Government lab experiment gone wrong; brought to you by Bill Gates; TV coronavirus medicines? – these are just three of countless conspiracies, rumors, and flat-out lies that have spread nearly as fast as the coronavirus itself over recent months. After years of fake news, commentators and experts alike wondered: how will the world react when misinformation is directed not towards a certain political campaign, but at a global pandemic?

We now find ourselves, on Sunday, March 22nd, 2020, with a total of 335,991 confirmed cases and 14,641 deaths worldwide. This comes nearly three months into the worst crisis the globe has faced since World War II. After weeks of ignoring the threat of the coronavirus, at times referring to it as a “hoax,” the President has now declared a national state of emergency. Even so, states around the country are competing with each other for medical supplies, testing is neither widespread nor mandatory, and confirmed cases in the US continue to rise day after day.

Many have compared the United States’ response to that of Italy, a country that experienced nearly 2,000 deaths over the past weekend alone. Just today in the United States, more than 100 lives were lost. If we are, as experts say, ten days to two weeks behind Italy, the worst is still yet to come. While many have recognized the severity of the outbreak, still some remain who see it is as a political attempt to undermine the President’s authority and weaken his reelection chances. This rhetoric is not only wrong, it is quite literally lethal. As the response to the pandemic continues to drag along, we will inevitably see countless more infections and deaths, and it may not be until 12-18 months from now that we see the end of this catastrophe. It is crucial, now more than ever, to act in the best interest of humanity, not your need for 48 rolls of toilet paper or 5 gallons of hand sanitizer. Click here to read more on the spread of misinformation and how social media platforms are dealing with it.

With the rise of COVID-19 globally, AI has begun to prove its utility as a means of disease prevention. AI and machine learning has made it possible to track, detect, and fight infectious diseases. Over a week before the World Health Organization declared the discovery of a novel coronavirus, an AI trained with data from health organizations, flights, news and livestock health reports had detected a cluster of “unusual pneumonia” cases localized to a market in Wuhan, China, the origin of the virus. Another AI company has developed an AI-assisted thermal camera capable of screening 200 people a minute, which is able to identify people with above average body temperature, a task once done manually and much slower than the camera setup. An AI developed by Chinese tech giant Alibaba has a 96% accuracy in detecting coronavirus from chest CT scans in only 20 seconds, compared to the 15 minutes it would take a human to diagnose. AI also has use for helping cure diseases, able to find new information on protein structures of COVID-19 which will help researchers develop a vaccine.

https://thenextweb.com/neural/2020/03/21/why-ai-might-be-the-most-effective-weapon-we-have-to-fight-covid-19/

As a Information, Communication and Technology student you have a million career options and you don’t even know it. Content management is just one of the options and a great options for you if your interested. So first what does a content manager do? As a content manager you get to work in a team of graphic designer, web developers, writers, and marketing professionals. Within this team you will be in charge or research, writing, and editing to keep the content up to date. In this you will be the first to start and manage the discussion, making sure the posts and comments are relevant and take care of the content that violates laws and/or inappropriate. If Content management sounds likes something you would be interested in click this link to find out more!

Despite heavy coverage, the United States Presidential election isn’t the only one impacted by social media. One more global example would be the 2019 presidential elections that occurred in Nigeria. The social media/communications app WhatsApp has been the host of much misinformation and “fake news” throughout the course of the election cycle.

A rather humorous example of this is when President Muhammadu Buhari went to the United Nations to prove that he hadn’t “died and been replaced by a Sudanese clone named Jubril.” This sort of fake news is the type spread by WhatsApp, among other social media outlets around Nigeria.

The Washington Post did research on this phenomenon and came away with a few key points. These include: WhatsApp groups can start a ripple effect through their high spreading speed, political parties are aware and encouraging of this fact, trust in WhatsApp-spread information is based on who they hear it from, and finally that the rumors are interpreted different ways depending on their various interactions with the state.

To read the full article and learn more, I’d recommend following this link.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2019/02/15/its-nigerias-first-whatsapp-election-heres-what-were-learning-about-how-fake-news-spreads/

If you’re a parent or anyone who spends a decent amount of time around children then the chances are you know how hilarious they can be when it comes to using technology. From their first swipe on your tablet to having their very own cell phone, it is no doubt that their little faces are going to give some “record worthy” reactions. The following Buzzfeed article is a list that contains the top 19 relatable things kids do with technology. It’s sure to give you a few laughs so make sure you check it out before reading my analysis below.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristatorres/things-that-are-way-too-damn-relatable-when-your-kid-love

Can Technology be Fun?

The short answer is absolutely. Technology is fun for most everyone and especially for kids. There are so many applications that promote learning and development among babies and toddlers. But, even aside form apps, just the idea of texting, talking, and swiping can be entertaining for a any kid. (see numbers 11, 10 and 1).

What’s so Funny?

Like everything else they do, kids can be extremely funny when trying to figure out how these devices work. Its the way everyone acts when learning something new. And adults like you and me are able to remember how excited we were when we got our first cellphone, laptop, etc. The difference is that we weren’t babies when we were trying to grasp the profound ideas of technology. The combination of a developing mind and tech skills is what makes these babies so funny. (see numbers 4, 6 and 9)

Is this Good or Bad?

If at this point in the article you’re wondering “Is this technology good for my baby?” than relax, because your feelings are normal and very understandable. All parents, guardians, teachers, and caregivers ask themselves that same question, and the answer isn’t direct. Technology can be bad for your children but it can also be very good. As I have said many times before, good things come in moderation. So, let your kids text, and play games on the tablets. Teach them how to face time, so you can see them when you go on your business trip. Show them cartoons and PG rated movies. However, don’t let these interactions replace traditional playtime or communication. It’s just as important to take the kids to the park, ask them to put tablets away at the dinner table, encourage family board games, or even games of make believe. A well rounded child is likely to be more prepared for the real world than a child who is exposed to too much or not enough technology. (numbers 13, 15, and 16 serve as good examples of what not to let your child do)

Even with studies proving that businesses with a strong female presence are more successful, gender imbalance is a big issue in the Adtech industry. At a young age, girls must be given the support and guidance to believe they can attain jobs in the STEM field. There’s no such thing as a “girl” job or “boy” job so why is this concept still seen in the tech industry? Conscious and unconscious bias from employers could play a factor in this. But the root of the problem begins with education. Kids need to be taught an early age that there is no limit to who they can be or what they can achieve. Tech is for everyone. Instead of giving little girls dolls because that’s a “girl” toy, let them experience toys that enhance their cognitive ability and allow them to dream big. The adtech industry is male-dominated but women will soon make this space gender equal.

https://www.campaignasia.com/article/adtechs-gender-imbalance-starts-at-the-source/458616?fbclid=IwAR1QXdMMymwhRQlFIlAnyNY_DFlVq26Y3RX6RcxaiVdL2Qy-CkO5IjezBI4

The ACLU is currently fighting with the US government over its use of facial recognition technology in airports. The government is currently using the technology without providing any information about how facial recognition technology is being used or what happens to the data after it is inputted into the system. The ACLU has sued the government over their failure to respond to the freedom of information request. To read more about why the ACLU is concerned read the article.

Insurance fraud is one of the main issues that the industry faces. The FBI estimates the industry loses around $40 billion a year to fraud. Artificial intelligence can allow insurers to identify potentially fraudulent claims and stop them. Humans can not review claims at the speed and accuracy that AI can so it would save insurers time and money. https://www.raconteur.net/risk-management/ai-insurance

The smart home has become a growing phenomenon among home owners for quite some time now. The pros and cons of being an owner has been a debate going on in the background. Does it make us lazier? Or does it help us ease our day-to-day lifestyle? One thing that it has done positively, is make consumers more aware of their privacy and take more precautions about protecting it.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/techcrunch.com/2018/06/03/will-smart-home-tech-make-us-care-more-about-privacy/amp/