Final Reflections

Reading Reflection 3

Some of the last course concepts we covered included social inequality in regards to race, class, gender and global north vs. south.  Closely linked to social inequality is digital inequality. Digital inequality can be broken down into fist level digital disparities and second level digital disparities.  First level digital disparities refer to the accessibility of digital technology.  Certain countries and regions lack access to digital technology, meaning their digital inequality is at the first level.  Second level digital disparities refer to the lack of skills for digital technology.

A movement to provide laptops for the children of Kenya attempted to address Kenya’s first level digital disparities.  Kenya planned on spending $600 million on providing laptops, but they did not think to address the inherent second level digital disparities.   The Guardian points out Kenya’s mistake, specifically calling out the lack of skilled teachers.  Even if children have laptops, it does not mean the have the means or skills to learn how to use them.

Digital Inequalities matter because they are linked to life course, gender, race/ethnicity, health care and data collection.  I was able to witness first hand the affects of the digital divide while I was studying the HIV/AIDs epidemic in Botswana. Upon meeting with US based aid organizations like USAID and PEPFAR, they pointed out the lack of technology in rural areas of Botswana. Without the proper technology, reports of data collection were clinician based and prone to human error.  Where US aid organizations said the reports of Botswana reaching their 90-90-90 goals were likely subject to inaccuracy due to over reporting, Botswana based aid organizations believed the 90-90-90 goals had been met and they were ready for the next goal of 95-95-95. Without the proper technology to fuel accurate data collection, clinician reports were all the government and aid organizations had to work with.  The digital inequalities of rural Botswana, affected the whole country’s ability to properly collect and report data. If data is reported incorrectly and at higher rates of success, there are people unaccounted for who are not being treated for their HIV/AIDs and potential perpetuating the spread of the infection.

These course concepts are incredibly relevant in relation to my blog posts.  Understanding global citizenship directly correlates with understanding how the world works and what differs in other cultures.  Where technology is a huge part of the American day to day life, there are still countries and regions that lack the access to technology or lack the skills to effectively use the technology. Within the use of technology, it is important to take note of the American influence.  Most notably, many countries rely on US satellites to have access to technology and not have the resources to change that any time soon.  Being aware of the US cultural influence will lead to a better understanding of the international relations we have and its impact at the  individual level.

Lastly, we discussed the concept of convergence, which blogging is a great example of.  My blog, like most, includes multiple platforms of media, which enhance the user experience.  I used photography, infographics and videography to engage my audience in a fuller learning experience.

Blog Revisions

Most of the changes on my blog were usage of hyperlinks.  My blogs had good, informational content, but were lacking the backing of credible websites that might better the user experience.  When looking into links that would better my blogs, I decided I wanted my blogs to connect my audience with more sources they could use to learn more about my topic and how to apply it to their own lives. My blog posts only touch on the surface of global citizenship and really are meant to just spark the interest of my audience. I do not include all the information possible about global citizenship, so i need to guide my audience to further information if I want them to go beyond my blog during their learning process.  This relates back the user experience, specifically the usability and accessibility of digital media.

I want my audience to be able to easily find the resources they need to go above and beyond in educating themselves about global citizenship and how to establish it.  There were also a few grammatical mistakes that I needed to fix. The grammar errors damaged my blog’s credibility or logos, because it lessened its professionalism.  Since I am just a college student, I decided my credibility was something I should focus on for improving my blogs.  My blog material is mostly educational based.  Therefore, if my audience found my blogs to be discredited it would be ruin the potential influence the material has.

Professional & Digital Media 

I would like to go into advocacy for my career, because I am incredibly passionate about making a difference.  I believe advocacy has a unique emphasis on interpersonal relationships and therefore can make a difference on a small and large scale.  For a career in advocacy, no matter what is being advocated, personal branding is incredibly important.  Personal branding has been revolutionized by digital media and the two have become practically inseparable. For example, there are several websites that allow organizations to search for potential new employees and for employees to market themselves in a favorable manner.  These websites include but are limited to LinkedIn, Handshake and Glassdoor.

Throughout my college career I have received many emails about different ways to positively market myself to potential employers and have told the sooner I do the better.  Before taking Digital Communication, I did not realize what E-Portfolios were nor did I see the benefit of having one. As a professional speaker, an E-Portfolio would be incredibly helpful, because it encompasses multiple platforms and consolidates them into one easy site.  I could embed clips of speeches I have given and include details of projects I have worked on within my specialty topic.  With an E-Portfolio I could brand myself as a young professional speaker, with the power to influence.  My specialty would be backed by education and research, as well as personal passion and flare and showcased through a variety of platforms.  I would connect my Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook page to show my ability to present myself in a favorable manner to a variety of audiences.

Citizen & Digital Media

This entire blog is relevant to citizenship and digital media, because being an active global citizen has been intertwined with the internet.  Due to the CNN Effect, news is available 24/7 and at a international scale. We are able to keep up to date with countries that used to be considered incredibly rural and learn about their culture and way of life.  Where global citizenship used to be directly tied to being able to travel to experience new cultures, we can now use the power of the internet to learn about places we might never get the chance to travel to.  With the increase of globalization, we are able to keep up with international news and there is a need for a global understanding.  The Internet is not truly regulate, because it is an international medium, but we might see a change in the future, if the global sphere calls for regulation.

Personally, digital media is incredibly important for me to stay up to date with even the US news so that I am an educated citizen. This is important to me, because I want to be knowledgable about new policies and social problems so that I am able to take a stance potential change.  Thankfully as a US citizen, I am able to vote and have a say in what is being done in our government. The ability to get instant news updates keeps me informed and raises my likeliness to do further research on a topic.