Essay Sample on Tech Workshop: A Reflection on Group Learning & Self-Development

Introduction

A workshop is an important platform where a group of students can meet together and discuss an ideal topic for a more in-depth understanding and sharing of available data on the issue. It is always an effective way of learning, especially in subjects like biology. This paper is a reflection of a workshop that we had. It discusses the topic we discussed, the format of the workshop, how it was conducted, and self-evolution after the seminar. The issues we discussed were all based on technology and its effects on the way the lives of the internet users are affected by it. A Pdf has been attached as evidence of our workshop discussion entitled we are watching you. Our conversation revolved around technology, police surveillance, the FOSTA/SESTA Acts, and their effects. The debate we chose is essential for several reasons. The controversial FOSTA/SESTA is likely to affect the future of internet usage due to the commitment of the government top remove immunity on websites, and prosecute any offenders of sex trafficking (Goldman 279). Websites, hosting any sexual content on sites, makes the owners liable for prosecutions. Many sites are closing down in fear of the trial. Both police surveillance and the controversial act have a substantial negative impact on sex workers, which is not right constitutionally.

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Workshop Format: We are Watching You

The format of our workshop was a discussion, which involved allowing every member a chance to make an introduction and talk about any random idea that he/she associated with technology and the challenges. The three topics that we choose resulted from the random thoughts that we shared among the members. In this age of internet and technology advancement, several activities take place in cyberspace, both good and bad. Websites host millions of information concerning persons and their businesses. The government and law enforcement agencies have decided to use this platform and try to investigate and stop criminal acts such as sex trafficking. Several steps have had negative impacts on other users and violated the rights for privacy whenever they are using the internet. This has happened after the introduction of controversial laws that are discriminatory. The three main points we discussed are as follows

Workshop Format

Discriminatory Acts

This is an unfair act on internet and technology usage that is likely to affect the way people use the internet in the future. The fact that the technology we use keeps the record of everything we store in it is likely to result in a future without freedom. People can search for things that seem controversial and can be used against them in the future. FOSTA /SESTA is the best example of such a law that has compromised the activities of many people (Goldman 279). We chose it because of its importance in understanding more about the steps by the government to protect sex trafficking victims. It has, however, affected the work of sex workers as their platforms have been pulled down. Their advertisements on websites like Craigslist are no longer available. They are being forced to go back to the streets to find their clients. This has made them victims of homicides, rape, and murder. We conveyed information among each other through research on databases, library sources and finally, after combining the data needed, we presented it in a lecture

Police Acts of Discrimination

On the subject of racial discrimination, police are employing technologies to increase the racial discrimination acts that already exist. The cellphone data captured by the police, such as the data obtained from the social media monitor tools and facial recognition tools, are biased. An example that was given is the use of mass-surveillance technology by the American military in Afghanistan and Iraq. Their use of surveillance has led to the detention and death of many innocent citizens. The purpose of the same technology by the ICE to filter out people without documents or valid citizenship suffers based on color, race, and gender (Zhang 2018). The cases of racial profiling have been reported on several occasions, making this technology a weapon of destruction to some communities.

Sex Trafficking

Sex trafficking is directly linked to discrimination. This topic was our main discussion point as it was vital in understanding the position of women, girl-children, who have been sold and forced into the sex trade. They are being held against their will, fraud like being tricked by promises of jobs. We found out that sex trafficking includes not only recruitment but also harboring, transportation, and provision or accessing of women and children's sexual services without their permission. It involves bondage and slavery of the victims. Any person can become a victim of sex trafficking, but there is a group that is more vulnerable than the others. Some groups are susceptible, which include recent people who relocated, those who abuse drugs, those with mental issues, most of them in the survey being the homeless youth, and the runaways. We chose this topic because sex trafficking is rampant and is affecting millions of innocent citizens.

Self-Evaluation

The group was very active, and the members equally contributed to the success of the seminar. The unity in compiling the final report to be presented in the lecture was excellent. The experience with the group had its high and low points. There were few points of disagreement, but the arguments were treated as a part of the discussion and contributed to the balance among the members. The high points were the ones on the Discriminatory acts, where the enforcement of SESTA/FOSTA and its effects on the sex workers had many points contributed by the members. The lowest point in the workshop was the one on the use of technology to racially segregate the members of the public, mostly by the police and other investigative bodies. Given another chance to participate in the workshop. We could still choose the same topics and discuss the same issues at a deeper angle and try to include in it the psychological effects such as trauma, that the victims of sex trafficking, police discrimination, and sex workers face daily. Our discussion would be more focused on the advocates of the sex workers who are also victims of the discriminatory acts.

Conclusion

The procedure was correct, and the best that the members could ever apply. The sources of the information were credible, and the members debated each information well to discover its weaknesses and its strengths. The topic is universal and affects every individual. Internet usage is currently rampant and has advanced all over the world. The presentation directly impacted even the members of the class since they have access to technology. This made it the most fulfilling workshop. The experience of the workshop, the preparation, and collection of data and the presentation of the work was a learning experience. It was shocking to learn that, National Security Agency (NASA) always intercepts American's phone activities and internet communications and buys the data of phone conversations and records of correspondence. It means that they can see the people and determine their moves from the talks they have acquired. This is a violation of the constitutional rights of the people of America.

It was unpleasant to find out that the surveillance technology being used by police is criminalizing sex work, making them run away into unsafe environments, where they become victims of oppression, rape, and even murder. It was surprising to learn that law firms are using spotlight networks to collect person's data all over many websites, advertisements and other digital marks left by a user, for future reference by the law enforcement. The new discriminatory act is risky for all online users despite its claims to be targeting sex trafficking. It is significantly hampering the usage of the internet and freedom of speech. The course was a lesson to everyone that the digital footprints are being recorded and can be retrieved for any criminal proceedings whenever needed. There are, however, websites that can be useful whenever a person is seeking protection from the unconstitutional act of unauthorized data retrieval.

Work Cited

Zhang, Dongpo. "Big data security and privacy protection." 8th International Conference on Management and Computer Science (ICMCS 2018). Atlantis Press, 2018.

Goldman, Eric. "The Complicated Story of FOSTA and Section 230." First Amend. L. Rev. 17 (2018): 279.