Pg. 107
1.​ When researching things in everyday life, I have lots of information literacy. I think that I
reflect a lot on my sources and adopt a skeptical mindset. One main strategy I have is
lateral reading. When I’m interested in buying something, I will look into all the sources I
can on that item. For example, when I made the decision to buy my laptop, I looked into
several different websites and reviews on it because I wanted to be sure that it was what
I needed and an investment I was willing to make.
2.​ With my current research topic, the future of technology, my dinner table would benefit
from having some developers who are passionate about technology and believe in its
progress for the future. I also think it would be helpful to have some people who disagree
with that idea and think that technology is bad for the future. Additionally, some experts
in human development would also give an interesting perspective on the matter.
3.​ Thinking about information literacy as a dinner party is related to the overall idea
because a dinner party is a place where all debates are understood and disagreements
shouldn’t be arguments but conversations and exchanges of ideas and opinions. This
correlates to how information literacy is reflective and allows for communities of learning.
Pg. 110
1.​ People tend to instinctively trust news primary sources because they believe them to
always be credible. People tend to trust these sources because they have been taught
at a young age that primary sources are more reliable or valuable than secondary
sources. People may also have a bias towards their own opinion. Reading a source that
disagrees with one's own opinion may cause bias against it.
2.​ I think grade school has caused me to trust certain sources over others. Growing up, I
was advised to stick to using websites that ended in .edu or .org. While helpful, I think
this created some blind spots when I look for sources. Sometimes it causes me to ignore
a source that may have been credible.
3.​ My paper topic about the future of technology connects to some academic disciplines,
one notably being computer science. This is the study of computers and the code that
will run our future. A scholar in my major may approach my topic by asking how it will
affect them. They may approach it by finding out how technology will impact their career
path. (QueSTIONS)
4.​ This topic has been represented with fear. A lot of people fear the advancements of
technology. They are afraid of it taking jobs or becoming too expensive, and even fear
the sustainability of continuing to manufacture so much technology.
Pg. 116
1.​ I have used Gen AI tools before for many reasons: to quickly summarize a reading, to
refresh my memory on a topic, and even for generating fun prompts. It’s different in the
sense that it’s a lot quicker and easier to use than a search engine. Additionally, it’s like
a person you can talk to.
2.​ Yes, prior to the class, I had already evaluated in what situations it is acceptable to use
AI and in what situations it’s best to leave the work for myself.
3.​ It can be good for refreshing yourself on a topic before a test. It’s for convenience, and
AI serves as a good tool that can display all important details quickly. Another “good”
Gen AI case is using it to help brainstorm ideas. It’s just a faster way to obtain small
pieces of information quickly.
4.​ Some cases of “bad” Gen AI use are when people use it to write full papers. This hinders
them in the end because a lot of the information used turns out to be heavily biased or
completely false.
5.​ I knew about the ethical concerns before reading about them here. They make me want
to use Gen AI less. I don’t want to feed into using a system that doesn’t benefit me and
only takes away from the real work done by people.
Pg. 120
1.​ I think that what has been described is what I usually do anyway when working on a
paper. I always try to pick a topic that I’m interested in, and I try to brainstorm several
sub-topics and keywords. I also make sure to be skeptical of the sources I am using. I do
my best to think broadly and look at several topics.
2.​ I believe that I am good at asking questions. When I write, I make sure to question
everything. I am always trying to find answers, and I think that makes my writing very
analytical. I always try to connect the dots and get the reader to enjoy the analysis.
3.​ If I reach a block in my writing, I try to reread and fix what I already have. I try to keep
myself away from trying to move forward like a break. If I still have an ongoing block, I
seek feedback from either my teacher or peers.
4.​ I’ve only had to write multiple drafts once, and it was because I didn’t like the argument I
was making. I have written more than five pages before in research papers, and have
received constructive feedback from both my teachers and my peers.
Pg. 122
1.​ I can think of several instances where I used lateral reading techniques to determine the
trustworthiness of a piece of communication. When I look to buy clothes online,
sometimes I find promotions. However, to check if they are trustworthy, I look up reviews
on social media or go on online forums to make sure that the website I’m buying from
and the promotion are trustworthy.
2.​ There was an instance where news broke out about the discovery of a dead body in a
musician’s car. I didn’t trust the first source I found and instead went on an online
investigation on what other sources said on the matter. Turns out that the initial source
was trustworthy, and what happened was true. What sounded alarms for me was the fact
that I was getting the information off a social media platform. I am more likely to trust the
news if it is coming from a different source, like an actual news article.
3.​ Qualities of a piece of communication that I trust are professionalism, credibility, and
evidence. For example, if a crime occurred and there is evidence to show what
happened, and the news was displaying it with police reports, I would be more trusting of
what was being said. Most of it is based on my understanding of the context, but also a
lot of it is based on who is saying it. If an uncredited source is spreading the information,
then I'm going to approach the topic with hesitation. However, when there is better
credibility, I am more likely to trust the information.
Pg. 125
1.​ This source was published by Michaeleen Doucleff on April 25, 2023. Before this was
published, the conversation surrounding this topic was already on the rise. With the
COVID-19 pandemic, there was already a conversation about how reliant teenagers are
on their phones and technology. There have been several discussions primarily on the
use of technology by teenagers. One debate circled the appropriate age to give a
teenager a phone and how it impacts their mental health. After these publications, the
debates have remained the same. There are still concerns about the use of technology
by children and teens. The article, “The truth about teens, social media, and the mental
health crisis,” is not a journal, so it is difficult to pinpoint a specific number of times it has
been cited.
2.​ Yes, the article does have background information on the topic. It illuminates the studies
done years before the publication. It describes the findings and discusses previous
conversations on the topic. For example, the article is based on the use of technology on
teenagers and how it has impacted them negatively, and it gives context to this by giving
statistics on how teenagers have responded to surveys regarding their use of social
media in the past and compared it to more recent searches.
3.​ The source uses lots of statistics from surveys and the research done by Jean Twenge,
who is a psychologist who studies generation trends at San Diego State University. The
evidence stated in the article tells us that this is a very well-researched topic and that it is
very relevant to teenagers. It tells us that the problem is still ongoing.
4.​ Mental Health psychologists, researchers, and parents are the main people engaging
with the source. Parents are most likely to find the article trustworthy because they are
the ones dealing with children with mental health issues caused by technology.
5.​ I believe that it represents a more dominant perspective or narrative because there are
so many different surveys supporting the ideas stated in the article. The concept itself
has also been studied and mentioned for years, so it is safe to say that the author is
representing a dominant narrative.
6.​ The source is strengthening previous studies that have been made. It provides a lot of
arguments that I agree with, but also some that I’d want to challenge. The article focuses
on the negatives of social media and technology and how it has impacted the youth, but
I think there can be studies made to show how technology and social media have helped
the younger generations.