Category: Technology

A Curious Case of Twitter Censorship

Mike Coté1 Comment

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

When Elon Musk purchased the social media platform Twitter in late 2022, we were told that the acquisition would create either a hellhole of despicable rhetoric or a paradise of unfettered free speech, depending on who was doing the talking. The progressive left that had previously held the levers of power on the platform were terrified of a dystopian future of misgendering, hate speech, and electoral interference, while the online right saw Elon as something of a secular savior, restoring the rightful balance of power in discourse. In reality, he is neither. The New Twitter (I refuse to call it X, as I’m not a toddler) is remarkably similar to the Old Twitter, especially in the ways that matter most: censorship of speech. Story time!

Read More »

Tick-Tock for TikTok

Mike CotéLeave a comment

The clock may finally be running out on the Chinese espionage and propaganda app, revealing many who are unserious about the reality of confronting America’s foes.

TikTok, the extremely popular social media video app, may, at long last, be meeting its proverbial maker. After years of controversy and various threats of bans or forced sales, the app’s incredibly successful run in America may be ending in the coming months. A new bill that was introduced and rapidly passed through the House of Representatives would force TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the app or face what would amount to a nationwide ban. This is excellent news for those of us who have been driving the anti-TikTok bandwagon for nearly 5 years now. I have written quite a bit on the subject already, mostly in the summer of 2020, when the Trump administration first mooted the ban idea. Since that time, the case against TikTok has only gotten stronger.

Read More »

Artificial Idiocy

Mike Coté2 Comments

Artificial Intelligence has a long way to go to validate the second half of its moniker.

If you’ve been online at all this past week, you probably heard plenty of news and chatter surrounding Google’s new artificial intelligence product. Gemini is a suite of AI-powered tools, primarily a chat bot and an image-generator, that was just recently launched to the broader public. It enters an increasingly-packed marketplace of AI tools from companies like OpenAI (ChatGPT), Microsoft, and plenty of Silicon Valley startups. These artificial intelligences are based around what are called large language models (LLMs), which essentially comb massive data sets to recognize patterns and spit out responses to user queries. Some focus exclusively on text, while others categorize and analyze images as well. The functioning of these AIs is not all that different, but they vary in terms of how they present their output and respond to prompts. But what made Gemini stand out in this crowded field was not only its connection to Google, but the controversy that erupted over its output.

Read More »

The Wonders of Modernity

Mike CotéLeave a comment

Despite the constant criticism, we should all be immensely thankful to be living in the present.

Like many Americans, I tend to find myself pondering over gratitude at this time of year. Whether that is sparked by the increased presence of friends and family, the Zen-like process of preparing a delicious shared meal, or merely an attempt to come up with something good to say at the Thanksgiving table, appreciation is on my mind. Of course, my mind goes first to the personal: my wife and daughter, my family in general, my loyal (and loud) chihuahua, my friends. Then come more general things like (relative) health, prosperity, happiness, and career success. But once I’ve bounced these more typical thoughts around my head for a bit, I continuously return to one broad idea: the glories of the present.

That may sound odd coming from a historian, but I feel it deeply. I adore the past about as much as it is possible to. My office is adorned with historical maps, posters, books, and tchotchkes. My favorite novels are in the public domain. I name houseplants after nineteenth-century British politicians (I’ve got Lords Balfour and Salisbury already). I could probably sink the Titanic (well, maybe the S.S. Minnow) with the number of history books I own. I have busts of both Napoleon and Wellington. I think about the Roman Empire every day.

But I firmly believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that today is the best possible time for a human to be alive. Not only is the 21st century an incredible time to be a member of homo sapiens, the past was far, far worse to live in than most people can imagine. Let us count the ways.

Read More »

The Future’s So Bright?

Mike Coté1 Comment

A broadside against the climate-fueled nihilism of Gen Z.

The kids aren’t alright.

Young Americans, especially those labeled as being part of ‘Gen Z’ (born between 1995 and 2010, give or take a year), are in the throes of a mental health crisis. Self-reported depression and anxiety have spiked, suicidality has increased significantly, and a larger portion of these young people, as compared to older generations, have had interactions with mental health practitioners. Both statistics and anecdotal evidence from clinicians prove this point. Causes have varied widely, from the easily understood to the more socially complex. On the former front, the government reactions to the Covid-19 pandemic have wreaked havoc on youth mental health. Lockdowns, remote schooling, social alienation, and masking have all interrupted the regular life cycle of the American adolescent and have caused serious, documented harm to vast portions of Gen Z (and many others). On the more complex side of the ledger, ubiquitous social media and smartphone technology have arguably made major negative impacts. The constant quest for social approval, ease of presenting a false portrait of perfection, and algorithmic manipulation of emotions all play a part in exerting a malign influence on American youth.

Another, more contentious, potential cause for Gen Z’s mental breakdown is a relatively new phenomenon: climate anxiety. A major survey conducted by Nature shows that nearly 60% of Gen Z across the world is either ‘extremely worried’ or ‘very worried’ about climate change; a full 45% of those surveyed said that this anxiety impacts their daily lives in a negative manner. This is highly concerning – and not only because the level of anxiety is not at all commensurate with the level of threat, regardless of what radical activists claim. It is primarily concerning because it is breeding a nihilistic attitude among young people, exacerbating their existing mental health issues. A puff piece supporting this nihilism was published recently in Fortune (archive link here), and reader, it made me mad.

Read More »