1.

For my journal 7 post I had stated that the community I value the most is my hometown, the town of Orono. My two technologies I would keep are cameras and social media, specifically Facebook.  I wasn’t able to find much information on the human footprint with the production of camera but I was able to find all kinds of information on the working conditions and what it takes to be a Facebook employee.  As time goes on Facebook is a dying industry.  They are facing all sorts of backlash with their whole privacy invasion incident and how they supposedly have deals with the government to watch for erratic behavior.  But focusing more on their human footprint I was able to find something rather interesting upon my research.  From a CNBC article I had found that workers reported a dirty office environment where they often find pubic hair and bodily waste around their desks. Conditions at the Tampa site are so strenuous that workers regularly put their health in danger, several people told The Verge. One worker kept a trash can by her desk to throw up while she was sick since she had already used all her allotted bathroom breaks. Cognizant is not required to offer sick leave in Florida. One man had a heart attack at his desk and died shortly after, The Verge reported, and the site has not yet gotten a defibrillator.  This clearly has some issues.  It seems as if the regular employees are doing what they are supposed to be doing which is doing what they were hired for and working as anyone should.  But the management for these offices is not living up to expectations by any means.

Facebook Article: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/19/facebook-content-moderators-expose-disturbing-working-conditions.html

As for my technology I decided I would eliminate, I took it to extreme measures and chose to ban the smart phone.  Now, smartphone companies are doing what they can to create new products out of recycled parts.  Samsung more than Apple is having success with this task.  With Samsung phones and devices all you have to do is mail it back to the company and 95% of the parts are recycled to make new products.  Meanwhile Apple is currently in the process of making their devices as close to 100% recyclable as possible.  They even have these robots that will take apart old iPhones and savior every little scrap they possibly can. (https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/04/apple-expands-global-recycling-programs/) Although these wealthy customers are purchasing these life changing Apple products, the people that make them are working in life changing conditions.  These phones are “technically” made in the U.S. because the parts they send to China have the Apple logo on them making them a “made in the USA” product.  While China is the one doing the dirty work of actually assembling these phones to then be sold.  An article in the Chicago times explains the horrendous lifestyle these workers are going through.  Literally committing suicide because they believe that is better than working all day in these harsh conditions. Apple spent years upbraiding manufacturers after a rash of suicides in 2010 at its main partner, Foxconn Technology, provoked outrage over the harsh working environments in which its upscale gadgets were made. Foxconn hired psychological counselors, set up a 24-hour care center and attached large nets to factory buildings to prevent impulsive suicides, according to a 2011 Apple progress report. Soon after, Apple developed standards and started audits of the hundreds of companies that produce components for its devices, threatening to pull business from those who flout labor laws.

Apple working conditions: https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/blue-sky/ct-apple-china-workers-20180116-story.html

2.

My intention of banning the smartphone would be more towards the mental aspect of the community rather than the physical aspect.  Sure banning the smartphone would save tons of money not having to ship all these phones to the area and not have to worry about these older smartphones to just be thrown away and turn into hazardous material.  But banning these phones would benefit the community in a positive way by changing the lifestyles of everyone involved and bettering their mental health.  These phones are eating away at our brains and we do it to ourselves.  And most people don’t even realize the downside of having a smartphone.  It does have it’s benefits.  It’s an extremely helpful tool.  But when their were no smartphones, people were living their life just fine.  As more and more people are getting their hands on the new smartphones and studies show that they are seeing in increase in laziness and depression caused by these phones and the useless things they can access on these phones. And that is not how you hold a stable community.  There is just no need for them in a town like this.  Orono is a town where connections are supposed to be made in person.  There are more than enough places to meet people here in Orono and I feel that this social media, especially the use of tinder, is hurting this towns reputation.  I would kill to have lived in this town 60 to 70 years ago as I feel like everything would be so much better.  As in the behavior of people and the friendliness in general.  And that is how strong community is built is through getting to know people in your community in person.

How smartphones can be dangerous: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(18)30002-6/fulltext

3.

The way to keep a strong and connected community is follow the ways of the people who have been apart of it the longest and not changing too much.  The people who have been apart of the community and seen its growth and decline have the best perspective out of anyone and the people with the best perspective are usually right.  They have been here longer than anyone else obviously and they would know what’s best for this town as they have seen it change over time.  This goes for any small or large community.  The people who are loyal to their community and care about it enough to stay here for as long as they have should give them the opportunity to decide the future of their community and let its future play out in the way they think is best.  Letting AI control human lives is the worst idea I have ever heard.  That is how people, actual humans, turn into “robots’.  What makes a community so special is the people in the community and their look on life.  Not what AI would think.  There are right and wrong places to let AI take control.  And a town like Orono is not the right place for it.  Orono is slowly losing its originality and it’s all because of the millennials and their new interests which are all provoked by something they see online.  And the ones who haven’t the internet take over their lives, should be in control.