ChristiaunasBlog

Watching The Wave was honestly really interesting to me because it showed how quickly a dictatorship and a strong group mentality can develop, even when something starts off as something pretty lighthearted. At the beginning, the experiment did not seem like it was going to become anything serious, but it was crazy to see how quickly everyone became invested in The Wave and started following the rules and ideas without really questioning them. I think that was one of the most interesting parts of the movie because it shows how easily people can be influenced when they feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves. It also reminded me a lot of the Waco siege and how people can become so influenced by a leader or group that they start accepting things they probably would not have accepted on their own. There is also a lot of manipulation and what I would describe as gaslighting, where people are convinced that what they are doing is normal or justified because ever...

Today’s class was honestly one of the best classes we’ve had because we got to experience social engineering from a different perspective. Instead of just learning about scams and phishing, we actually had to create one ourselves. My group decided to make a fake Chainsmokers concert RSVP using a QR code and Google Form. We tried to make it look as believable as possible by using the TCU and Crew logos and making it seem like something that could realistically be advertised around campus. We also added a limited-time meet-and-greet opportunity to create a sense of urgency and encourage people to respond quickly. What made the activity even more interesting was finding out that someone in each group had been given the secret job of trying to collect personal information from their group members. Grace was assigned to do this in our group, and I ended up being one of the people she successfully tricked. She asked for my phone number so she could send me the post we had created, and I gave...

Hello again, blog! I honestly thought the presentation on deepfakes was one of the more interesting presentations we have had in class. It was so eye-opening because I knew deepfakes were getting more advanced, but I didn't realize they had gotten THIS good. I was totally fooled, and to be completely honest, I thought I had a good eye for spotting all the fake stuff.  One of the activities the presenters did was give us a sheet with three different pictures and have us guess which one was a deepfake. I was completely bamboozled because I could not tell the difference at all! I was sitting there looking at all three pictures trying to find something that looked weird or out of place, and I still could not figure it out. Then they showed us videos, including TikToks that were deepfakes, and those were just as crazy to me because they looked so realistic. Every slide that was shared, I was certain I had it, but each slide just got progressively more difficult.  It honestly made m...

Ahh, propoganda! Today’s class discussion about propaganda was actually really interesting because it made me realize how often we see it in everyday life without even thinking about it. I also really enjoyed having our guest reader in class today. He did such a great job keeping us involved, and I thought it was really cool that he incorporated the card activity. When he pulled out the five of hearts, it definetely caught everyone's attention!  When we were talking about propaganda and how people use different tactics to persuade others, I immediately thought about those “exclusive deals” you get approached with while you are on vacation. They make it sound like you have this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but then they give you a limited amount of time to decide. That pressure to make a quick decision can make people agree to something they normally would have taken more time to think about. It also reminded me of pyramid schemes. I actually experienced this firsthand w...

One thing I have been loving about this class so far is how we get opportunities to take a break from projects and assignments and watch films that connect back to the themes we are learning about. I think watching movies gives us a different way to understand the concepts instead of only reading about them or talking about them in class. It also makes the class feel more relaxed and gives us something interesting to discuss afterward. I especially enjoyed seeing how Paper Moon explored relationships, deception, trust, and the idea of people putting on different versions of themselves. Even though the movie is older, I still found parts of it relatable and entertaining. Overall, I am really enjoying this class so far. I appreciate that it gives us a balance between academic work and opportunities to enjoy films while still connecting them to what we are learning. I also got to tell my mom all about the movie after class, and she thought it was funny that I actually sat through...