Welcome to Students Incorporated. I'm your host, Mr. Jason. Join me weekly as my team and I produce content that's informative, positive, fun, and uplifting. This podcast is created and produced with the help of students from the International Community School of Bangkok.
In today's episode, I'll be diving into the world of technology. I'm joined by my co-host Mia and Frank, along with our production manager, Premi, and our producer, Highlight. We'll be talking about some of our favorite technologies and why. Busting 10 technology myths and then we'll share some tips about how to stay safe online.
But before we get started on the topic of technology and you, let's hear our quote of the day and get some headline news. Our quote of the day comes from Matt Mullenweg, a social media guru. He's quoted to have said, technology is best when it brings people together.
This quote highlights that technology true value lies in its ability to foster a human's connection. While technological advancements can improve efficiency and convenience, its greatest impacts occur when it enables collaboration, communication, and a sense of community.
Whether it's through social platform, teamwork tools, or global connectivities, technology is most powerful when it bridges gaps between people. In doing so, it can help enhance our relationship and has the ability to bring diverse group people together.
Technology should enrich our interaction and unite us. So people, use your tech wisely. And that's our quote of the day. Now on to some headline news with Mia.
Thank you for our quote of the day, Frank. Now here's some headline news from around the world. Our first headline comes from news and levels.com. The first tri-folding phone has been announced by Huawei, a Chinese technology company.
They unveiled the first tri-folding phone earlier this month and around the same time the new iPhone 16 series was announced. Until now, the maximum amount of times a phone could fold was one time, meaning it could fold in half.
And that was the Samsung Galaxy Fold model. Now with Huawei's new tri-fold model, users will have three screens, not just one or two. With this new innovation, we can now expect to see other major phone companies following Huawei's example with their own versions.
Our next headline comes from wired.com. It is known up until now that Apple's AirPods Max was their top of the line model for audio devices, coming with a price tag of around 20,000 baht or $549 USD.
But during Apple's newest product unveiling, they revealed to us that the new AirPods, releasing this year, AirPods 4, has a feature that even AirPods Max does not have, which is the H2 chip.
It is stated that the H2 chip does twice as well as the AirPods Max's H1 chip in noise canceling and sound quality. The bigger news would be that the AirPods 4 with noise canceling features are still a fraction of the AirPods Max's price, coming at 6,500 baht or $179 USD.
So if you want a cheaper and better AirPods Max alternative, check them out.
And finally, our last headline comes from The Verge. Google is now testing desktop windowing on its tablets. It's been a status quo that iPads allow you to resize apps and Google tablets don't, but now they're trying to change that.
When the new mode is enabled, each app will appear in a window with controls that allow you to reposition, maximize, or close the app. You'll also see a taskbar at the bottom of your screen with your running apps.
It'll be great news for Google tablet users, and it might be a good time to switch from an old iPad to the less expensive Google tablet. But at the end of the day, it is all about personal preference. And that's our headline news for this episode.
Thank you for the quote in the headline news. In the studio today, we have Mia, Frank, Premi, and Highlight, and we'll be having conversations about the topic of technology.
For the sake of our audience, we've structured our season episodes to focus on four main broad topics, which are education, business, design, and technology. Every episode and its topic and guests will fit under one of these broad topic choices.
We produce 32 episodes in each season, and we spread out our topics among those 32 episodes. So for the topic of technology, we plan to do four episodes this season that focus on technology.
We also plan to do four episodes that relate to the topic of design, and the topics of education and business will get 12 episodes each. This is our programming strategy for season three.
Now with that explanation out of the way, let's jump into segment one and start with some general technology discussion questions. I'll start off with our first discussion question for my student guest, and it's about technology and communication.
The question is, how has technology changed the way we communicate for better or worse? Premi, why don't you go first and then we'll just go around the table?
Yeah, for sure. I love that question. I think technology has absolutely transformed the landscape for communication. We went from having to wait weeks for mail to arrive to instantly receiving a text message from literally anywhere around the world.
The speed in which this communication now travels is almost unbelievable. Yet I think oftentimes since many of us are so used to this and take it a little bit for granted.
However, speed is not the only way that technology has changed. Privacy has as well. In today's day and age, it is almost scary to witness how much of our information is shared and utilized within greater database.
All these consequences and more have so many fascinating implications to further explore as well. How about you go highlight?
Hey, thank you for passing on the mic. Yeah, I totally agree with your perspective. I think technology has definitely changed the way I communicate with my family, friends and the students incorporated prospective guests in that it allows rapidly fast paced communication.
For example, when reaching out to guests in collaboration with Abe, I can immediately just text the guests via line or IG anytime to send out the questions by relying on these technological developments and applications.
This ensures that our messages are being sent to them in time without having to wait for the mail officer to ship our letter as mentioned by Prami.
The slight drawback could be that communicating via texts are prone to miscommunication. That looks like the time and date of the podcast interview, right?
Like miscommunication, not like clearly ensuring the alignment between our team and the guests. It's honestly, in other words, like a double edged sword. Now I'll pass it on to Frank. What do you think?
Thank you. I think technology has changed drastically in the past decades and has facilitated the way we can access and communicate, whether it's calling, texting or even video calling.
Although it's a blessing, I think it could be a curse in disguise. You know, you know, it come from this like social media, you know, all about consumption, those scrolling on your phone or cyber bullying, social anxieties, and sometimes you're not even going out.
However, I think it all comes down to how you treat it and use it.
All right. For this question, I'm absolutely torn in the middle. And that's probably because I think that technology has made communication so much easier.
Like what highlight and Prami said, because just the other day I was actually FaceTiming a friend who was in England and it was really nice to be able to talk to her, even though we're on opposite sides of the world.
However, I do think that technology has definitely lessened human interaction in our day to day lives, which is probably why ICS implemented the new technology rule.
And that's because we're trying to promote talking to your friends more than talking to your phone.
But in the end, I think that as a society, we have the privilege of being able to communicate with anyone anywhere, but we also lose the aspect of human interaction.
So I think in the end, it's really up to each individual and what they value more.
All right. Thank you so much for those answers. I would agree that technology can be used for good and it can be used for bad.
So it is kind of like a double edged sword. Our next discussion question is, what are some of the biggest challenges of living in a tech driven world?
We can just go around the table again. Why don't we start with you, Prami?
Yeah, for sure. For me, I think one of the biggest or one of the first challenges that come to mind is being disconnected from the physical natural world.
I think we've mentioned this in the last answer. When there's a lot of technological advancements, we can really get caught up with everything else happening really fast.
The other thing I feel like is in a tech driven world has contributed to the world that's moving at a much faster pace.
The challenge here I feel like would be to always having to keep in mind that the physical and natural world can be just as beautiful and just as meaningful.
The other challenge is to consider hidden biases within such technological systems that might not be accounted for.
For instance, gender bias can be accounted for in AI in different spheres, the user, the data set, the input.
Again, I think there's so many interesting implications and nuances that we'll have to continue keeping in mind while engaging in a tech driven world.
Wow, I like how Prami accounted for the biases that we can see in technology because I think we usually turn a blind eye and gloss over all of those nuances.
So I think with information being able to disseminate at a rapidly fast pace as earlier mentioned, I believe that this could result in unnecessary instances of information overload.
So with regards to miscommunication, I think this is another disadvantage of technology in terms of overload. This could lead to cognitive overload, anxiety and stress.
The digitization of the world allows us to instantly switch from one tab to another within a click of a button or a swipe, which is both beneficial yet concerning because we constantly multitask when factually based on the MIT radius website,
quote, as humans, we have a very limited capacity for simultaneous thought. We can only hold a little bit of information in the mind at any single moment. You don't actually multitask. You task switch.
I think some of the biggest challenges are keeping up with a fast paced, grown technology. I mean, if you think about it, we're constantly growing and other people who can capitalize over the technology can take over, but those who can't, you know, there's some that wishes to stay in the physical world.
But those that choose to capitalize on the technology, they can sort through the market much faster. And I think the scariest thing is AI. It is a great tool. It is rapidly growing, but I think it can cost more harm than good if misused.
You know, let's say, for example, English class, it can help you, you know, with the grammar and stuff like that. But if misused, you could say, hey, make an essay for me. And hence you would lose that chance to, you know, improve your writings. And so those who use it properly will grow. But those who misuse it, they will lose the chance.
Okay, those are really good answers. But I think definitely for me, the biggest challenge of living in a tech driven world is probably the amount of distractions I get when I'm trying to do homework or study at home. I feel like I have the attention span of a child. And so whenever a notification pops up, I immediately feel the urge to procrastinate and not do my work, which leads to a lot of late nights and panda eyes.
I am trying to get better at it. But sometimes I do fall into the temptation of doom scrolling through TikTok or Instagram. And especially now that college applications are starting, I am realizing that I cannot lose any more time. So I really have to lock in for these next few months.
All right, great answers, everybody. Yeah, I agree. Those who have the tech and know how to use it really well, a lot of times hold that power over those who don't. So we definitely have to be careful with that. And AI, yes, it's a great tool, but also it can be misused. And the part about notifications and just being addicted to knowing what's out there and the fear of missing out, right? We just got to be careful with that as well.
All right, moving on. Our next discussion question is this. What is one tech trend or innovation that excites you? And how do you think it will impact the future?
I think a trend I see in tech is the increase in access to resources and information. Now more than ever, I think there's a vast ocean of information that's accessible to so many. And I just love that there's so many mediums and aspects to explore as well. For example, Google and YouTube videos are an endless plethora of information about virtually anything and everything.
There's just so many different helpful quorums or platforms for these venues as well. I think the possibilities are so exciting here. Information and resource reaching more and more groups of people. I think to build on to what Frank and Mr. Jason touched on earlier, I really think it comes down to like people who are able to adapt and willing to learn more and really take advantage of these new avenues for resources and information. I think will really benefit.
Thank you, Premi, for sharing about that and also for like emphasizing the importance of increasing accessibility to different resources, especially in this digitized age. I think one technological innovation that truly excites me are those glasses that you can wear for both fashion or visual impairment purposes to take photos.
I think when individuals start to normalize the use of these classes, various institutions and schools would have to shift their class wear policies, and I think that would be a monumental and interesting time period to document.
Even though the class wear might sound a little intrusive, I would love to see the transition that occurs in the future. So I've heard of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart glasses. I think those are worth exploring and further developing into those luxury eye wears. The class wear could also satiate one of the four P's of marketing, which is product, right guys?
In the status quo, I think there's increased demand in the market for customers who want to like capture these precious moments in their lives without having to bring out their phone because they could fall into the trap of wanting to doom scroll through IG or Facebook, right? As previously mentioned by Mia.
I think it's important for us to really allow and increase accessibility for customers to capture those precious moments without having to bring in their phones. Yeah, so once again, I think AI also really excites me, but like not the evil kind, you know, the one that's going to take over the world.
I think it's going to help us drastically, whether it's, you know, helping us with work or maybe doing some work for us. But you know, there's this speculation that AI may take over a job for some people. But like we mentioned in some older episodes, we mentioned that it might not take over, but those who can use it will take over.
All right, I am super excited for those self driven cars, even though I can't drive yet. I believe Tesla has started this innovation and it honestly looks so fun. But I do understand why it's not too popular, because it is very nerve wracking to look over and not see a human behind the steering wheel.
And in the future, I think these cars may may result in increased car accidents and such. But still, I think it's such a cool concept and I hope I'll be able to sit in one in the future. Yeah, I agree Mia. I like the idea of self driven cars. But does that mean we will not remember how to drive a car in the future?
Or we won't have to learn how to drive a car? Interesting, right? All right, I like all those topics. I would say for me, I'm excited about nanotechnology and its application, especially in the medical field. I've loosely followed the progress of Neuralink and the company's desire to interface computers with the brain, which would allow people to control their computer with their thoughts. Check it out when you get a chance at Neuralink.com.
Okay, moving on with our last discussion question for this segment. It's a fun and creative question. It is, if you could invent a new piece of technology, what would it be and why?
Oh, I love this one. I think we got such creative answers last time and I think we'll get even more creative answers this one too. My first instinct, to be so very honest, is some sort of technology that allows you to transfer anywhere. I know it's impractical. Well, it would be if it's possible, but I don't think it's possible. I don't know. We'll see. We'll see where the technology landscape takes us. But I think it'd be really nice to be able to see my mother more than once a year. And also other people as well like different friends from different parts of the world. And I think if we explore
this to include under the different lenses too, imagine how great this could be for a podcast. All of our guests could just be here in person right here in the studio for the podcast too. That way our limits would literally be endless. We could have prominent leaders in different industries and areas from any corner of the globe.
That's mind-blowingly crazy guys. So I think Prammy brought up a very good talent, which is teleportation. And I definitely hope that technological developments could support this aspect in the future. For me, I personally think if I could invent a new piece of technology, it would be an app that automatically edits out audio or video for you after you've included a specific format or template that you would like the most.
So I feel like the UI UX of the app should be easily accessible on my phone. As a person who's interested in digital creation regarding various topics as mentioned by Mr. Jason, like healthcare developments, public policies, communications, arts and whatnot. I think it would save a lot of time if we were to have this new piece of technology or application that helps us edit the podcast. This technology could help weed out the fill-ins.
For instance, like, uh, sure, whatever. When recording podcasts or edit out the mistakes or retakes, I think it will save a lot of time and make us become more efficient.
Okay, so I actually didn't see Prammy's stuff before this, but so I'm saying teleportation, which is really, really similar to Prammy's. But anyways, so I think it would help us with a lot of stuff. I mean, I'm not saying that like to transfer living things because that's pretty much harder.
Although that would be great, but still I'm talking about like maybe transferring non-living components that would solve a lot of problems with time wasted. For example, you know, maybe ordering stuff online or, you know, just transporting stuff. Although that could also have like a lot of problems like smuggling and stuff like that.
Now, I think Prammy and Frank stole my idea for this one. Just kidding guys. Um, in addition to Prammy's transportation idea and Frank's as well, I would also love to have a time machine. So I'm a bit weird and I like watching period dramas and movies. So I think it would be really nice if I could actually go back in time to experience a day in the 1900s or 1800s.
Preferably not during the World Wars though, because I would not last 10 seconds.
Okay. Thank you everybody. Those are great ideas. And there you have it. That ends segment one. We'll continue our tech discussion in segment two as we talk about tech myths and follow that up by sharing 10 tips on how to stay safe when you're online. We'll be right back after this short PSA.
One, two, three, four.
The Source of Success SOS organization is a collaboration among students from different schools, ICS, Verso, Brighton, and many more, with the goal of utilizing student-led interviews to inspire, advocate, and empower youth on a range of cultural themes based on our special guests' life journeys.
These interviews would ultimately be further utilized in the SOS Extension Program as teaching materials for students grades 7 to 12 in English programs, EP, or multilingual programs in Thai schools to provide alternative education and enhance opportunities for students to practice public speaking skills in English.
Clubs can enhance students' learning experiences because, similar to Mr. Jason's Intro to Marketing class, it allows you to independently explore the Project-Based Learning Curriculum, or PBL.
Through creating a club or even simply partaking in one, you are developing both soft and hard skills concurrently, which oftentimes is challenging to find opportunities to develop the two skills together within a specific class.
As an example, through SOS, our crew learns how to cold call guests from a very young age.
Even though most adults can develop this skill at some point in their life, starting early would allow you to experience and learn the endless possibilities of meeting new people.
And we are back with our second part, and I've got Mia Frank-Premien-Highlight in the studio again. In this segment, we'll bust several common technology myths, followed up by sharing 10 tips on how to stay safe when you're online.
Alright, let's jump into busting some tech myths. Mia, start us off with our first myth.
Alright, thank you, Mr. Jason. Our first tech myth is this.
Deleting files on a computer erases them completely. Deleting a file from your computer means it's gone forever. Now, be honest, how many of you thought that was the case? Because me too, guys.
In reality, deleted files are often still recoverable until they are overwritten by new data. To truly erase data, you'll need to use secure deletion methods or software.
Alright, moving on to our next myth with Frank.
Well, private browsing is completely private. Using incognito mode or private browsing means your online activity is completely hidden.
Well, the truth is, private browsing only prevents your browser from saving your history and cookies. Your internet service provider, websites, or even employers can still track your activities.
So be careful what you do online. Someone is always watching and it's never completely private. I mean, I've definitely heard about this before. So don't search up how to make a nuclear bomb or how to rob a bank because they can see that.
So yeah, highlight. Moving on to you.
Well, please don't rob a bank or bomb banks or whatever. I think a myth that I'd like to demystify is closing apps saves battery life. Closing apps running in the background saves your phone's battery.
In reality, on modern smartphones, background apps are often in a suspended state and don't use much battery. Constantly closing and reopening them can actually use more power than leaving them idle.
What an eye-opening debunk. I never knew that. When working on a new project or when I'm up to something new, I usually just want to start off on a clean slate.
So I automatically just swipe through the screens to clear background apps to not only decrease distractions for the sake of starting fresh, but to also ensure that my battery doesn't run out.
But that's a myth. So, but at the same time, I think some apps may function at a more laggy pace if you have many background screens open.
So, okay, moving on to Premi with our next myth.
Thank you, highlight. This next myth is also related to your device battery. Myth. Charging your phone overnight will ruin the battery. Leaving your phone plugged in overnight will overcharge it and degrade the battery.
Reality. Modern smartphones have mechanisms to stop charging when they reach 100%. While battery degradation occurs over time, overnight charging is not a significant factor.
Oh no, that had me scared for a second because that's exactly what I do. Leave my phone plugged in overnight. And as I was thinking about it, my phone battery has been deteriorating relatively fast.
My battery health has not been the best, but the reality or reasoning definitely makes sense. I think if you press onto the settings apps, you can definitely see the green area for charging stops after it hits 100%. Cool as a no though.
Okay, moving on with our final myth.
Alright, these have all been great. I'm also pretty sure I have at some point in my life believed these myths.
Alright, our final myth is, Macs don't get viruses. Apple's Mac OS is immune to viruses and malware.
Reality is, while Mac OS has robust security, it's not immune. There are viruses and malware specifically designed to target Macs.
So users still need to practice safe browsing and consider using antivirus software. Now in the old days, actually not very long ago, when I was in my corporate America career as a designer and developer, my main workstation platform was a Mac.
However, some of my colleagues used Windows based machines. I do remember that they were constantly having to update their antivirus software and were always on the lookout for malware and suspicious emails and bugs.
But as Mac users, we did not have those same problems. Now for our final part of this second segment, we'd like to share with you top 10 tips on how to stay safe online.
And we'll end the episode with this. It's kind of like our parting advice for you. So Mia, go ahead and start us off with our tip number one.
All right. So for tip number one, it's to use strong and unique passwords, creating strong passwords that includes a mix of letters, numbers and special characters.
Avoid using the same password across multiple sites and consider using a password manager to keep track of them securely, especially if you use mobile banking or example, K bank.
Having a strong and secure and unique password can save you a lot of money, especially living in a world full of hackers. You're up next, Frank.
Tip number two is enable two factor authentication or two F a whenever it is possible, enable two factor authentication on your account.
This adds an extra layer of security by requiring us to conform a verification such as codes sent to your phone.
In addition to your password, I definitely second this. I think it was 2017 or 2018. I was playing Roblox and well, I feel like one of those good old scams.
And if I had a two factor authentication, I wouldn't have lost it. Fortunately, I had like I bought Roblox and had proved that I bought them.
So Roblox gave the account back to me, but I lost basically everything already. Anyways, moving on to a highlight.
Thank you, Frank, for sharing about that Roblox incident. Very interesting.
I think tip number three is to be cautious with personal information. Avoid sharing too much personal information online, especially on social media.
Details like your full name, address, phone number and school name can be used by others to track or impersonate you.
I think we should set clear boundaries to ensure that our digital footprints are well protected and not to share too personal of like an information with others.
Being vulnerable is definitely an important component of connecting as human beings, but we can choose to be vulnerable with the right groups of people, especially being more mindful of sharing personal information in this online phase.
All right. Tip number four is think before you click. Be wary of clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown or suspicious sources.
These could contain malware or lead to phishing sites that decide to steal your information.
Absolutely. I'm always so scared whenever Google Chrome forwards me to an unsecure website quote unquote with that cloud symbol.
Definitely valid challenges and dangers to be cautious of. Now back to Mia with our next tip.
Now for tip number five, it's to keep software and devices updated. Remember to regularly update your operating system, browser and apps to ensure that you have the latest security patches.
Outdated software can be more vulnerable to attacks. I recently had to update my Blue Book app and College Board account to check my SAT scores last week.
I also got a heart attack as I was signing into my College Board account and not because of my SAT scores. It was simply because I wasn't able to log in because I hadn't updated my account.
So take this as a sign to update your devices if you need to. Your next Frank.
Thanks Mia. So tip number six is use privacy settings. Adjust the privacy settings on social media platforms and apps to control who can see your information and posts. Limit your audience to friends or followers you know personally.
Definitely. Although it is not a safe account public so that other people can see it, people can steal your identity and use it.
Matter of fact, my friend actually became a victim and his account was quote unquote stolen onto another account. And fortunately, he caught on before anything happened.
So yeah, back to you, Hi Live for our next tip.
I think like Frank's friend's story really aligns with what we were discussing prior to this.
So tip number seven is avoid public Wi Fi for sensitive activities. When using public Wi Fi, avoid accessing sensitive accounts like banking or email as these networks can be less secure.
If you must use public Wi Fi, consider using a virtual private network or VPN to encrypt your connection. This is interesting to hear because I usually just connect my phone to the public Wi Fi without sometimes processing the prospective ramifications.
This is definitely a good note to be aware of when using public Wi Fi's. Now moving on to Premy.
Alright, tip number eight is be aware of online scams. Learn to recognize common online scams such as fake giveaways, pushing emails, and too good to be true deals.
If something seems suspicious, trust your instincts and avoid it. Absolutely. I see this a lot with those direct sales TV commercials too.
Definitely be more cautious and always be on guard. Yeah, what's your next tip?
Alright, coming at you for tip number nine is to monitor your digital footprint. Regularly search your name online to see what information about you is publicly available.
This can help you manage your online reputation and remove any unwanted content. Now, I've actually got a really good story for this one.
In my legal internship, the CEO of the law firm was talking about how in any job interview, she would always ask to see the applicant's phone.
So then she would look through his or her apps and decide if this applicant has a good online reputation or not.
And there have been many instances where she actually rejected an applicant because of their digital footprint.
And after that day, I immediately went home and started looking through all my social media accounts to make sure that nothing sketchy was popping up because you do not want to lose a job opportunity because of your digital footprinting.
So make sure to monitor your online endeavors always. Alright, Frank, you've got our last tip. What is it?
Tip number 10 is report suspicious activities. If you encounter cyber bullying, harassment or any suspicious activities online, report it to the platform and inform a trusted adult such as a parent or teacher who could help you take further steps to stay safe.
I mean, always report suspicious activities. This doesn't have to be online. You should report any kind of suspicious activities to a adult because I mean, it is better to be safe than sorry.
And there you have it, folks. Ten tips to keep you safe online.
All right. Thank you. And that concludes our second segment. We hope this discussion was informative and helpful.
And don't be fooled by those myths and stay safe online. Thank you, everybody.
As we end this episode, I'd like to give a big thanks to our student guests for talking about the subject of technology and busting some of those myths out there and giving us a good top 10 list of how to stay safe online.
Stay tuned for our next episode as we investigate cell structure and parametric equations with Mr. Paul and Mr. Jeremy.
And as always, this podcast would not be possible without the hard work and support of our international student production team.
All music and sound effects are courtesy of Pixabay.com, a vibrant community of creatives sharing copyright free images, videos and music.
And we are signing off until next time. We are Students Incorporated, because your voice matters.