Blog #4 EOTO Radio

Radios are commonplace in modern life, both in the car and at home. In fact, it would be difficult to find anyone in today's society that has not heard of, viewed, or used a radio at some point in their lives; This hasn't always been the case, especially hundreds of years ago. Even after the radio's creation in the late 1800s, it took a long time for radios to become widespread and a household fixture. The history of radio is intriguing, since it revolutionized how people around the world interacted and communicated over long and short distances.

                                                                        History of the radio

Nikolai Tesla

In the late 1800s, the radio was invented. People were exploring and analyzing it at the time. Although we don't know who invented the radio, Nikolai Tesla demonstrated a wireless radio in St. Louis, Missouri in 1893. 

Guglielmo Marconi

Despite this demonstration, Guglielmo Marconi is widely regarded as the inventor of the radio. Marconi was awarded the very first wireless telegraphy patent in England, securing his spot in radio's history. Tesla, on the other hand, filed for patents in the United States for his basic radio a year later. In 1900, four years after Marconi's invention was issued, his patent request was granted. Regardless of who was behind the creation of the radio, on December 12, 1901, Marconi's place in history was forever sealed when he became the first person to transmit signals across the Atlantic Ocean. 

Radios starting to be used

Radios were mostly used to communicate with ships at sea prior to the 1920s. During WWI, the radio was almost solely used by the military. 

It became an essential tool for delivering and receiving real-time messages to the military without the use of a physical courier. Citizens began to purchase personal radios after the war. Radios began to appear in homes and gradually became essential.  During World War II, the radio played an essential role for both the United States and the United Kingdom. The radio broadcasted military news to the public with the help of journalists. It served as a rallying point for the government in gaining popular support for the war. After the closure of television stations in the United Kingdom, it became the principal source of information. Following WWII, radio stations shifted their focus to "Top 40" music. The popularity of music and radio rose to the point where they became interchangeable. When FM radio stations began to outnumber AM radio stations, new genres of music, such as rock and roll, began to develop.

WW2 Radio

Todays radio

The Radio has evolved far beyond what Tesla or Marconi could have dreamed. Traditional radios and radio transmitting are no longer available.With technology advancing year by year, the radio has evolved to keep up with satellite, music and radio talk shows. Radios are now a staple in vehicles, you most likely won't see a radio not placed in a vehicle. Handheld radios have become crucial in sports, media production, and even commercial aircraft operations because short-range radios have enhanced communications at work sites.

Radio in cars

Blog #12 Final Post

As my Media Law & Literacy class comes to a close, I've gained a wealth of knowledge that I'll put to good use in the future. Despite the fact that we learnt a lot in this class, there was always a consistent theme, which was technology.

Growing up in the age of social media and technology has had both positive and negative consequences. My generation grew up with the introduction of the iPhone, laptops, and social media. Although these advancements have had a great effect on the world, they have also had a negative impact.

Technology's Benefits

I came to High Point University with the intention of majoring in Computer Science, but I despised it. For a time, I dropped that major and went undeclared. When it came time to choose a major, I wanted to choose something in which I excel and am well-versed. Strategic Communication, with a minor in Social Media Marketing, was my choice. Because I grew up in the world of social media, I picked this minor. I've had Instagram when it first launched in 2010. Ever since beginning in 2011, I've had Snapchat as well. I'm familiar with these apps and am aware of trends, so I felt getting this minor would be easy. That is only one of the many ways in which technology has benefited me.

The Negative Aspects of Technology

Clearly, technology has had an impact on my mental health. I'm sure I'd feel a lot better if we didn't have all of these high-tech phones with all of these applications. I have a lot of screen time, which concerns me because it demonstrates how addicted I am to my phone. When I don't have my phone, I feel completely lost. I know I can go without my phone for a long because I went to summer camp without one for 8 weeks, but now I feel like it's the only thing that keeps me calm while it's in my hand. I don't want this thing to have influence over me, and I shouldn't let it, but it's all I've ever known, and that's the sad part. Because I'll be up all night texting my friends or going through my social media apps, technology has had a significant impact on my capacity to sleep at night. I could go on and on about how technology has harmed me, but I believe sleep is the most significant. I used to be able to go to bed by 10:15-10:30PM in high school, but since starting college, the earliest I've gone to sleep was 11:30PM. It's unfortunate that I let my phone dictate my life; nevertheless, writing about it has served as a wake-up call.

Is My Relationship with Technology Healthy?

I consider this subject on a regular basis because I rely on technology for a variety of tasks, but it all comes down to how I utilize it. When it comes to academics, I have a healthy relationship with technology because I rely on my laptop for everything. It's needed for me to write papers, take exams, and so much more. I believe it is healthy for my future because I want to be a social media manager/marketer, and I know I'll need my laptop to schedule social media content, create content, and send emails. Those are two of the most important reasons for me to believe I have a positive connection with technology.When it comes to social media, though, I believe I have a negative connection with technology. It has a significant impact on my sleep and overall mental health. It has complete influence over me; whenever I receive a notification, I have to check it to see who sent it. 

I've gradually begun to reduce my technology usage and become less reliant on my phone. For example, I've started setting my phone to "Do not disturb," which prevents any notifications from making a noise or appearing on the screen. This has given me more control over how and when I use my phone. It's disturbing to think about all the negative effects technology has had on me after publishing this blog. I intend to try to correct it, and I will.