There’s no better place to observe the growing role of technology in our lives than on a college campus. Between classes, students walk past each other with AirPods in their ears and smartphones in their hands. They swipe through dating apps, scroll through social media, send texts to their parents and socialize through group chats.
And that’s just while they are in transit. In class, laptops are their lifelines. Professors, too, rely on technology — to teach, to communicate with students outside of class and (believe it or not) to have their own social lives.
This semester, students in Towson University’s Multimedia Reporting Capstone course teamed up to explore the role of technology in our lives.
It was a timely topic in January — and even more so come March. Just before spring break, the COVID-19 shutdown began. Baltimore Watchdog reporter Tim Klapac and his colleagues at The Towerlight, Towson’s independent student newspaper, reported on the story of a lifetime.
In a matter of days, the coronavirus pandemic disrupted campus life in every way possible. Events were cancelled. Classes went online. Social life, too. Capstone students, almost all of whom are second-semester seniors, faced an abrupt end to college life as they knew it. No saying goodbye to their friends in person. No senior banquets or graduation ceremonies. Instead, day after day of working from home.
Students reported capstone projects from their bedrooms. Doing journalism without face-to-face interaction posed a big challenge. But it also presented an opportunity to explore how technology had become even more central to our lives.
They asked students how they spent their time online during the pandemic.
How they maintained a social life.
And how they stayed healthy and active.
Working in groups, reporters produced multimedia stories in one of five categories: information/communication overload; online safety and privacy; distance learning and academic dishonesty; online dating; and technology in sports.
How can you find trustworthy information online during a pandemic? How much digital communication with a romantic partner is too much? How can you avoid checking your devices after hours to do work?
Listen to what Baltimore Watchdog journalists learned from their reporting.
Fake News and COVID-19
It has never been easier to look up and share information. On social media, we are all consumers and producers. But how much of what we see can we actually trust?
If the 2016 election and the years since have taught us anything, it’s the importance of being a skeptical media consumer. Fake news, misinformation and rumors spread quickly on social media. That’s always a problem, but especially so when it means you don’t know what to trust during a pandemic.
Natalie Bland, Tim Klapac and Amber Wilson examine the spread of misinformation on Towson University’s campus in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of reputable sources in times of crisis. Their podcast features interviews with, among other sources, TU students and news literacy experts.
Those experts agree that being skeptical is a good thing. Verify information before sharing. Check the source. Stick with news outlets you trust. The danger is when skepticism turns into cynicism, leading consumers to distrust all information, even that which comes from credible sources.
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- Get smart about COVID-19 (from the News Literacy Project)
- The cure for fake news: How to read about the Coronavirus
- The seven types of people who spread misinformation
Dating and Constant Digital Communication
Bella Hernandez used to be in a relationship with a guy who liked to talk to her a lot. On its face, that sounds like a good thing — a sign that he cared. But often, he’d say things like this: “You haven’t been talking to me for like three hours. Where have you been? What have you been doing? Cause it says on Facebook that you are active. Why weren’t you talking to me?”
Comments like those are common among people in relationships who expect constant digital communication. In relationships, the expectations can pile on. Text me back right away. Like my photo on Facebook. Call me to check in. Early in relationships it’s understandable. Later on, it can become a sticking point for couples.
Olivia Balog, Cecily Jackson and Taylor Montford explore what’s behind the need for constant communication in romantic relationships, and how people who have lived through it describe their experiences. In their podcast, they also speak with researchers who study communication fatigue and have tips on how to set ground rules in relationships.
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- Can you have too much communication?
- Is constant texting good or bad for your relationship?
- What it means when couples constant post about each other
Digital Devices and Never-Ending Work
We all struggle to find a balance between work and life, especially now when many of us use our kitchen or bedroom as an office during the coronavirus pandemic. With our devices never far away, it’s easy to start work first thing in the morning and work late into the night. Boundaries are blurred. And it can lead to burnout.
Khadean Coombs and Matt Cregger explore the ways that, for many of us, our devices keep us connected to work at all times.
For their podcast, they spoke with several young professionals who struggle with disconnecting. One of them is Sheerica Ware, who has worked for media outlets such as Politico and CNN. Ware, like many employees, wants to prove herself early in her career. The reporters also spoke with Larry Rosen, a psychology professor at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He said with so many messages coming at us each day, we feel the need to respond right away. But it doesn’t have to be so.
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- Setting boundaries at home during the COVID-19 pandemic
- How to separate work and home during a pandemic
- Work-from-home burnout is real
How do Siri, Alexa and other digital voice assistants pose privacy threats? How can dating apps do more to protect users’ safety? How do transgender individuals weigh concerns about posting to social media against the obvious upsides?
Listen to what Baltimore Watchdog journalists learned from their reporting.
Voice Assistants and Privacy Concerns
Many people use Alexa, Google Home and Siri to play music, get the weather or turn off the lights. These automated devices have answered all sorts of questions and helped with many different tasks. But even when they aren’t answering questions or obeying commands, voice assistants tend to be listening to conversations more than we might think.
Tim Dashiell and Danielle Williams examine how these voice assistants became so dominant and also so concerning to privacy advocates who understand how data collected by technology companies are being used. In their podcast, the reporters talk to experts about these privacy concerns, and ask students whether have noticed their voice assistants listening to them when they least expected.
As one student said, “My roommate last year had an Alexa kind of tucked away in the corner of her desk and I was reading something out loud and out of nowhere her Alexa goes ‘sorry can you repeat that’? And I was really freaked out by it.”
Are other users freaked out by this? How informed are they about possible invasions of privacy? How are companies using their data?
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- Is your smartphone secretly listening to you?
- Alexa records more often than you think
- Privacy options don’t boost trust in voice assistants
Dating Apps and Public Safety
Dating apps are mainstream now. If you’re on one, it means having an abundance of ways to meet people. And it also means putting yourself out there to strangers. Most dating apps don’t require background checks, and little is done to ensure that the people behind the profiles are who they say they are.
For instance, Tinder’s terms and conditions states, “you understand that Tinder does not conduct criminal background checks on its users or otherwise inquire into the background of its users.” Other popular dating apps like Grindr, Bumble and OkCupid have similar policies. That means the responsibility is on users to protect themselves.
But sometimes, even the most careful users find themselves in precarious situations — on dates and in the aftermath. Andy Krew, Kristina Lopez and Steve Truant examine the safety precautions that aren’t being taken by dating apps and how users can protect themselves from predators and catfishers.
The reporters spoke with a range of dating app users to gauge their level of concern. One told them, “I feel like I’m uncomfortable with my information being shared because you can look anyone up. But then again, if you don’t give information, there’s no way to verify if people are legit.”
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Social Media and the Transgender Community
Carter Mason realized her true gender identity at 15. She never felt comfortable being identified as a man and felt like a stranger to her own body. Mason was able to confront her isolation and uncertainty by finding communities of support on the internet — specifically, social media platforms such as 4chan and Reddit.
Social media has its toxic elements. But for many transgender individuals, forums and groups provide much-needed comfort and support, especially when there is little community where they live.
Makya Kreamer, Rohan Mattu and Terrell McAlily interviewed Mason and others about how they use social media as a resource. They found that websites like Reddit provide a community for users to find information and connect on shared interests. Sites such as GoFundMe allow people to raise money for expensive surgeries.
Related articles:
- Understanding the transgender community
- The internet has made trans people more visible — and vulnerable
- The influence of social media for trans youth
What does online dating look like during the COVID-19 crisis? How do dating app users manage swiping fatigue? Is there a problem with setting filters on data apps to narrow choices?
Listen to what Baltimore Watchdog journalists learned from their reporting.
Online Dating During COVID-19
Online dating is more popular than ever before. But what happens now that COVID-19 prevents us from meeting up in person? The swiping continues, but what happens next? People have to get more creative — FaceTime calls, Zoom dinner dates, Netflix and….more Netflix (or maybe Hulu).
People need human connection, now more than ever before as we physically isolate. Dating apps are trying to find ways to adjust to the new normal by creating virtual meet-up events.
Chris Cobb, Xavier Guzman and Brooks Warren report on what online dating looks like during the coronavirus pandemic. They speak with a range of young adults — some of whom are motivated to use dating apps and others of whom don’t see a reason to if they can’t eventually meet face to face.
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- Jeremy and Tori’s love story begins with a drone
- Coronavirus is normalizing online dating
- Breaking down the best dating sites/apps
Online Dating and Swiping Fatigue
When is having too many choices a bad thing? In many cases, it turns out — from the grocery store aisle to online dating sites. We often are happier when there are fewer options. When there are too many, we experience something called option paralysis (or, in dating terms, swiping fatigue).
Research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that students with a larger pool of dating options were less satisfied compared to those with a smaller selection of options. It’s easy to swipe through profiles and be unsure if you’ve found the “right” person.
Travis Armbruster and Roshan Davis examine what may be leading to online dating fatigue and if the perfect app could exist for online dating. They spoke to experts about why option paralysis occurs, and they interviewed users of online dating apps to get their take. One user, Leah, said, “You waste so much time on these apps…Whether it’s swiping or just talking to people and you go on a lot of first dates that just, like, [you’re] indifferent about and they just don’t go anywhere.”
Related article:
- How the paradox of choice could explain why you’re still single
- Too many dating choices decreases commitment
- The dating algorithm that gives you just one match
Filtering and Implicit Bias in Online Dating
According to a Pew Research Center report, nearly half of U.S. adults ages 18-29 have used a dating site or app. There are plenty of apps to choose from, such as Tinder and Bumble. One popular function that almost all apps include: the ability to use filters (age, location, interests, etc.) to narrow down the dating pool.
In theory, that’s a good thing — it can be overwhelming to swipe through hundreds or more people without any ability to indicate your dating preferences. But our implicit biases may affect the way we use these filters. By narrowing down the pool, people may not be exposed to people who are not like them.
Tatiana Hewitt, T’reyah Johnson and Tiera Lee examine how people set their preferences when signing up for dating apps, and whether users have mixed feelings about their ability to filter out certain types of people.
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- Is it wrong to filter on dating apps?
- Are the algorithms that power dating apps racially biased?
- How racial discrimination plays out in online dating
How are students and professors adjusting to emergency online education? How can professors ensure academic integrity and still let students use online resources?
Listen to what Baltimore Watchdog journalists learned from their reporting.
Shortcuts to Learning
It feels like you’ve hit the jackpot when you type the first question of a homework assignment into Google and end up finding a Quizlet with all the homework answers right there for you. Quizlet does more than provide answers — it’s a website that allows students to learn information through flashcards and learning games. Chegg is another such website that helps students take shortcuts to get their work done faster.
Ryan Moriarity and Emma Stark examine how students use these websites and why they are controversial. Professors (if they know anything about them) often wish they didn’t exist. Some students admit that by using them they are cheating themselves — they aren’t really learning, just doing enough to get a decent grade.
One student, Chase Bradshaw, sees the pros and cons of using Chegg and Quizlet. “I think they have their purpose, but when students use them just to get answers and skate by it ends up biting them in the a** at the end.”
Should students use these websites? How do they work? And how can educators create assignments and tests that aren’t Chegg-able?
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The Transition to Emergency Online Education
Many college students have taken online classes. Some even prefer them to in-person classes. But the choice between online and in-person class was always that — a choice. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, millions of students have been forced into Zoom lectures and self-teaching — things that many students and professors are struggling to adjust to on the fly.
Simone Boyd, Nia Fitzhugh and John Hack report on how this grand experiment in online education was working a few months into the pandemic. They found that it’s been a challenge for all involved. Professors rushed to learn new technology and make the best of a bad situation. Students found it difficult to manage the new workflow. Education experts agree that spring 2020 wasn’t truly online learning, it was emergency distance learning — and what happened in March can’t happen again.
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- You’re not alone — motivation is hard during a pandemic
- How effective is online learning?
- Will colleges keep all classes virtual in the fall?
Online Education and the Cheating Problem
Students have more ways than ever before to cheat using technology. They can use their smartwatches, smartphones, AirPods and, of course, Google to look up answers. Academic dishonesty has remained remarkably steady over the years, even with these new digital tools.
But with the abrupt shift to online classes due to COVID-19, many educators are concerned about a potential rise in cheating cases. It’s hard to tell if students are doing their own work if you can’t see them. There are ways to monitor them, but that can feel invasive.
Tyana Campbell, Owen DiDonna and Jill Gattens examine how professors tried to ensure academic integrity as they shifted their courses online. Some altered assignments and ramped up the use of anti-plagiarism software. Still others weren’t worried — they used open-book tests and said they trusted their students.
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The Quest for a Cheat-Proof Course
Jack Cole, a lecturer at Towson University, proudly proclaims that his class is “cheat proof.” His way of ensuring that: give students the final exam questions on the first day of class and encourage them to use all sources to find answers. It’s a radical approach to assessing students. And it’s also proven to be an effective way to give students agency.
Educators go to great lengths trying to stop students from cheating. It’s an uphill battle, as there are more and more ways for students to use online resources to cut corners. Some teachers are taking a novel approach: letting students look up whatever they want.
John Lynch and Zaria Nabinett interviewed Cole, other professors and education experts about how faculty members can create assignments and tests that discourage (maybe even prevent) students from cheating. Not everyone follows Cole’s approach, but there’s widespread agreement that testing critical thinking rather than memorization is one answer.
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How does video technology help athletes and coaches gain a competitive edge?
Virtual Reality in Sports
Athletes and coaches have, for decades, gathered in film rooms to go over game and practice tape. But in recent years, teams have used advanced video technology to see and learn more. The use of virtual reality is becoming widespread in professional sports — and among some college teams.
VR can help athletes respond to scenarios in real time. Coaches can get a 360-degree view of athletes’ motions and tendencies. Colleges can recruit athletes by showing them what gamely looks like. And medical professors can use VR to help them with athlete recovery.
Eric Himmelheber and Matt Petraglia spoke to former athletes and people who work in the VR industry about how this technology can revolutionize sports and improve athlete performance.
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