Engaging in a Productive Conversation to Find a Common Ground

Engaging in a Productive Conversation to Find a Common Ground
Author’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Code and Name
Professor’s Name
Date
Engaging in a Productive Conversation to Find a Common Ground
The discussion topic is technology and privacy. In the digital era, technology has become ubiquitous, and it is highly dynamic. About two decades ago, many people were unable to afford smartphones. Today, over 6 billion have smartphones, and the number continues to rise. These electronic gadgets have the high processing power and are portable. In addition, students are not allowed to join colleges and universities without computers or tablets, since they have become crucial learning tools. Many schools have online libraries where students can access books using their laptops, smartphones, and tablets. However, despite the effectiveness of technology, the primary concern is whether it promotes or degrades individuals’ privacy and security.
Privacy refers to people’s freedom to express themselves selectively or withhold private information (Grover, 2015). Security entails the confidentiality of the information that individuals share on the Internet. In particular, privacy and security are interlinked and it’s challenging to discuss one and avoid the other. In some instances, I and my colleague like to examine things that influence our lives. Some topics are not necessarily related to our work, but they involve challenges or concerns noted in our daily lives. We have severally talked about technology, privacy, and security, and every time we choose different sides. I find myself supporting the use of technology since it facilitates the effectiveness and efficiency of my daily operations. In reality, I cannot imagine living in a world without using technology. In contrast, my colleague argues that technology intrudes on people’s privacy and security. Once something is shared on the social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, and Telegram, a person can no longer control it. It does not matter whether an individual did it intentionally or unintentionally. Due to this heated discussion, we decided to engage in a face-to-face dialogue to discuss various things about technology, privacy, and security.
The face-to-face dialogue was planned to occur on a weekend when I and my colleague are free. I had to prepare for the conversation since it was the perfect time to settle all odd scores and arrive at a common ground. First, I recorded all the things I know that portray the effectiveness and efficiency of technology based on how I use it in my daily operations. Most of my experiences come from what I observed during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, it is easy to coordinate team activities and ensure that every member has accomplished his or her part before the deadline. Second, I researched and obtained numerous credible sources that show the benefits of technology in the business, professional, and personal lives of different experts. One of the materials showed that technology helped human resource (HR) managers to manage workers during the coronavirus pandemic, which disrupted normal operations in many organizations (Vahdat, 2022). Even after some organizations were forced to close down their operations, others encouraged their employees to work remotely, particularly from home, to avoid the increased spread of Covid-19. Third, I used the social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to see how different companies maintain their presence on the Internet. For example, I noted that many firms are advertising their products and services on social media and updating their customers about possible changes or upgrades.
My colleague’s perspective was that technology significantly contributes to the violation of an individual's privacy and security. The more information that people share about themselves on the Internet, the higher the likelihood of maintaining privacy and confidentiality. Based on Moore’s law, the computing power doubles every 18 to 24 months (Kerry, 2020). As billions of people own smartphones today, it means that the amount of data gathered and transmitted on the web will likely increase. The technology infrastructure is rapidly growing, including the launch of 5G networks and the rise of sophisticated software. In addition, my colleague argued that artificial intelligence, big data, and facial recognition technologies will accelerate privacy concerns and insecurity. Machine learning and algorithms capable of making decisions will magnify the problem of insecurity. For instance, facial recognition systems achieved by installing cameras in cities, such as Xinjiang, intrude on individuals’ privacy. Some cities, namely San Francisco in California, Oakland in Berkeley, and Somerville, Northampton, and Brookline in Massachusetts have banned facial recognition technologies (Kerry, 2020). Whenever an individual provides his or her personal information when registering for a social media account, no one knows who can get access to it despite the terms of agreements that users concur with without reading. If the information is shared with third-party companies for advertising purposes, it means that they know users’ addresses, contact, date of birth, and hobbies.
For me and my colleague to have a productive conversation, we used various strategies. First, we had a timer to ensure that everyone talked for two minutes before the other responded. Allocating equal time is important since all the parties involved in a conversation or discussion can participate and share their views. In this scenario, the topic of technology, privacy, and security was controversial. Sec...