the digital divide. Following this, I read a few brief articles and watched a video on the topic, describing what factors play into the divide, and why it is important. After this, we had to meet with our chat group for an hour, and summarize what we learned, what we were most and least surprised by, what are the benefits and barriers to having high speed internet at home and in the classroom, and brainstorming three ideas to bridge the digital divide.

The first article was a Time article by Karl Vick. It described that a quarter of the nation is without broadband, that low income families are highly effected, and that the divide separates further the rich and the poor in school and in life.

The second thing to read was a 2017 Education SuperHighway report. It described that more and more students and teachers are getting connected to the internet each year, but that 11.6 million students still lack access.

The third was a Pew Research Center article, citing many facts about access to the internet, based on factors of race and income level. Some main takeaways were that black and hispanic students were much less likely to have access to the internet, as well as low income students. Those lacking access to the internet often cannot finish all of their homework, or have to go to a public library to finish their work.

We then watched a video that dictated the power of the “Homework Gap”. It showcased a competition between 2 groups of students, which started off with neither group having access to outside sources, and they performed similarly. However, at some point, they gave one group access to the internet, and one group access to some books. The computer group ended up heavily outscoring the book group. It showcased that those with computer access were more likely to succeed.

For my chat group, our chat today started off by summarizing what we learned from the assigned articles and video. Our main points included that the digital divide is based on multiple things, such as geography and income level, that the gap impacts education, 11.6 million students are affected by this gap, that it is so much easier for students to succeed if they have access to the internet, and that black and hispanic children are more prone to lacking internet than white or asian children. 

We then moved on to discussing what surprised us most and what surprised us least. Seraph was surprised that 1 in 4 low-income teens don’t have access to computer at home, and Erin and I were just surprised that such a huge number of students and people don’t have access to the internet. We thought that in such an internet-driven society, the number would be smaller. 

In terms of what we were not surprised about, Erin said she was not surprised that that this goes hand in hand with income disparities and lack of resources, It did not surprise me that more and more students are getting connected to the internet each year, and Seraph concurred with our ideas. 

For the benefits to K-12 students having access to high-speed Internet in their schools and in their homes, we mentioned that kids can complete their homework and a much more vast group of class activities, can access information quickly, and therefore get more learning done in a quicker period of time. You can also learn from peers online rather than having to meet in person. 

For barriers to K-12 students having access to high-speed Internet in their schools and in their homes, we mentioned household income, race, geography, and possibly religion. There are definitely more in general, but those were the main ones referenced in the articles.

Our first creative idea for bridging the digital divide was to have a certain program for charity, so people can donate money or the big companies like AT&T could help providing the access. The resources needed for this would be essentially monetary donations, and/or computers and tablets. These resources would come from big companies as well as from any other donations from other people.

Our second idea was something Erin had heard of before, called Google Fiber. This consists of setting up city-wide internet in a bunch of different places. So, one of our resources to bridge the divide could be free-city wide internet, and it could come from companies like google.

Our final idea was for the local government to help to invest money to build libraries or public computer labs for people to access. For this example, the resources needed would mostly be money, and the resources would come from local government, as mentioned. 

After these ideas, we discussed which roles each group member would complete, and concluded the chat for the day. 

Reflecting on this assignment, I thought it was meaningful, because I did not previously know very much about the digital divide. I had heard about it before, but did not know how big of an issue it was, and how many people it affected. It is effecting millions of Americans and can lead to differences in achievement. So, I am glad I am more educated on the issue now, and I will try to monitor it while hoping for improvement with each passing year.

Additionally, this assignment showcased once again how race and income level can be big factors in life. Low income levels can lead children to be provided with less opportunities to learn and experience valuable lessons, and race is associated with prejudice and discrimination, which also limits opportunities. It is sad to see how these factors can impact so many aspects of life, but valuable to learn about it, so we can try to change that in the future.

I really liked the video and how they chose to showcase the problem. They did it in a way that was so easy to understand, and it was quite powerful. The students on the book time seemed so demoralized when they kept getting answers wrong while the computer group got them right, which showcases how students may feel when they are unable to finish homework and assignments due to a lack of internet access.

Also, in the chat, I liked that we got to come up with creative ideas that are possible ways to solve the digital divide problem. This allowed us to synthesize our knowledge of the issue and incorporate our own thoughts into finding solutions. This allowed me to think critically and work my mind in a different way rather than just listing off facts of what has already happened!

This assignment started off by watching 2 videos and reading 2 articles about different age groups connecting through technology. Following this, I spent one hour teaching someone older than 60 years old how to do something new on the internet (How to use FaceTime). Finally, I had to make a discussion board post, explaining how old the older adult is, what I taught them, what they learned, what from the articles and videos inspired my training session, and what guided the training session. A photo that documented the training session had to be included at the end of the post.

The first article and the first video explained a “Speaking exchange”, where Brazilian youth trying to improve their english would video chat with US elders who wanted someone to talk to. It explained how it benefitted both parties, and generally resulted in really positive experiences!

There was also a holiday commercial in which it showed a father dancing to the same song when his child was a baby, a little child, a teenager, and young adult. Later in life, when the child was older and with the father, he broke out the same dance to the song, and the two shared a great moment. It was a touching commercial.

There was also an article that explained 10 ways to help older people use the internet. It explained how it can be intimidating for older people and recommended tips to help them through the process. Some of these include that touch screens are easier, that they don’t usually want to ask for help, and that changing basic settings can be advantageous.

As for the actual teaching experience, below I have included most of the information from my discussion board post, because it explains the process well.

The older adult I decided to teach was my Grandma from my mom’s side of the family. If I remember correctly, she is 73 years of age. 

I taught my grandma how to use the iPhone app called FaceTime! I explained how to call someone, how to accept a call, how to mute or unmute your voice, how to flip which camera you are using, how to end a call, and explained the concept of adding effects, such as drawing on the screen or playing a game during the call. I also talked about how to look through people you have Facetime’d previously, and where to find the time, date, and duration of the call. 

In terms of what she learned, essentially it is everything I listed that I taught. I would introduce a concept to her, ask if she understands it, and if it was something she could do during the call, I had her try it. For example, I had her try flipping the camera and muting her voice during the call. As for things that could not be done during the call, I just explained it until she told me she understood, and she told me she would try them out later. 

Nudd’s (2014) article and CNA’s (2014) video covered the topic of the speaking exchange, where young Brazilians learning English would video chat American elders who wanted someone to talk to. I was inspired by the idea of having multiple sides benefit from the process, and applied it to my own life through this assignment. For example, I know my grandma can get lonely since she lives alone, and likes having people to talk to. For me, chatting with family makes me happy in the first place, and it is also necessary for this assignment, so it is a double bonus. So, these ideas from the video and article applied to me and inspired me in this assignment. 

The Bouygues’s (2018) commercial inspired my training session because it just reinforced the importance of family. Seeing the boy in the video grow up and bond with his father was very touching, and reminded me how important it is to connect with family. We have limited time on this earth, so we have to take advantage of it, and this assignment allowed me to experience a good moment with an older family member.

From Kazimi’s (2014) article, a principle that guided me was that “The open culture of the Internet can be confusing”. When I initially asked my grandma about this, she said she would try to buy and download the FaceTime app. She assumed that it would cost money to use, when really it is just a free app that comes on every iPhone. But, I was prepared for this, and was patient and just informed her that she would likely already have the app and that it is free! 

Also, the fact that they don’t want to ask for help is something that guided me. Instead of waiting for her to ask about each thing, I was proactive and explained the different features and steps of FaceTime, and asked her if she understood, instead of waiting for her to say if she is confused. 

Below is a photo that documents my training session with my grandma. It is a selfie/screenshot of us chatting while I was explaining one of the details of FaceTime. I made sure that the photo was “not simply a phone log showing that you called or a screenshot of other preparatory work”, but was a screenshot of us while the actual explaining was actually going on. I don’t really know of any other way I could have a photo that properly documents the training session, so this should be adequate!

Reflecting on this assignment, the thing that stuck out most was that it was different. We usually are just learning material, but this required us to teach someone else. This made sure that we really understood the process ourselves, because you cannot teach something properly if you have not mastered it yet. It was cool to flip the script and apply my knowledge in this different way.

Not only that, but we had to teach someone from a much different age group than us! This can be a very different experience, since here in college, I am usually interacting with people my age, and the occasional professor or other middle-aged adult. Luckily, I was able to teach my grandma, who I love very much, so I enjoyed the process! I have not had the opportunity to talk to her for awhile, so this game me a great reason to!

Additionally, I really liked the articles and videos we watched. The video chats between the Brazilian youth and American elders were very heartwarming. The virtual hugs, “I love you”s and happiness from both parties made me happy. And the commercial made me smile, and appealed to my emotions and reminded me of how much I love my family.

This assignment took me quite a long time, but it was unique, was enjoyable, and appealed to my emotions. I definitely think it was one of the more worthwhile assignments we have completed throughout this semester! I hope they keep this in the curriculum in future years, because I think people can give and take a lot from it!

To start this assignment, I had to read a quick blurb about the difference between the words “aging” and “aging”, talking about which countries each form is used in. After this, I read 9 research abstracts discussing the  positive effects of internet use on the cognitive, physical, and psychological aspects of aging. We then read a report presenting five barriers that older adults face in using digital technology and the Internet, and five positive attitudes that older adults have about digital technology and the Internet. Finally, we had to make a discussion board post discussing one of the 5 barriers or 5 positive attitudes mentioned in the report (I chose positive attitudes), referencing at least 5 of the abstracts, and discussing what positive effects the older adult is likely to experience based on the positive attitude I chose.

As mentioned before, the nine research abstracts all dive into the various positive effects of internet use on older adults. I do not think it would be very realistic to dive deeply into every article, but I will list some of the positive impacts that were listed. These include enhanced social connectivity, reduced loneliness, decreased incidences of IADL impairment, better health, lower chronic disease, better social integration, higher well-being, increased self efficacy, social support, maintained health literacy, increased cancer preventative behaviors, and reduced cognitive decline. From this, it is clear that the list could go on and on, and that internet use can positively influence aging adults in many ways.

The Pew Research Center Report mentioned 5 barriers toward older adults’ technology use, including things such as not being confident in using or learning it, they need others to show them how to use it, and some face physical challenges that would make it hard to use the devices. They also mentioned 5 positive attitudes on digital technology, including that most make the internet part of their daily routine, those who use social media tend to be highly active, some play video games, and most feel that technology has made a mostly positive impact on society.

In my discussion board post, the positive attitude listed in the Pew study I referenced was that older adults that use social media “tend to be highly active and engaged. For instance, fully 70% of older adults who use Facebook indicate that they log in to the service on a daily basis”. Because of this positive attitude, there are many positive effects that older adults will likely experience, which were mentioned in the abstracts read for this assignment. 

For example, the Czaja et al. (2017) abstract details that access to technology applications can reduce loneliness and increase social connectivity. So, using social media such as Facebook would lead to both of these positive effects, since it is a technology application.

Additionally, according to the Elliot et al. (2014) abstract, more frequent technology use was associated with better executive function and well-being, and lower risk of serious disease. So, this shows how social media use can keep physical health up, while also positively impacting mental health.

Also, the Erickson and Johnson (2011) abstract explained that internet use and self-efficacy were related. So, utilizing sites such as Facebook can allow older people to believe in themselves more, both in terms of their technology use capabilities and in general!

Fourth, Jinmoo et al. (2015) showcased that higher levels of internet use were related to more social support, less loneliness, better life satisfaction and well-being. This echoes an earlier article which also mentioned less loneliness. Also, social media such as Facebook can allow older adults to get this support because they can stay in contact with friends and family that they may not have gotten to interact with as much otherwise.

One more example of a positive effect from this positive attitude is from Xavier et al. (2013). It showed that internet was associated with cancer-preventive behaviors, such as more physical activity, and eating more fruits and vegetables. This effect is very large, as it can allow older people to avoid obstacles that may shorten their lifespan. 

These are just five examples, however, it is clear that being highly active and engaged on the internet and social media more specifically can lead to many positive outcomes for older people!

Reflecting on this assignment, I really enjoyed reading about the vast benefits of internet use on aging adults. I had heard about a couple of them previously, but most of them were completely new to me, so I was happily surprised! Especially since I have relatives that are in their 70’s like my grandma and my grammy, this makes me want to talk to them about making sure they get involved with the internet in some way.

Additionally, I do like how the report mentioned both barriers and positive attitudes towards internet use in aging adults. Since everything else we read previously was so focused around the positive aspects of internet use, is was important to learn that not all adults have access to the internet or do not feel confident in using it. It gave me a clearer picture that things are not always perfect, even if it generally has positive results.

Also, I think it was helpful that we had to reference 5 abstracts in our discussion board post. While it was a bit of a pain, it allowed me to remember a greater number of specific outcomes than if I would not have had to reference the articles. Seeing the information for a second time really solidified it in my head and allowed me to be confident in my comprehension of it!

This assignment began by reading 8 empirical articles, press releases, and reports surrounding the topic of internet use and screen time on the well being of children and adolescents. Following this, we had to imagine that a family friend or relative asks us for scientifically-based advice about whether the Internet is re-wiring their child’s brain, the best amount of screen time their child should experience, and whether the parent should be a limiter, enabler, or mentor to their child’s use of the Internet, based on all of the articles we read. Finally, we had to construct a discussion board post in the form of an email, identifying which age this hypothetical child has, and answering the family friend’s 3 questions based on that age, and referring to the articles we had read.

The first article was a UNICEF abstract, and basically detailed that digital technology can help children’s social relationships. It also explains that neuroscience evidence challenges the idea that the internet has hijacked children’s brains.

The second scholarly article was by Mills, and the main point was essentially that internet use is unlikely to cause major brain changes. It is not “re-wiring” the brain.

The third article was another research abstract which suggested that moderate amounts of screen time were related to greater effects, such as better emotional attachment with parents. Lower and higher screen time use were associated with worse outcomes.

The next article explains that parents should be involved in actively exploring the online world with their kids, as it is more important than screen time. It claims that limiting screen time does not actually bring more positive outcomes for children.

The next read was an abstract from APS, and explained that for adolescents, moderate use of digital technology may be associated with positive outcomes. This is a similar finding to the third article, but this time relating to older children.

Next, an Oxford press release explained that the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) screen use guidelines were tested, and no correlations were found between the limits and the well being of children.

After this, the takeaway from a Pew Research Center article was that teenagers who are online all the time are just as likely to connect with their peers when they aren’t online. It can help them get through hard life occurrences, make them feel more connected, and have other positive outcomes.

The final article described 3 kinds of parents in terms of how screen time is monitored. Enablers allow their kids to use their screens all the time. Limiters try to cap screen time to a very small amount. Mentors guide their children’s internet use. The article provided statistics about what these different groups do and how it can effect the children.

My discussion board email is included below, and does a good job at summarizing some of the key findings from the articles, and what I suggest for the hypothetical child.

Dear family friend,

Thank you for taking the time to reach out to me about screen time and the internet. I understand that your child is an adolescent, and you are trying to look out for what is best for him. I will do my best to answer all of your questions in this email.

First, you asked me whether the internet is re-wiring your child’s brain. An article by Kathryn Mills aimed specifically at adolescents described that “Major brain changes, akin to what is suggested by the phrase ‘rewiring the brain’ are unlikely”. The article suggests that genetic factors have much more influence on changes in brain structure in this period of life than environmental influences such as internet use. From this example, it seems fairly clear that the internet is not making major changes in your adolescent child’s brain.

Second, you asked what the best amount of screen time for your child to experience is. According to a study by Przybylski, with a sample size of over 120,000, “moderate use of digital technology is not intrinsically harmful and may be advantageous in a connected world”. An article by the University of Oxford that describes the research echoes this notion, stating that “moderate screen-use above the recommended limits might actually be linked to slightly higher levels of children’s wellbeing”. It explains that there is no support for the theory that screen use is inherently bad for well-being. 

Finally, you asked if you should be a limiter, enabler, or mentor to your child’s use of the Internet, and an article we read by Samuels suggests that being a mentor may be the best choice for you. It states that “Mentors, in fact, may be the parents who are most successful in preparing their kids for a world filled with screens, working actively to shape their kids’ online skills and experiences”. Being a mentor includes talking with your child on how to responsibly use the internet, and connecting with your kid through technology, among other things. On the contrary, being a limiter can lead children to participate in problematic behavior, which is something you wouldn’t want. 

I hope you find this information to be helpful! This course is teaching me lots of information about the effects of the internet, so let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,

Nicholas Abbs

Reflecting on this assignment, I thought it was pretty cool to read about the different types of parents when it comes to monitoring their children’s screen time. I knew that there were differences in this, but I did not realize there were distinct categories that existed, and that there was much research done on the topic. It was cool to learn about this, and allowed me to realize what type of parent I want to be…. a mentor.

Additionally, it was nice to read all of those articles that describe that capping screen time is not necessarily helpful. The generation of adults who are currently parents has always been so focused on trying to keep people off of technology, and talking about how too much time with screens can only lead to bad things. However, it is nice to know that limiting screen time does not usually make things better. Obviously, too much use can lead to some negative things, but moderate amounts are a positive thing!

It was interesting to write my discussion board post in the format of an email. We had done this once or twice before, but not commonly, so it mixes things up. It adds a personal touch, as if I am really communicating with someone, rather than just making a post. This influenced me to put more time and effort into the assignment, to make sure it was done well.

I think that the amount of articles included was not necessarily essential because they reinforced similar points. However, they each brought something new to the table, even if it was minor, so I don’t have any real complaints. Reading similar material allowed me to make sure I really understood the main points of the assignment.

This assignment started off by watching a video of the song “Ya Got Trouble” from the movie “The Music Man”, and reading about the context of the song. Next, I had to read a spoof article describing how toddlers are a risk to smartphones and tablets. Following this, I watched professor Gernsbacher’s lecture video, titled “The Internet and Development”, and had to read a couple tweets relating to the topic. Finally, I had to make a discussion board post where I stated which finding from the lecture of a positive effect of the internet on development I appreciate most and why, and which reason for why these positive effects are not better known I appreciate most and why.

The context of the song is that the singer, a character named Harold Hill, travels from town to town, swindling people into paying him to create a marching band, and then he leaves after he receives the money. In the video, he tried to convince the characters that their male children were up to no good spending time at the new pool table, and that a marching band would keep them out of trouble.

The spoof article describes how toddlers are dirty and clumsy, and pose more of a risk to screens than the screens pose to them. It showcases tweets from people about their young children damaging these devices, such as by bringing it in the bath, chewing on it, kicking balls into it, and more.

Professor Gernsbacher’s lecture video is centered around 2 main parts, which are listing positive effects of the Internet on development, and why we don’t hear about these effects more often.

Some of the positive effects include that toddlers learn new words just as well through conversations on Skype as through conversations in person, that grade school age children who spend more time surfing the Internet report feeling less lonely, and that the majority of teenagers have had social media experiences that make them feel good about themselves.

Some of the reasons why we don’t hear about these more often included that we have always feared new technology, that if it bleeds, it leads, and that there is a sense that children are vulnerable and need protection.

One of the tweets showcases the fear feedback loop, where kids do something a lot, adults get worried, people do studies on this, only the negative effects are covered by the press, and people get more worried. The other tweet echoes this, saying we care about our kids but there is a lot of junk science out there that is published that makes us more worried.

In my discussion board post, I discussed how the positive effect of the internet on development that I appreciate most from professor Gernsbacher’s video was “Did you know that in a U.S. survey of over 600 teenagers, the majority of teenagers have had social media experiences that make them feel good about themselves?”. This is because I frequently use social media such as Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, and they make me feel good about myself too. Seeing pictures and updates from people I love and care about is a great for me to keep up with their lives, and see a lot of positive things going on for them. Most media portrays how social media comes with many negative outcomes, but my experiences represent this positive effect instead!

The reason why these positive effects aren’t better known that I appreciate most is that “there’s a well known journalistic principle that states if it bleeds, it leads”, meaning, that provocative stories are those the media print because they fascinate the public. This is also depicted in one of the tweets, where it says that “press covers only studies showing negative results”. I appreciate this the most because it just sticks out to me as so inherently true, and I have experienced it many times when it comes to social media and the internet. There are so many positive things that the internet brings, yet it still provokes concern and those are the feelings that are showcased in articles and news segments. 

Reflecting on this assignment, I do not really think the song or the spoof article were necessary for my learning. However, they brought some entertainment, so I do not regret that they were included.

As for the lecture video, I liked how professor Gernsbacher included some great effects of the internet, and also explained why they aren’t more well known. Even if she would have listed just one of those things, I would have learned something, but it was cool to learn about both. There were some fascinating research she referred to that I had not heard about. She also referred to some things she has mentioned before, which is helpful because bringing it up again facilitates my retention of that going forward.

Although short, I think the inclusion of the tweets was helpful. They did a good job at showcasing how adults can get scared about how a new technology may effect their children, and how this increases due to poor scientific research. Hopefully something can be done to avoid junk research getting published, because it leads to unnecessary anxiety.

Additionally, in the discussion board post, it was good to talk about the parts of the lecture video that I appreciated most. Talking about what I appreciate is nice because it allows me to stay more engaged and interested in the topic. Professor Gernsbacher has done a great job with giving her students choices during assignments, and this is just another example of this!

This assignment started out by completing the unit 10 review sheet. Once completed, I had to continue working on my term project, and to take screenshot of my journals from the current unit. After this, I had to write up a document that described the work I have done so far for my term project. Finally, I had to upload the review sheet and the term project document through an assignment link.

As always, the review sheet was cumulative, so I had to complete the review sheets from all of the previous units before starting the page for unit 10. Once I arrived at unit 10, it asked me to list the three primary decision-making heuristics and given an example of how each applies to Internet use.

I first listed the representativeness heuristic. An example from the handout of this applying to internet use is that internet shoppers are very biased by one super positive review instead of considering the base rate of multiple non-positive reviews. So, a shopper may see one person’s review that was super positive and enthusiastic about a product, and assume it represents how everyone sees the product, even if that was the only review.

Next, I listed the availability heuristic. An example of this applying to internet use from Professor Gernsbacher’s lecture video was that if teens view a photo on Facebook of their friends drinking alcohol, they are more likely to overestimate how many other teens are drinking alcohol. This also applied to people seeing pictures of families on vacation, and can apply to many other situations.

Finally, I listed the anchor and adjustment heuristic. An example of this from the lecture video applying to internet use was if three plans are offered for an online product — the Basic for $59; the Premium for $125; and the Premium Plus, which provides a few more benefits, but also costs $125 — most consumers choose the Premium Plus plan. However, if only tthe basic plan and the premium plus plan are offered, most choose the basic plan. This is because the middle option was initially and anchor, and made the third option look like a great deal, when it may not really be one.

For my term project update document, I described once again that my project is a daily journal in which I itemize the course content along with my detailed reflections, through the medium of a blog on a website called Word Press.

Describing the work I have done so far, I have made 60 blog posts so far. I make one post for each assignment, and have made at least one post every day, with the exception of Spring Break, when we did not have any assignments.

The blog posts vary in terms of how long they take me to complete. However, on
average, I would say that each unit of posts takes approximately two and a half hours, which exceeds the recommendation of two hours per unit.

Reflecting on this assignment, it was business as usual. The sixth assignment is always completing the review sheet, followed by writing up my progress on the term project, including a screenshot. Even though this can feel old and a bit boring, it still is valuable and allows me to work on valuable skills.

Completing the review sheet reminds me of information from previous units, when I would not have interacted with it otherwise. It also provides a great example of distributed learning, because interacting with the same material a little bit each week has led me to understand and remember it more and more.

Personally, I do not get that much out of writing up the document describing my term project progress. However, it does bring me one thing, pride in all of the work I have put in so far. Making 60 separate blog posts, including one each day, is not easy work, so it is cool to see the culmination of it all and how it increases each week!

I do like the structure of this assignment, because I know what is coming, and what it brings for me. However, I don’t think it would hurt to make minor changes to the assignment six sometimes, just to ensure that students are staying engaged with the assignment, rather than solely following a routine. However, this is not a huge deal in reality, and the assignment still has many positive aspects!

This assignment started off by watching a lecture video from Professor Gernsbacher, titled “Judgment and Decision-Making on the Internet”. Following this, we had to read a comic to help us further understand the representativeness heuristic. Next, we read a handout that related to the three primary decision-making heuristics. After, we had to have a one hour chat with our chat group, discussing the examples provided in the handout of how the three primary decision-making heuristics apply to non-Internet use, discussing the examples provided in the lecture video of how the three primary decision-making heuristics apply to Internet use, and brainstorming one additional Internet-use example for all of the three primary decision-making heuristics.

Professor Gernsbacher’s video started by explaining the concept of a heuristic, which is a mental shortcut used during decision making and judgments. She touched on the 3 primary decision-making heuristics, including the Representativeness Heuristic, the Availability Heuristic, and the Anchoring and Adjustment Heuristic, and gave examples of each, on and off of the internet.

The representativeness heuristic describes how we fit people or items into categories of what we think they are and what they represent. For example, someone who wears a flannel, has a southern accent, and a bushy beard may seem like a truck driver, because it tends to fit what they may be like. However, this is not always the case, so we have to be careful about this.

The availability heuristic describes that if something is salient to us, we tend to overestimate how likely it is to occur. For example, the video explained that if teens view a photo on Facebook of their friends drinking alcohol, they are more likely to overestimate how many other teens are drinking alcohol.

The anchoring and adjustment heuristic describes how we allow a starting number, considered an anchor, to affect our adjustment of other numbers. For example, they gave the example that if someone is told the average human has 120,000 hairs, and asked to predict how many hairs they have, they are likely to start at that number and go up or down based on other characteristics. The same thing happens if they are told the average person has 80,000 hairs.

The comic showcases how people usually choose products that display the best online ratings, even when there is only 1 review. They describe how most people who reviewed have likely had a very good or very bad experience with the product, which influences overall ratings, and therefore consumer choices. It reinforces that no product is perfect, so it should not be chastised if every review is not 5 stars.

The handout described the 3 main heuristics once again, including examples both from the internet and non-internet. The internet examples were the same ones described in the lecture video, but the non-internet ones were different. For example, for the representativeness heuristic, the more a generic product is like a
name-brand product, the more highly people rate it. For availability heuristic, a person with a certain disease more common in their family is likely to overestimate its prevalence in the general population. For anchoring and adjustment, when asked what percentage of African nations were in the UN, they were given an anchor of 65%, and most answers were close to this original value.

For our online chat, we started by discussing the representativeness heuristic, and how we are drawn towards generic products that resemble to name brand because they are represented more.  None of us had much experience with buying stocks, but we talked about how situational events can affect our judgement on how often things occur, often in social settings.

We all related to the availability heuristic.  For Erin, it is because a certain disease if pretty common in my family, so it seems like it happens a lot more than it does.  Another example was seeing small details about how people dress and assuming that it’s more common than it is because of the availability heuristic.  We also talked about how one instance of a run-in with the police can make it seem like that will happen a lot more.

We all agreed that we use anchors to make judgements.  We all try to be cautious about falling for the representative heuristic when it comes to online ratings, but sometimes you can’t help it.  We also could all related to falling for the availability heuristic on Facebook with seeing being partying and drinking, and for me, cooking fancy food.  We assume a lot of these events are more common than they are.

With the anchor and adjustment online, we could all relate to falling for “package deals” because they are framed to look a lot better.  The example that we thought of for the representativeness heuristic was seeing people online dressed up in fancy clothes and makeup, and thinking that happens a lot more than it does.  For the availability heuristic, we said that we see a lot of new reports on natural disasters, but it doesn’t always mean that it’s more likely to happen to us. For the anchor and adjustment heuristic, we said that using base price as an anchor and adjusting shipping costs can make items look like a lot better of a deal.

Reflecting on this assignment, I think I learned a lot. I had learned about heuristics in general before, and have heard of the availability heuristic too, but the other 2 I was not very familiar with. The lecture video and the handout provided a bunch of great definitions and examples for all of the heuristics, which were really helpful in facilitating my understanding. I think it is important to know about these heuristics because even though they often help us, they are not always correct, so we should be aware of that.

Additionally, I thought it was cool that a comic was included to help explain one of the heuristics. This was a unique approach, and helped me see the concept through a new lens. I appreciated the variety of watching a lecture video, reading a comic, and reading a handout, because it prevented the information in different ways.

In the chat, I liked how we had to talk about examples provided for each of the 3 heuristics in the video and handout. Talking about them again with other people allowed me to keep those ideas circling through my head. By the time the chat was finished, I felt that I had a much greater understanding of the 3 heuristics.

Additionally, it was helpful that we had to come up with online examples of these heuristics ourselves. It is one thing to learn about a concept and be provided with examples, but to come up with your own, you really have to apply that knowledge in order to succeed. It made me think more critically about them, and understand them on a deeper level.

This assignment took awhile to do, but it helped me gain some very valuable knowledge and work on skills! It is good to have some tougher, longer assignments sometimes, because I think it makes me a better student, as well as more patient.

This assignment started off by finding a product on Amazon that has received satirical reviews. After we found one, we had to create a discussion board post which included the product’s name, a link to the product’s listing, a photo of the product, and at least 3 of the satirical reviews of it.

The product that I found on Amazon with satirical reviews was the “Mountain Adult Unisex T-Shirt- Three Wolf Moon Classic”. I chose to include 5 of the satirical reviews in my post. The reviews included things such as the person wearing it turning into a wolf, getting offered their boss’ job, being exposed to crazy dreams, hearing wolves in the distance, and eating raw meat.

Reflecting on this assignment, it wasn’t really based around learning, but relates to assignments from earlier in the unit, when we examined aspects of judgment and decision making on the Internet. Some of the articles had referred to online reviews, how they impact consumers, and if they are reliable. This assignment allowed us to see some reviews firsthand, which was valuable, even though they were satirical.

Additionally, this is an assignment that I legitimately enjoyed! When it comes to assignments for classes, for the most part I tend to get bored or frustrated, but this was an exception. The reviews that I found for my product were very comical, and pretty ridiculous. I enjoyed scrolling through the reviews and reading all of it!

This was a very quick assignment, and only revolved around a couple of steps. However, it did give me the chance to practice embedding website links, and photos in my posts. This is valuable, because the more I do it, the more I remember how to do it. I still utilize the “Course How To”, but I do not need it nearly as much as I used to.

There is not much else to reflect on, but I am glad we had this assignment, and I hope there are more like this in the last few weeks! Bringing humor into schoolwork always makes it better!

This post started out by reading through all of the posts from unit 10 assignment 1, where each student empirically examined an aspect of judgment and decision making on the Internet. After this we had to remind ourselves of the best way to respond to discussion board posts. Finally, we had to create 2 response posts, including one to a student who examined the same aspect of judgment and decision making on the Internet as I did, and one who examined a different aspect.

The first person I chose to reply to was my old chat group member, Weiyan. She  read the article written by Luca (2016), which is “Reviews, Reputation, and Revenue: The Case of Yelp.com”, which studied the relationship between Yelp and restaurants revenue.

I explored a different aspect of judgment than her, but I thought the topic seemed interesting, which is why I chose to respond to her. In my response to her, I told her that I really liked how she summarized the study. I did not read this article, but just from reading her post, I feel that I truly understand it, which is a testament to her doing a great job! Her choices to include numeric values as well as information about which reviews that consumers are more responsive to were awesome, and helped facilitate my understanding.

I agreed with her point that the findings of the study make sense. Positive reviews are certainly an influence for people to try a certain restaurant. Since people can access these reviews easily on their phones, it makes sense that people would check reviews before going to a restaurant, and attend restaurants that were rated more positively by others.

I also connected with her, as I have thought that Yelp and other online reviews are very helpful, especially when in a new place. When my family goes on vacation in a place we are not very familiar with, we always check online reviews before attending restaurants or other attractions!

Next, I responded to a girl named Valerie, who explored the same aspect of judgement that I did. We read the article from Niemelä & Dingemanse (2017), “Trustworthiness of Online Beer Ratings as a Source of Social Information”.

I connected with her, as I also thought it was humorous to study beer reviews! That is one of the primary reasons I chose to read this paper, because it caught my eye.

I discussed that I liked how she summarized the article. Her point about why they chose to study beer specifically is great, as it sheds light on reasons behind the study. She also mentioned that they compared non-blind beer ratings to ratings collected blindly, which is an important point, and I do not think I mentioned it in my discussion board post.

I agree with her point about being surprised that the reputations of the beer did not effect its rating. My initial reaction to this article was that I expected different results than what actually happened. Additionally, I agree with the point that there is not much of a reason to target a manufactured good with negative reviews. I hadn’t thought about it in that way before, but that was an insightful point.

I talked about how I wondered what the results would be if they studied a certain food or object, rather than beer. It would be interesting to see if bias changes depending on the product being examined.

Reflecting on this assignment, it is always nice to get the chance to read through the posts of all the students in my section. It allows me to get to know what topics different people are interested, and read their interpretations of different articles. Since we are only in chat groups with a couple of other students, this is the way we are able to get to know the other students that we don’t routinely chat with!

Also, it is often structured like this, but it is always good to respond to one post of someone exploring the same issue, and one post of someone exploring a different issue. This way, we are able to really master the material that we had already read about, but to also interact with new information! This balance definitely promotes critical thinking and balance, which are very useful.

This assignment was relatively brief, but still good! As I have said so many times before, it is so important to have variance in assignments, so having some days where we respond to the posts of others is a nice break from just making posts ourselves. It keeps me more engaged, and allows to to grow more as a student as well!

This assignment started off by choosing one of three questions, and completing its associated activities. The question I chose was “Should you believe that rumor?”, which included reading 2 articles, a tweet, learning how to use Snopes.com, searching for a non-political rumor I have heard, imagining that a friend or relative has texted me telling me about that rumor, and making a discussion board post where I write an email to this friend or relative telling them what I’ve learned about the rumor on Snopes.com.

The first article was a brief interview of the creator of Snopes, David Mikkelson. He described how he started the site about 20 years prior, and was supposed to revolve around urban legends. However, over time, it became a fact-checking site, debunking rumors. He also explains the process he goes through when it comes to checking each rumor.

The second article also talks about Mikkelson and Snopes. He discusses how the website almost failed and was saved by a GoFundMe campaign, how he met his wife, how once 9/11 happened, internet traffic spiked and everything changed. It also talked about him hiring other employees, divorcing with his wife, and meeting his new wife. It was very informative about David’s life as well as the lifespan of the website.

Below is an example email to my Grandma based on the associated activities that come with the question “Should you believe that rumor?”. It was included in my discussion board post.

Dear Grandma,

You sent me a text telling me a rumor that storing you cell phone in your bra can cause cancer. You heard about this from someone else, and are now insisting that I share it with my sisters, so they will store their phones elsewhere. 

However, according to Snopes.com, this rumor is unproven, there is no hard evidence currently available to prove or disprove this notion. While it may be true that it is better safe than sorry, a leading oncologist suggests that it is unlikely that this method phone storage could trigger cancer. She claims that there are thousands of studies on phone safety, yet there is still no link with breast cancer.

A clinical nurse specialist echoes this note, claiming that there is not any available evidence that would say that frequency phone waves can cause cancer. So, while more research can be done on the topic, is it clear that this rumor is certainly unproven up to this point. 

I mentioned Snopes.com, so I thought it would be valuable to explain what this website is. According to an article by Michelle Dean, it is a “fact-checking site” that is “trying to swim against the tide of spin, memes, and outright lies in the American public sphere”. It has existed since 1994, and with the incredible growth of the internet, it serves to extinguish unreliable information.

According to an article by Cheryl Eddy, Snopes serves to disprove “all those wild stories in your Facebook feed”. The article explains that people aren’t more gullible than in the past, but that now it is a lot easier to exploit people’s gullibility, so a website like Snopes is so important. 

I hope that you understand that the rumor you are talking about has not been proven. I recommend utilizing fact-checking websites such as Snopes.com in the future before sharing rumors. Either way, I know you want to look out for my family and I, so I appreciate the concern.

Your Grandson,

Nicholas 

Reflecting on this assignment, as always, I appreciate when the students are granted a choice in what they want to explore. In this circumstance, we were given 3 separate sets of activities to choose from, which was nice. I ended up choosing the question about rumors, since they are so powerful in today’s society. I had also never heard of the Snopes website, so I was interested in seeing what it was all about. Getting a choice always makes me more enthusiastic about completing an assignment!

Additionally, the structure of the discussion board post was very interesting. We had to write it in the form of an email to a friend or relative, which personalized the assignment. It made it feel more realistic, as if I was trying to actually disprove something that someone told me. This different format brought variation, which always makes assignments more exciting.

I also liked that rather than just reading articles about the website, I got to explore the website and look for a rumor of my own. Once again, this gave me more freedom to find things that I was interested in, or that apply to my life more directly. exploring the website made my time working on this more fun and fulfilling. This assignment was set up in a great way, I recommend they keep this assignment for future years!