Many users are saying they wish that government websites functioned more like .com websites. Government websites are poorly designed and lead to a poor user experience making it hard for the user to navigate the website and find the information that they are after. A website with a poor design is no good, which is why Booz Allen Hamilton suggests 5 tips to improve the design in this article.

https://www.federaltimes.com/home/2019/08/22/is-the-government-website-user-experience-lacking/?fbclid=IwAR2OlYOUlTnH7wegyhPOCu_jvL_QeobIh5Wk7ccpPD1Tr-4tekx9XA1PN_4

With the recent addition of 5G technology and the rapid increase of IoT devices, we are treading even more unknown technological waters. New technology becomes available, we run into new cybersecurity threats. Information security has been a fairly reactive process as changes are made after breaches but hopefully, we can become proactive and take measures to secure new technology. See more detail in this article from information security buzz: https://www.informationsecuritybuzz.com/articles/with-5g-and-iot-its-a-new-day-with-new-risks/

Within just a month of the tragic school shooting that left 17 dead, the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School had created a national movement from the usage of social media. This article puts into perspective how effective the use of social media was in how we see the March for Our Lives movement. Historically, it has frequently been young folks advocating for a more progressive society and in the 21st century, instead of being limited to sit-ins or boycotts, we can now connect with folks from all over the world in advocating for a certain cause. Check out this article to see the data of the impacts of the March For Our Lives movement.

https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/march-for-our-lives-social-media/

A study done at Harvard set out to discover what the correlation of mental health and social media use looked like. Contrary to what we tend to see online, they actually found a positive correlation. They based their study around these three factors: social well-being, positive mental health, and self-rated health. However, this positive correlation did not apply to all. They found that it varied based on demographic, socioeconomic, and racial population sub-groups.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/social-media-positive-mental-health/

Even with Google holding the crown for Adtech, there are so many Adtech companies in this industry. Companies such as Adobe, Amazon, and Facebook have made a name for themselves in this industry however, other companies are continuing to crowd the market. With all these companies providing Adtech solutions, it’s going to be hard for enterprises and small businesses to choose the right one. Each company tries to offer a unique Adtech solution but in a market that is so saturated, it’s going to be hard to find one that actually stands out when it comes to functionality.

https://www.blog.google/technology/ads/ad-tech-industry-crowded-and-competitive/

Ring doorbells have always been advertised as an Internet of Things device that improves home security and convenience. Equipped with a camera and a two-way intercom system, you can see and communicate with anyone at your front door from inside the house or anywhere. The product is a good idea, but unfortunately has many drawbacks that stem from it being an Internet connected device. This article explains how the Ring app for Android has been tracking the users in many unsettling ways. It was discovered that the app has been gathering the user’s IP address, device information and sensor data, hardware IDs, and even personal information such as name and address. The Ring app then submits this data to third party companies for ad revenue purposes and data mining. This has been unknown to the user until now. The reason Ring and other companies do this is to offset cost and allow their product to be sold at a lower cost. Unfortunately, most people are unaware of what goes on in the background and just think they are getting a good deal. In the end, you get what you pay for. The most cost effective solution is to use a standard doorbell which costs less than any ring product and is guaranteed to not be tracking any user activities as it has no internet or network connection.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/01/ring-doorbell-app-packed-third-party-trackers

Every industry is or will be affected by artificial intelligence, and hopefully for good. Even though AI was discovered not so long ago, it is already making a great impact in today’s world. From self-driving cars to facial recognition, AI is slowly creeping its way into every branch of technology.

Some people are scared that AI will affect the world negatively, such as leaving people without jobs in the near future. And while I think that this is probable, I also think that it is more probable that AI development will be more beneficial than problematic.

This article talks about some ways that AI will be positively impacting the world in the next few years: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bethkindig/2020/01/31/5-soon-t0-be-trends-in-artificial-intelligence-and-deep-learning/#7b38f9ef5e56

The effects that technology has on people in general is sometimes more of a concern than focusing only on the technological impacts of children. However, the reasoning behind my choice stems from the fact that children are often at a much higher risk when it comes to the negative impacts. This generation of children are growing up in a completely different world than what you, I, or anyone has ever experienced. As we approach this new territory, it is crucial that we examine all possibilities. The video below goes over some of the more common effects researchers have discovered 

The Good Side

There are many benefits when it comes to technology and childhood growth. Kids often use devices and games that aid in learning both at home and on the classroom. The vast amount of Television shows and children cartoons are also tools that increase early intelligence. As the video mentions, multitasking is a skill that has become more and more present in young children. While the list of good can go on and on, is it to say we ignore the bad habits technology also brings? 

The Bad Side 

Technology often brings along at least one bad effect for every good feature. While it may increase young childhood intelligence, it also brings a rise in ADD and ADHD. While having a larger range of free and cheap media such as ebooks, podcast, documentaries, and news articles, the blue light emitted by these devices and media causes irregular sleeping patterns. The video list numerous other negative effects, all of which children and parents should be aware of. 

Technology in Moderation 

As with most things, moderation is key. As long as children are getting a good amount of physical activity, keeping in touch with the non virtual world, and learning how to be independent of technology, their growth and development will not be hindered by this new world. 

According to studies, smart home owners tend to ignore the risk associated with their products and focus mainly on the benefits that they provide. I myself am included in this category. When purchasing my smart home products, I did not think twice about how I was putting my information security at risk. Instead, I focused on all the cool benefits that came with it. This is not uncommon. As hackers and malicious content get only smarter with time, it is pertinent that consumers know what risk truly comes with their products. Best thing we can do is to stay educated and understand why it is we ignore the risk.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030142151630711X

A security researcher found sensitive information on over 10,000 accounts by simply viewing Social Captain’s web page source code. This is an ongoing issue and still a threat today. Another bug also was discovered that gave total access to other user accounts. Luckily, this bug was fixed shortly thereafter. If you are a user of Social Captain, it is recommended that you change your password immediately to prevent the possible exposure of not only your password, but other sensitive information associated with your account.

Read the full article from Mashable: https://in.mashable.com/tech/11001/this-company-has-exposed-passwords-of-thousands-of-instagram-users