The Cassette Tape

 

What is a Cassette Tape?

    The cassette tape is a flat, rectangular box that is made of plastic or light metal. Inside the cassette tape is a magnetic tape that holds audio and video recordings. The cassette tape is super easy to use and very portable.

    A magnetic tape works by converting electronic audio signals into magnetic energy which transfers a record of signal into a moving tape covered in magnetic particles. The magnetic film is where the audio is stored. Using magnetic tape helps for permanently storing information. The ability to record anything you want immediately and the tape will gather the information right away and create a recording. Also you can erase the tape and record something else at any moment.

Who invented the Cassette Tape? 

    Lou Otten is a dutch inventor who made the cassette tape with the Philips Company. It was created in 1962 and a lot of people used this format of audio from the late 1970's-1990's. The invention was released at the Berlin Radio Show on August 30, 1963 and then brought to the United States. 

What were the circumstances and the problem they were trying to solve with the Cassette Tape?

    Before cassette tapes, there were records and vinyls. There two devices were not portable, therefore it was difficult to bring music (or any audio) around with you. The Cassette Tate was going to fix this problem. The portable device made music even more enjoyable.

How did the invention change the world and how did it change communication?

    Over 100 billion cassettes were sold. The cassette tape was made because of dictation, not music. It changed the word because now people had easy, portable access to music (or really any audio). People could create their own mixtapes personalized to what their interests are. Music was totally changed once the cassette tape came to be.

Any negative effects?

    The sound quality wasn't the best, the cassettes could be wore down, they can be damaged easily, and often it is hard to go to a certain part of the song.

Where is the Cassette Tape now?

    There is way more advanced technology now to listen to music, books, shows, or really any type of audio. Cassette Tapes declined in the early 2000's because so many new forms of music were coming to be. Now, in 2024, Cassette tapes are making a comeback. I am not meaning taking over and will be used by everyone, but cassette tapes are a nostalgic way to remember the "good old days". CBS News says, "Nostalgia is part of it, but on a smaller level, a lot of smaller labels are finding out that vinyl is really expensive to make now and takes longer...cassettes come a lot faster and a lot cheaper. They also say "when people go to a show, it is shown as the "lesser" pieces of merch being sold...on the tapes you can put different lengths on them and the artists remember when they or their parents had cassette tapes." I don't think cassette tapes will take over again, but there is definitely an incline in sales for them.

Privacy Online and Off

    I never realized how the government and people of higher power can easily see what is going on in your life, who you are, your interests, location, and so much more. I was always told that our phones "were listening to us" but never realized to what extent they actually do. In the four Ted Talks that were viewed, I learned about electronic tattoos, surveillance equipment, telephones, digital domestic violence, and more.

    I am on my phone everyday and probably everyone else is as well. About 97% of Americans have a cellphone and nine-in-ten own a smartphone. In the first Ted Talk I learned that our phones are like electronic tattoos. First of all there is facial recognition that can easily be traced. Most people put their lives on social media and once it's there, it can become permanent even if it is deleted. Our reputation and who we are on the internet. We have to be careful about what is posted about ourselves. 

    Surveillance is constantly around us. In Ted Talk #2 and #3, it talks about how our cars and license plates. Our plates can be easily scanned and traced for our whereabouts. Yes, this can be useful for crime and other dangerous things, but also we know that our privacy isn't secured. With telephones, the government cant easily hack in and hear what we are saying. Over years companies have built encryption features into products that are turned on automatically. We have to stay careful and be aware of our surroundings. 

    The government should be taking action and protection of our privacy. I think there are boundaries that need to be set. The government should be creating rules and laws protecting us, not to invade our privacy. 

    The four Ted Talks helped me recognize the dangers of technology and how we need to care for ourselves when searching, posting, texting, talking, and so much more. 

    

Eight Values of Free Expression

    While in class the past few weeks, we got to discuss the first amendment and how  free speech is where people have the ability to express themselves with some type of limits on them. The Eight Values of Free Expression are:

1. Marketplace of Ideas

2. Participation in Self Government

3. Stable Change

4. Individual Self Fulfillment 

5. Check on Government Power

6. Promote Tolerance

7. Promote Innovation

8.Protect Dissent

    Each of these Eight Values of Free Expression are incredibly important to humans. Each one is different but all work in similar ways so we can express our free speech. It is hard to comprehend a world without these values. It makes one think about how grateful we are. 

Stable Change

    In our society, we have the ability to "rant or vent" to the government peacefully. We do this because we don't want to release violence or aggressive anger that goes against our freedoms. The stable change allows for governments to look out for groups that could be more dangerous to others. 

    The Montgomery Bus Boycott is an example of stable change. After the arrests of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. took a nonviolent route and boycotted 13 months of Montgomery Buses. Martin Luther King Jr. and many others used nonviolent protests to end racial segregation. Later the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses is unconstitutional and the win went to many as well as Marin Luther King Jr. 

Individual Self Fulfillment

    Free speech allows for people to express themselves in different ways as well as figure out who they are as a person. We have the ability to communicate because it is a fundamental right all humans have. Humans can express emotions, morals, beliefs, and boundaries they have to show they have a place in society. 

    I love taking pictures and videos of people landscapes, food, and sports (website here). I am incredibly passionate about having my own creativity to work with. Taking photos and videos allow for visual expression and for me to communicate what I believe in with pictures or film. Free speech allows for me to tell, share, and document my ideas and work, with different people as well as social media. Yes, there are limits and rules to what I do, but ultimately I am allowed to have creative freedom of what I carry out and say to people.

Participation in Self Government

    I believe that we have the ability to make wise choices and opinions based on the candidates that are presented to the public. There has to be free speech for a candidate to say whatever they want to say, including the ability to criticize the current government and how it works. That is a fundamental requirement in order to have fair elections. 

    I think this is important because of our ability to vote and know what is going on with the world around us. Each person has individual opinions based on their beliefs and morals. In order for us to know who to vote for, the candidate has to present everything they believe in.     

The U.S Supreme Court

    Although the Supreme Court's existence is well known, are we all aware of its functions? I was always aware of the Supreme Court as a child, and in the eighth grade, I traveled to Washington, D.C. I gained a lot of knowledge about the government, but I never really understood the Supreme Court's structure. I am aware that it determines the applicability of laws, their meaning, and their application. I was aware that they could review, appeal, and pass laws. I was able to gain a better knowledge of the Supreme Court's structures after seeing videos one and two. 

What did you learn about the Supreme Court that you didn't already know?

    The Supreme Court has one chief justice and eight associate justices that go over cases usually on appeal. Justices hold their positions until they die or retire. The justices in our current Supreme Court are  "Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh, and Ketanji Brown Jackson." When meeting one another, each justice shakes another justices hand to show that there will be no grudges or bitterness. Also the justices have a saying "everyone speaks once before someone speaks twice" to show how every justice has an opinion that would like to be heard. Soon after hearing arguments, they assemble to determine a case. One of the majority side's justices must prepare an opinion outlining the decision's legal justifications.

What is the most important take-away point about the Supreme Court?

    The Supreme Court is the highest government in the United States. The Supreme Court hears appeal cases that will relate to the Constitution and they have the ability to prevent laws that are unconstitutional. 

What was the most surprising thing you learned?

    I never realized how there is a majority and a minority when it comes to deciding on a law. The majority is assigned one justice to draft an opinion piece. Justices in the minority section have the right to still discuss and write the opposite opinions to share. Once the opinion is drafted from the majority, it can be sent out to the justices to gain feedback and criticisms. 

How did the video change the way you thought of the Supreme Court?

    I think very highly of the Supreme Court. Many cases are heard each day and they are up to the nine Supreme Court justices. I realized that the justices are very dedicated and have a passion for what they do. They are intellectual, knowledgeable, and know the Constitution well. The commitment they have each day is unbelievable to hear and read about.

Top Five Sources of News and Information

  #1 My Family

My family is always invested in the news. My parents watch it in the evenings and my siblings keep up with it as well. We have a family group chat, so whenever big news (or small) occurs, the text messages blow up my phone. I don't really watch CNN or Fox News, so having my family to help me keep up is super beneficial. We all have different viewpoints and opinions, so talking to different family members and getting their views on the news is always helpful. 

#2 Google

I can look up anything on google and get results immediately. I love Google because there are so many different points of views to be considered, but there can also be false rumors and accusations. Google is incredibly fast and up to date on everything that happens around the world. It is easily organized and has trustworthy sources if we look closely. Also, Google can know your interests, so it creates a page to look at the news that is interesting to you.

#3 Tik Tok

I am on Tik Tok quite often. When looking at videos, liking, commenting, and other things, Tik Tok notices what you are interested in and builds a "for you page". Occasionally I get short highlights of the news that is happening in the present and in the past. Over 1 billion people use TikTok every month worldwide, with 150 million of them being users in the USA. I would say many people use Tik Tok as a form of entertainment, gaining ideas, learning dances, and a platform for marketing. Usually news isn't too popular on the platform. 

#4 Instagram

Instagram is a reliable source where I can follow many different news accounts to keep up to date. Accounts like Fox News and CNN are active on their accounts for Instagram users to immediately see what is happening in the world around us. It is one app with multiple different news outlets for many different people groups.

#5 Snapchat

Snapchat would be my last source of finding out news. I mainly use it as communication between friends and I. There is a page on Snapchat called "the Discover Page" where many different news stories are shown. If I were to look, there is a section called "The Daily Mail" where I keep up to date on news. When you slide up on the title slide, snapchat takes you to a whole different page with an article that is from The Daily Mail. On snapchat it is mostly pop culture, what is happening with famous people, and other modern culture.