Portfolio #7

I learned what supply chain management encompasses this week. I had no prior knowledge as to what that career consisted of, so it was interesting to read about something new. One quote that caught my eye was, “If a fire or a labor strike disables one node in a supply network, another outfit can just as easily slot in, without the company that commissioned the goods ever becoming aware of it.” I also learned the lengths at which people would go to attain wealth (and not knowing when to stop), as seen with the Iceland Bitcoin heist. Lastly, I learned where minerals are mined for our technology. But it was more interesting seeing what Inner Mongolia looked like as a result of this production. I didn’t feel as if the social distancing pieces taught me as much since I’m on my phone 24/7 now so I witnessed many of these practices in real-time. But the Ouellette and Arcy piece did have a correlation to today’s current state, despite focusing on a website than social media.

In terms of my own experiences, I do see how communities are formed on Instagram Live or on Twitter with the introduction of COVID-19. For the readings on the location of digital product, it showed how little I knew about the origins of (what I consider) everyday technology. Consciously, I don’t think about where Bitcoin is located or how a supply chain operates in terms of both major and minor scaled companies. I think I’m privileged to not have to concern myself with some of these. For example, I’m sure that Inner Mongolia’s environment is negatively impacted— from pollution to the depletion of non-renewable resources. As far as my thoughts on digital media and society, it is much broader than I initially thought. I would have never suspected the use of bitcoin or a supply chain involved as much as they each do. In relation to the quarantine pieces, they were able to show just how creative people can be utilizing social media. For example, I personally have found Zoom-related memes on Twitter hilarious but also welcoming. It’s nice to know there are hundreds of thousands of other students struggling through this transitional stage just as I am.