Unit 1 Reflection

​​As I reflect upon my work this semester, I want to acknowledge what I have learned along the way.

To start, you may see throughout my writing that I prefer a more formal writing style. Although this may be a blog, and writing a bit informally is okay, I still like to write as if this is an academic essay. This is something that I carry through in all assignments, and I cannot help what flows out of my rapid typing fingers. The Unit 1 Project helped me play around with going about a more relaxed approach, as shown in my anecdotes throughout sources 2-4. As we advance, after feedback, I think I may exercise more of a blog writing style.

Selecting the second source, I was nervous about finding something of quality. When I first heard about the prompt for this assignment, my brain immediately went to artificial intelligence. Stumbling across this article, I knew it was the right choice. One of my favorite news sources is the New York Times, and I have read an article similar to this one beforehand. A constant thought through my head is how capable AI is and if it is powerful enough to replace us in the workforce, and in this case, the news and journalism industry.

Genesis (a word I can never spell right the first time) is the AI technology that Google created to write news articles and was even presented to the New York Times, which they failed to comment. This is what brought back up the feelings of “Oh no! Computers are taking over jobs!” However, this thought is not backed by much research. Journalism cannot thrive without the beautiful abilities of creative humans who offer storytelling that AI cannot yet replicate.

I selected my third source based on something that I could put a personal spin on. Being a summer camp counselor and having the responsibility of sometimes watching my younger family members, it is easy to observe the different ways kids are developing, especially in their prime years. I have worked with children ages two to five and spent so much time with them that it is easy to understand and adapt to their developmental challenges. The beauty of summer camp is that we are away from the screens and can help these children grow their characters—and the same goes for taking care of my younger cousins.

“What Does Too Much Screen Time Do to Children’s Brains?” put words, data, and research to things I have thought and theorized before. It was fascinating to find out (yet not surprising) that there was a correlation between screen time and development in youth. But what was most surprising was that almost half of all children under 8 have their own device and spend 2+ hours on it daily. This statistic is something I believe needs change, as much as I am a firm believer in advancing technology. I also think it is important to note that children at such a young age tend to copy whatever their parents do. So, when they see their parent on their phone or using their screens, they will think that it is acceptable to do so and want to be just like you. I find the child’s mind and development fascinating. Overall, I am satisfied that I picked a more research-based and analytical article that teaches me advice I can use in the future when I am a parent.

For my last source, I wanted to touch on how technology has affected mental health over the years. Not only has it exposed every generation to discovering WebMD illnesses or diagnoses, but social media has created an outlet to show younger generations more information than what is healthy or too mature. This very recent article about the lawsuit taught me that the profiting corporations should be held accountable for what they have created within our younger generations. “As someone who had social media develop in front of their eyes, I can fully support the City of New York’s claim. I can see firsthand how social media has negatively impacted my and many others' mental health.”

When it comes to future units, I will be using these sources to back up future claims. I thoroughly enjoyed the more argumentative aspects and psychological research parts as well. For Unit 2, I will need to challenge myself to use the Syracuse Library Databases to do more research and find parallels or even contradictions to the arguments I have made through my Unit 1 Project. I am incredibly proud of my writing, as it has been a struggle for me in years past. I am also not great at managing my time and tend to be super slow at most of my work in all subjects, and I am happy that I completed this assignment on time, with time to spare! I hope my writing reflects my growth, and I look forward to the rest of the semester!