Monthly Archives: July 2020

Human Behavior

The Psychology Behind Why Some People Refuse To Wear Face Masks – HuffPost

Absent a vaccine or medication, the only solution we have to combat COVID-19 is to wear a mask.

Even so, some people are resistant to the idea. Controversy over mask usage intensified as states began to reopen and ease up social distancing restrictions and then closed down again after recent spikes in new coronavirus cases.

The decision is an easy one for the pro-mask camp: Its a piece of cloth! they argue. Whats so hard about wearing it? You have a responsibility, as a potential asymptomatic carrier, to not endanger others!

But non-mask wearers wont bend. A mandate encroaches on my personal freedom; its my individual right to not wear one.

How did protective masks become so politicized? Were quick to put on a seatbelt to protect ourselves and others, so what is about the mask that works people into a tizzy? (On both sides, to be honest; pro-mask Americans are just as fervent in this fight. In Orange County, California, pro-maskers put their personal safety on the line to urge local government to reinstate mask ordinances. Naturally, anti-mask protesters were there to meet them.)

David B. Abrams, a professor of social and behavioral sciences at the School of Global Public Health at New York University, said the stridency of opinions and extreme polarization over masks can be chalked up to one thing: Because this virus and pandemic feels so unfamiliar, were clinging hard to whatever makes us feel safe in the moment.

Humans, like other primates and other mammals, have a strong inherent, underlying survival instinct that gets hyper-stimulated under sudden threat of an unknown enemy, he told HuffPost. This leads to what psychologists call hot cognition with a strong and powerful set of emotions that completely override and erase the usual rational cool thinking.

Were in a fight or flight physiological state and, for some, the fight is directed at government mask ordinances.

In moments like this, people become hyper-vigilant and super-sensitive to any threat, Abrams told HuffPost. As their adrenal pumps, they respond with massive posturing of anger and a readiness for fight. It is like the rug has been pulled out from under them and the usual world order is gone. Some people become ready for anything.

Thats whats driving our behavior on masks on a psychological level, but the rationales we use when validating our decision on mask-wearing or abstaining vary person by person.

Any human behavior even seemingly simple behavior, such as wearing a mask or not is determined by multiple factors: political beliefs, ideology, social factors, education, said Joseph J. Trunzo, a professor and chair of the psychology department at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

Layer into this the context and all the changes from moment to moment with this virus, and you very quickly have very complicated reasons for any individuals behavior choices, he said.

Reasons vary, but there are some common arguments made by anti-maskers. Below, Abrams, Trunzo and other experts share seven of the most common reasons people refuse to wear a mask.

So much is uncertain right now. It makes me feel in control to choose to go out without a mask.

COVID-19 has ushered in one of the most uncertain eras in modern history, and uncertainty breeds fear, which naturally fuels a need for control, Trunzo said.

The mask gives us a modicum of control, he said.

When faced with uncertain situations over which we have no control, we tend to exercise it wherever we can, so we feel safe, he said. Some will feel safer exercising their control over not wearing a mask, while others will feel safer exercising their control to wear one.

If the need for control is the driving force for someone not wearing a mask, empathizing with their feelings of uncertainty can sometimes convince them to put one on, he said. Most of us pro-masks, anti-masks share that same baseline fear.

The mandate on wearing masks has been inconsistent. Why should I wear one now?

Since coronavirus first emerged earlier this year, guidelines on if we should wear masks have been inconsistent at best. Mixed messaging from leadership and the scientific community on proper precautions has made mask-wearing appear up for debate.

Shane G. Owens, a psychologist and the assistant director of campus mental health at Farmingdale State College (SUNY), went so far as to say that scientists and physicians bear a substantial part of the blame for our failure to wear masks and to keep our distance because the messaging was muddled.

In the beginning, they couldnt manage to say, We dont know yet with this virus, he said. The mixed messages weve all received are probably the main culprit for non-mask wearing. Inconsistent recommendations, along with historic polarization of political parties, magnify a common mistrust of government mandates.

Given the widespread distrust in the government and scientific community, Owens said he often wonders if people would have taken the recommendations more seriously if theyd been issued by a Dr. Phil or Dr. Oz.

Someone like that, as opposed to someone standing behind a podium with a seal, whos worried about reelection, he said.

Anthony Mujica / EyeEm via Getty Images

Ive done a cost-benefit analysis, and this pandemic doesnt personally affect me enough to wear one.

People who wear masks arent necessarily natural-born rule followers, but theyve decided, for a variety of reasons personal welfare, their familys health or just a desire to get this contained already that the benefit of following restrictive guidelines outweighs the costs.

Those who decide not to wear masks have gamed out that same cost-benefit analysis.

In many cases, theyve concluded that based on their assessment of the situation, that the benefits arent worth the cost, said Gavan J. Fitzsimons, a professor of marketing and psychology at Duke University.

Though coronavirus infection rates remain high, some mask rejecters have yet to see a friend or family member contract COVID-19. They can afford to be cynical about mask-wearing; the debate over face coverings is more of a thought exercise, since the coronavirus hasnt touched them in any concrete way. Its something thats happened to other people.

Many dont have that luxury. The coronavirus has disproportionately affected those in the Black and Latinos communities. While many Americans have jobs that allow the option of working from home, those two groups are over-represented in essential service jobs that heighten their risk for exposure.

Preliminary reports do suggest that there could be differences in mask-wearing based on race and ethnicity, said Jagdish Khubchandani, an associate chair and professor of health science at Ball State University. Many racial minorities are taking low-paying essential service work. They have to go out to make a living, which is why they may be more likely to wear a mask.

Im young and wont catch it.

Call it the invisibility argument: Because older people are more likely than younger people to die of COVID-19, some (but surely not all) younger Americans feel more brazen about going out in public without a mask. The existential threat just isnt the same for them, Khubchandani said.

Its true that some younger individuals perceive lower risk and have higher risk behaviors than older populations, he said. That risky behavior includes mask-wearing.

kmatija via Getty Images

Wearing a mask encroaches on my civil liberties.

Not wearing a mask can be an expression of resistance or defiance: You cant tell me what to do, they might say. I dont believe the government or health experts. The virus isnt that serious. As an American, I value my individual freedom and dont want to be told what to do.

For them, the request to wear a mask is a constitutional overreach, Khubchandani.

Democracy is a double-edged sword in the case of mask-wearing, he said. There are legal issues, constitutional rights, individual freedom and civil liberties that have to be accounted for. And, unlike other public health laws (e.g. seat belts in cars), this is a situation where the public is required to observe a behavior without a conventional law-making process (debate, discussion, proposal, voting, approval, act of law).

Owens said theres a way to get through to someone with this mindset.

If youre dealing with a person who reveres civil liberties, you can point out that government mandates and choosing life and liberty are, in this case, the same thing, he said. These days, the best way to live a long and free life is to wear a mask, keep your distance and ask that everyone else do the same.

It makes me look weak or unmasculine.

The optics of mask-wearing is an issue for some including President Donald Trump. According to The Associated Press, Trump has told aides that he wont wear a mask in public out of concern that it will project weakness and defeat that he would be preoccupied with health instead of focused on reopening.

In early April, while announcing the recommendation from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that masks be worn in public spaces, the president said he wouldnt be following his administrations guidance: Wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens I dont know, he said. Somehow, I dont see it for myself.

Apparently, hes not alone. Researchers have found that men are more likely to opt out of wearing masks, believing them to be shameful, a sign of weakness, and not cool in spite of the data showing that men are at higher risk than women of dying of a coronavirus infection.

Making the situation worse, they also have lower perceived vulnerability to disease, Khubchandani said.

I dont see our government leaders wearing one. It cant be that bad.

Abrams said that watching what others do is one of the most powerful forms of rapid learning of new behaviors. Even as campaign staffers and Secret Service personnel come down with the virus, Trump remains mask-free. Vice President Mike Pence, who has encouraged mask-wearing recently, sometimes wears one, but hes just as likely to forgo one.

Wearing a mask wouldnt just be helpful here; its essential to have leaders who are on the same page for guidance and as clear role models, especially when people are hyper-vigilant, have strong hot emotions, and are looking for guidance with an unknown threat and are doubting science, Abrams said.

For many, Trumps and Pences blatant disregard for their administrations own advice on mask-wearing speaks volumes: If theyre not wearing masks, the threat must not be so bad, so why should I put one on?

I think the image of Vice President Pence not wearing a mask while actually touring the Mayo Clinic and standing next to sick patients (or older war veterans) is burned into many minds. And the hospital medical staff and chief doctor allowed him to do that? Abrams said. Then add to that Trumps lack of modeling mask-wearing behavior. These pictures are worth a thousand words.

Jim Mone/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Here are a few ways to try to get through to a non-mask wearer

Effective communication with someone who disagrees with you on masks will depend on whom youre trying to convince. The reality is some will remain steadfast in refusing to wear a mask.

That said, if youre trying to convince someone who reveres science but is confused by inconsistent messages, Owens said it might be helpful to point out that states with stay-at-home and mask directives have minimized the diseases spread.

More often than not, its better to leave politics out of the mask discussion, he added.

By making the mask issue political, you automatically turn off almost half of the people youre trying to convince, he said.

The single best way to get people to wear masks is to model that behavior.

Whenever youre out, wear your mask securely over your mouth and nose, Owens said. Use peer pressure to your advantage.

Experts are still learning about the novel coronavirus. The information in this story is what was known or available as of press time, but its possible guidance around COVID-19 could change as scientists discover more about the virus. Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations.

Experts are still learning about the novel coronavirus. The information in this story is what was known or available as of press time, but its possible guidance around COVID-19 could change as scientists discover more about the virus. Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations.

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The Psychology Behind Why Some People Refuse To Wear Face Masks - HuffPost

Human Behavior

Acharangenetics: Behavior Psychology As Gene Regulation Tool – Analysis – Eurasia Review

Behaviour is satellite responses to its environment generated by our social brain the system which we consider as mind. Mind endeavour over persuasion on which behaviour develops. Our characters are responses of some hormones produce in the cell of different gland. The shift in concentration of hormones leads to change in character.

This article reviews various effects of hormones on our physiological status and hence behavioural responses. All the body hormones produced by body cell are actually controlled and managed by the genes present in the cell. As the brain (hypothalamus) sense any character or any situation it sends the response to various hormone glands and the glands synthesis the protein as per the command of active gene.

Depending upon the circumstances behavioural response shifts vary wisely. As the behaviour is controlled by the hormones, the genes which are modulating hormones synthesis must be switching off and on as per response from brain. Specific hormone for the specific task of behaviour is produced under the command of brain. We have tried to establish a relationship between behaviour and genes so that a new study should carry out in the motive to control the gene activity by the mode of behaviour psychology. The word Acharangenetics can be used to express the relation of behaviour psychology and genes. The wordAcharangeneticsis a compound word, form by combination of two words Acharan Hindi origin word meaning behaviour and the second word is genetics the study of heredity.

The strength of any construction is understood by its pillars which are multidisciplinary in nature. To hold its existence one has to focus on its sub fundamental phenomenon, that is, behaviour. According to psychology, behaviour comprises of satellite responses to its environment generated by our social brain (Frith, C. D., 2007) the system which we consider as mind. The conscious exercise of faculty and thought are considered very important for development of mind. Mind endeavour over persuasion on which behaviour develops. Psychological practice is very commonly performed by psychologist in order to provide counselling to a person living life with some non-productive state of mind (Strong et al., 1992).

Hence, counselling can help a person to generate positive psychology, and stabilize the social life of a person with any social psychological disturbance (Harris et al., 2007). Our characters are responses of some hormones produce in the cell of different gland. The shift in concentration of hormones leads to change in character. This article reviews various effects of hormones on our physiological status and hence behavioural responses. Body hormones produced by body cell are actually controlled and managed by the genes present in the cell. As the brain (hypothalamus) sense any character or any situation it sends the response to various hormone glands (Knobil, et al., 1980; Schally, et al., 1973) and the glands synthesis the protein as per the command of active gene.

Depending upon the circumstances behavioural response shifts vary wisely. As the behaviour is controlled by the hormones, the genes which are modulating hormones synthesis must be switching off and on as per response from brain. Specific hormone for the specific task of behaviour is producd as per program under the command of brain. We have tried to establish a relationship between behaviour and genes so that a new study should carry out in the motive to control the gene activity by the mode of behaviour psychology.

Counselling psychology is very much practice in the field of academic, in the field of sports for motivating sportsman and for helping the one who is trying to come back after injury (Webster et al., 2008) or in the area of medical for strengthening the depress state of the patients suffering from chronic diseases like cancer (Watson et al.,1988; Sheard, T., & Maguire, P., 1999), diabetes (Snoek et al., 2002) or in any chronic diseases (Karademas et al., 2009) that has harassed the health as well as the mental stability of patients. Moreover, it is widely used in people who are handling life defeat mentality (Silbert et al., 1991). They are found to be very much effective in uplifting the level of psyche.

In psychology, human nature and motivation have been discussed very extensively. Freud believed that behind every human activity there is the instinctual drive that works as a motivating factor that bring upon types of human behaviour. Psychology is a science of behaviour that is observable. It also means an objective science that depends on the experimental and observable data. All human action and behaviour are the outcome of the physiological and neurological reaction in the human body. This fact also reveals that human behaviours are nothing more than the way man responses to stimuli that come from the environment.

Behaviourists accept determinism in their version of psychology. They deem that every human response can be predicted in relation to the type of stimulus that triggers mans responses. Some of our motives to act are biological, while others have personal and social origins. We are motivated to seek food, water, and sex, but our behaviour is also influenced by social approval, acceptance, the need to achieve, and the motivation to take or to avoid risks, to name a few (Morsella, Bargh, & Gollwitzer, 2009).

Furthermore, during motivation our body gene regulation work on activation of genes that is good in handling stress. And there are some genes that are responsible for the production of dopamine a motivation molecule, that provides the drive and focus you need to accomplish your tasks in the most productive way. This hormone is primarily involved with the attention span, focus and motivation. It is a neurohormone that is released by the hypothalamus. Lack of dopamine in the body is associated with symptoms like fatigue, lack of focus, difficulty in concentrating, forgetfulness, insomnia and lack of motivation.

When dopamine isnt regulated properly, it can contribute to a dysfunctional pursuit of good feelings, such as occurs in addictions, or lead to a hyperactive state like Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These conditions are generally associated with an increased risk of early death, rather than longevity, but the latest study suggests that risk genes for certain problems in some environments may be beneficial in other situations.

In humans, dopamine neurotransmission is influenced by functional polymorphisms in the dopamine transporter (DAT-1) and catechol-Omethyl transferase (COMT) genes. The COMT and DAT-1 genes was found in the ventral striatum and lateral prefrontal cortex during reward anticipation and in thelateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices as well as in the mid-brain at the time of reward delivery, with carriers of the DAT-1-9 repeat allele and COMT met/met allele exhibiting the highest activation, presumably reflecting functional change consequent to higher synaptic dopamine availability.

The origin of motivation can be felt as either internal as push motivation or external as pull motivation. Push motivation is depicted in terms of biological variables arising in a persons nervous system and mind psychological variables that represent attributes of a persons mind, such as psychological needs. A person has the capability to channelize its motivation and stress hormones concentration by the mode of imagination. And if a person thought is responsible for its hormone concentration, then the person thought or imagination may affect an individual gene regulation. And this gene regulation is a background of push motivation.

Pull motivation is understood in terms of environmental variables that describe external sources of motivation, like incentives or goals. Our internal sources of motivation interact with external sources to direct behaviour (Deckers, 2014). Moreover, it may happen that this external effort implants an idea in a person which allows creating a thought process rising to an imagination.

Furthermore, this imagination leads to affect the body serum metabolite concentration and signalling metabolite modulates the process of gene regulation and gene expression. Hence, it will lead to regulation to the activity of stress handling and risk handling genes (Yashin, et al., 2012). And this leads to the production of hormones such as dopamine, oxytocinetc that are responsible to manage the level of external motivation or push motivation. This system can be observed in the field of extensive sports like boxing and rugby, where coach try to motivate the energy and skills of the player by mentoring with either using sound modulation or by some moral thought related to winning or losing.

Our evolutionary history also explains aspects of motivated behaviour, and our individual personal histories shed light on how our lifelong experiences shape our motives and determine the utility of goals and incentives.

Physiological needs like hunger, thirst, sex or some desire on the basis needs are also the biological beginnings that eventually manifest themselves as a psychological drive in a persons subjective awareness. These biological events become psychological motives. It is important to distinguish the physiological need from the psychological drive it creates because only the later has motivational properties.

The drive theory of motivation tells us that physiological needs originate in our bodies. As our physiological system attempts to maintain health, it registers in our brain a psychological drive to satisfy a physiological craving and motivates us to bring the system from deficiency toward homeostasis (Reeve, 2018). Likewise, the person who motivates themselves for the personal fitness must be channelizing their serum hormones effect. This desire might be helping them to initiate a program of self-caring; a necessity in order to keep up with personal health. As people are not under control for good diet or healthy life style; personal motivation is necessary. The biological need turns into a psychological motive when the drive to satisfy it interferes with our normal functioning by increasing tension until the need is satisfied.

Behavioural feature in relation to social interaction has performed wonders in the field of medical science. Some aspects are visible through the lenses of science but some are the trades of invisible energy. Placebo effect is among that invisible behavioural energy which has stuns the eyes of many thinkers. As per the Stimulus substitution models posit that placebo responses are due to pairings of conditional and unconditional stimuli (Montgomery et al., 1997). This Condition is either created by people or may be a natural place. The placebo effect has a very vital consequence on the synthesis of metabolites in body and in functioning of hormonal glands. Placebo effect gives rise in endorphin release (Levine et al., 1978) and drop down the symptoms of anxiety (Sternbach et al., 1968.), classical conditioning (Wickramasekera et al., 1980), and response expectancy (Kirsch, et al., 1985; Kirsch et al., 1990.).

However, Montgomery and Kirsch (1996) described data that are hard to reconcile with the hypothesis that placebo responses are mediated by such global mechanisms as anxiety reduction or the release of endogenous opioids. It has been found that it can be used as a local anaesthetic.

Genetics states that, what we express as a character, whether its behaviour or phenotype it is just a pre-programmed stimulus of genes on its switching circumstances. And the circumstances could be behavioural or environmental. The change may arise sooner or later, depends on the degree of gene regulation.

On the other hand, the arising of any action or the way someone conduct them self in response to others action is judge during psychological practice. It has been observed that the change in mood, action and development of thought triggers the secretion of different metabolite, by different gland present in different parts of brain and body. The effect of any action could be seen all over the body, such as; at the time of anger the whole body share the heat arise from anger; at the stage of happiness we can feel comfort and energetic and at the stage of meditation we can feel peace. These kicks off of anger can take place by others behavioural activity but its onset initiates the production of adrenaline and noradrenaline cortisol, which anger are causing hormones. Similarly, the state of happiness is the result of production of endorphins, dopamine and serotonin. Likewise, the action of meditation kicks off the production of all good hormones required by the body to be at peace.

The effect of these hormones on whole body can only be seen if these hormones are well distributed in the body cell. Whenever any hormone enters into cell it creates a signalling response which moves from cell cytoplasm to the nucleus. And nucleus is the place where the key genetic material which codes for the behaviour of cell the structural unit of organism.

Psychology and metabolism are mutually related to each other. Any change in psych will trigger the synthesis of different hormones or metabolite or its responsible for the alteration in concentration of metabolite or hormones. And in normal condition of outer environment, social environment and diet intake, the physiological status of a person is found to be normal. Hence, the metabolite concentration is also balanced. As soon as there is any change in the environment (social/environmental) of a person, metabolite and hormonal response changes. Hence there are vital changes in person behaviour or in its health status. There is certain situation where organism has to behave against their natural character. This situation is either created by the social environment or unpredictably. Table 1 listed some of the real life situation and various responses of body metabolism

Moreover, there are situation which are either created or present naturally and are responsible for generating some rare characters in organism. As in a situation for survival some people develop very high spirit to stay alive and start working against their nature. They are found to handle stress condition with an attitude of solving it and bring out anything good as per the things available. This can be the situation of specific activation of stress handling genes by the mode of gene regulation (Yashin, et al., 2012). This regulation tends to modulate behaviour in an organism as presented in Table 2. Hence, such people are found to be having great surviving skills and a behaviour of handling tough situation.

The character whichis in phenotype form or specific social behaviour is actually a command program of the genes present in our DNA. The happening of any behaviour and expression is basically the activity of genes. Hence, learning, expression or behaving could be on and off of genes activity. This on and off of genes is understand by the terminology of gene regulationLikewise, the metabolite or hormones are actually functional protein which produces bytaking the referencefrom the coded information, by various genes in DNA of an organism. Furthermore, the behaviour of person is more likely influenced by the metabolite and hormones. Hencehuman behaviour is more likely to be as concentration of different biochemical or its just based on switching on or switching off of different genes responsible for different character which are control by production of functional protein. Hence, whenever there is activation of any gene there is activation of a specific function which contributes in any biochemical reaction throughout the body. There arenumerous biochemical reactions going on in the bodyeachactually channelize by the metabolic protein produce by the activation of genes of an organism. Apparently, the origin of basic behaviour characteris trigger by genes e.g.in infant we can observe some facial expression and actionInfants are not taught about behaviour, some of them are basically inherited by birthwhich are trigger by genes.

Moreover,if any human psychological disorder generated either by environmental or social stress are responsible for the alteration of functional protein such as hormones and metabolites. Functional protein is only produce by the activation of genes. In a nutshell genes are responsible for behaviour psychology butbehaviour psychology also holds the capacity to influence the activity of genes. Therefore, behaviour psychology at its best possible organised way may have the efficiency to govern and channelizes the activity of genes. Hence, after recognising the complete relation between psychology and genes by the connection of metabolism we can elaborate new area of study either in the field of genetic engineering or in the field of behaviour psychology.Acharangenetics(Acharan + genetics) word can be used to express the relation of behaviour psychology and genes. The wordAcharangeneticsis a compound word, form by combination of two words Acharan a Hindi origin word meaning behaviour and the second word is genetics which is the study of heredity.

Research Questions: The research questions are:

> Can we effect gene regulation by the mode of behaviour psychology?

> Can we use behaviour psychology as a genetic regulation tool?

> As genes activation affect the behaviour and create a person personality characters, can it happen that moulding someones character results in gene regulation?

Answers to the Question

The behaviour of a person is the expression of genes. The change in behaviour by the action of word may generate such hormones which leads to the expression of different genes in the individual which codes for such protein that either alter or generate new character in an individual. Hence, the transformation of human behaviour from a child to a mature person could be response of expression of genes by certain behavioural activities. A talk between two people regarding certain mutual adjustment in behaviour could be another example of gene expression of desired characters by using concept of mutual understanding of requirements. Hence, psychology can be used as a tool for expression of specific genetic traits. If social interaction and genes both affect metabolism, then they might be interacting each other. Metabolic pathway is a connective link in many biological processes therefore; it may happen that there might be a relation between genetics and behavioural psychology. If behaviour psychology can affect genes activity, then we can use it as a tool for expression of specific genetic traits. Any effect to a person during social interaction create certain level of change in its hormones or functional protein concentration lifting the mood or results in stress conditions.

*About the authors: Rajan Keshri, Harpreet Kaur and Dr Gursharan Singh Kainth, Guru Arjan Dev Institute of Development Studies

REFERENCES

Table 1: Hormone Impact on Behaviour and Body at Different Stress Situation.

Table 2: Some Examples of Hormones and Their Effects on Human Body and Behaviour.

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Acharangenetics: Behavior Psychology As Gene Regulation Tool - Analysis - Eurasia Review

Human Behavior

Quit protesting and come together | Opinion | sent-trib.com – Sentinel-Tribune

America, we need a change in our attitude.

Instead of concentrating on specific incidents protests, riots, vandalism look at the big picture, look at what is happening in over 90% of our country, not just what makes the headlines.

In spite of all the bad, there is much more good happening. But good news doesnt sell.

What some people have forgotten or maybe they are ignoring, are the basic standards of personal behavior and responsibility. These are things we learned in kindergarten, or at least what my generation learned there.

Maybe the new education curriculum isnt teaching that. What we learned in Sunday school isnt politically correct, so we have to forget it. Supposedly this doesnt apply to modern society but it really does.

Basic human behavior is to build and improve our lives, not destroy. Burning down our communities wont improve anything. Looting wont help either.

The statement, thou shalt not steal, comes to mind. Oh wait, thats a religious statement, and our churches have been declared, not essential. But liquor stores and tobacco stores and gambling casinos are open. Think about that.

Maybe our so-called leaders have other ideas about what would work. But their ideas havent. And the peaceful protests and demonstrations and looting continues.

Is it any wonder there is so much turmoil and division in our country?

Weve lost sight of the source of good, positive behavior, our faith and our beliefs.

Even for the unbelievers and non-believers, this turmoil must stop. We need to get back to basic positive behavior. Our communities and our country cannot continue with the divisions which we are seeing.

Our system of government and economy are not perfect, but it has worked and worked well for of the most people. Working hard to improve ourselves is part of the American dream. Blaming others is not.

We all of us need to get off our back sides, put forth at least some effort, and stop making excuses. Working together, we will solve the problems facing us.

America, the land of the free and home of the brave, will only flourish when all of us stand together, as one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Herb Dettmer is a retired Bowling Green resident, U.S. Army veteran and writes this column representing the viewpoint of Joe Average citizen. He is freelance writer and author of Others, a devotional book. Call or text Joe with comments at 419-494-4641.

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Quit protesting and come together | Opinion | sent-trib.com - Sentinel-Tribune

Human Behavior

Who is Karen? And why are people constantly dropping her name? – iFIBER One News

Who is Karen? And why are people constantly dropping her name?

Over the last several days, iFIBER ONE News has noticed a substantial amount of name dropping on its Facebook posts.

Whats noticeable is that only one name is being dropped as a universal slang to describe a particular group of people who apparently fall under a categorical personality trait that has one name.

Karen.

Who is she? Where did she come from?

According to Know Your Meme, Karen is a term used as an antagonistic female character in memes. The website states that Karen is generally characterized as an irritating, entitled woman, sometimes as an ex-wife who took custody of the kids.

According to an article written by Newsweek, Karens are often described as annoying entitled, suburban woman who would not hesitate to ask to speak to a manager if the sales person at Anne Taylor refuses to take their return three months after the return date expired.

A report from the Atlantic wrote:

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Karen has been adopted as a shorthand to call out a vocal minority of middle-aged white women who are opposed to social distancing, out of either ignorance or ruthless self-interest. Its the latest evolution of a long-standing meme. In The New York Times last year, the writer Sarah Miller described Karens as the policewomen of all human behavior, using the example of a suburban white woman who calls the cops on kids pool parties. Karens have been mocked for being anti-vaccine and proCan I speak to your manager? Theyre obsessed with banal consumer trends and their personal appearance, and typically criminally misguided, usually loudly and with extreme confidence.

Their defining essence is entitlement, selfishness, a desire to complain, according to Heather Suzanne Woods, a meme researcher and professor at Kansas State University. A Karen demands the world exist according to her standards with little regard for others, and she is willing to risk or demean others to achieve her ends.

Several news sources write that the origin of the Karen meme is difficult to pin down, but the consensus was summed up in an article written by Business Insider:

While there are many origin stories for the Karen meme, it's not completely clear where it came from as is the case with many popular memes. The origins of Karen are kind of really hard to pin down, Matt Schimkowitz, senior editor of Know Your Meme, told Business Insider.

But Schimkowitz said the most convincing theory is that the character originated from a Dane Cook comedy special that aired in 2005. Every group has a Karen and she is always a bag of do-che, Cook said in the routine. And when she's not around, you just look at each other and say, 'God, Karen, she's such a do-chebag!'"

Karen apparently has a signature style too which is described as a can I speak to your manager bob-style haircut. The Karen style is often compared to the haircut that Kate Gosselin sported in the late 2000s during the airing of the popular reality TV show Jon & Kate Plus 8.

The name Karen is part of a popular SubReddit thread that was created in 2017.

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Who is Karen? And why are people constantly dropping her name? - iFIBER One News

Human Behavior

Diverse Teams Build Better AI. Heres Why – Forbes

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Humans are predisposed to make questionable decisions. We have biases, are driven by emotional responses, have poor predictive capabilities and struggle to factor in more than a few data points at once. That gives AI a decision-making edge over humans, one with the potential to not only make us smarter but also keep us impartial. The problem is that AI learns from data generated by human actions (with the assistance of explicit domain knowledge) and therefore mimics our biases. That leads to algorithms that reflect our racism, sexism and other prejudices. Many organizationsDiversity.ai is an exampleare focused on finding and fighting human bias. This work is necessary, and I applaud such valuable efforts.

One way of eliminating bias in your AI is to hire inclusively. Build AI teams that achieve diversity across race, gender, sexual orientation, age, economic conditions and more. I would argue that if you do this, youll make better AI because your teams will be better at spotting bias, different backgrounds will drive more creative thinking, and more diverse teams will improve your ability to scale your solutions across the enterprise.

Diverse teams are better at avoiding bias in programming because theyre better at anticipating potential problems. For example, healthcare providers recently used an algorithm created for major insurance companies to steer high-need patients toward programs that would provide them with extra care. The problem was that the algorithm based its care decisions on how often patients sought medical care in the past, which favored patients with better insurance, more time, more money, etc. This favored group of patients was disproportionately white. The algorithm failed to recommend extra care for patients who were sicker but had less time and money, and that included a significant cohort of Black patients. This created an accidental racial sorting in which white patients were steered toward better care than Black patients. We dont know which firm created this technology, but I guess that it wasnt a diverse team. Black team members and those with less affluent backgrounds might have seen the potential for this kind of bias before it was released.

Diversity in thought also drives creative thinking. In 2006, Netflix announced a competition with a grand prize of $1 million to the team that could create a successful prototype of its now-famous recommendation engine. The winning team was BellKors Pragmatic Chaos. How did they do it? First, they competed with 20,000 other teams from 150 countries through multiple rounds. Then, during the later phases of the contest, teams began to merge with each other. The winning team was a combination of three teams: BellKor, Pragmatic Theory and BigChaos. Accuracy, the ability to combine models and the ability to generate insights from human behavior were all critical in achieving the winning prototype, and each team had one of these critical strengths. This clearly demonstrates that diversity in thought drives superior results. Team members with diverse backgrounds bring diverse thought to projects, which will drive superior AI.

Finally, deploying and scaling AI requires more than just technical know-how. The ability to design intuitive interfaces, collaborate with users and leaders, communicate changes and have empathy for users are critical qualities for successfully scaling AI. Having empathy for the end user is key to elements like training, conveying the potential for positive impact and more. Collaboration and communication across functional groups (IT, data science, business) is also critical to ensure adoption of AI solutions. Studies suggest that women may perform better than men in these skills. Having team members with emotional intelligence, whether they are women, men or nonbinary is the key here. At the very least, the team that develops the AI should resemble the people who adopt it. A predominately white or male team may have a harder time connecting with a broader organization that isnt as homogeneous.

We can and must do more to enhance team diversity in the development of AI. I am committed to enhanced diversity on my teams and my journey is only beginning. Of course, we cant stop at hiring a diverse mix of people. We also need to build a culture of anti-racism, awareness of unconscious bias, and continual dialogue and education, which you should urge your HR team to pursue if it hasnt already. I know that data scientists are hard to come by, and Im not suggesting that building such teams will be easy. But its worth the investment, even if that means youre growing talent or reskilling and upskilling team members. You may not be able to snap your fingers and hire a diverse team for your next AI project, but if you want your team to make smarter, better, less harmful AI, then do whatever it takes to build a diverse team.

A diverse group of colleagues contributed ideas to this article.

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Diverse Teams Build Better AI. Heres Why - Forbes

Human Behavior

Job Platform Indeed Finds Gold In Long-Form Content On TV 07/01/2020 – MediaPost Communications

On Tuesday, weheard from a brand that found that moving from long-form content to short-form content was key in gaining attention. A day later, we heard from Indeed's Paul J. D'Arcy, SVP of marketing, who arguedthe opposite.

"What we see is that linear TV is the biggest driver for us," he told MediaPost's TV & Video Insider Summit via Zoom, "because of its reach and scale. It's apowerful channel."

Indeed, the world's largest online employment platform, focuses on gaining memory. It wants consumers to think of it when they are looking for a job or arelooking to hire someone. It works with people who are experts in media and attention and in finding media that are conducive to that.

"Attention is the key thing," he told ourinterview, Steve Smith, editorial director of events. "And TV drives twice the attention of YouTube." In fact, he added, YouTube is helpful in extending an existing campaign much as a 15-second adwill remind viewers of a 30-second campaign.

Indeed also finds that the bigger the screen, the better. The more pixels that cover the screen, the longer the picture is remembers.On TV, it decays after 109 days, D'Arcy said. On mobile, it's 66 days. To ensure their path is correct, the brand measures awareness and consideration on a daily basis.

WhenCOVID-19 hit in March, he said, "it was one of most rapid periods of change I've ever seen. There were the biggest changes in human behavior happening in my lifetime in just a few weeks. The onlything that changed in terms of people's activities more than cooking was watching video streaming.

"People were stuck at home. They were consuming much more content." Inmany marketplaces, advertisers rushed to cancel spend. There was a lot of disruption.

"In March, it was a health crisis first," said D'Arcy. Then it became a jobs crisis in theU.S. There was a freeze on hiring. It impacted us. Job seeker behavior changed. We brought down our media spending, focused on video. Our buys were longer-term buys already in place. We shiftedstrategy into scatter markets for long-term buys to maintain flexibility."

Indeed has mostly stuck with its buys in place. "But we are continually diversifying beyond linear intoother long-form TV formats. We are going toward streaming long-form content. There are good opportunities for that. It's an audience extension strategy."

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Job Platform Indeed Finds Gold In Long-Form Content On TV 07/01/2020 - MediaPost Communications

Human Behavior

It’s kind of terrifying how little has changed: Reflecting on two pandemics faced by the Black & LGBTQ community – Qcity metro

Brad Batch was at a party in Garner when he first heard about the virus.

The 30-year-old had recently moved back home after a few years in New Orleans.

A friend approached him and asked a strange question about his old college boyfriend, who was now living in New York.

Did you hear Richard has the gay flu?

This June marks the 50th anniversary of the first Pride parade, which arose in protest against police brutality and for the rights of LGBTQ people. Health equity has always been an indispensable part of that struggle.

Richard would be one of many million people to die in the global epidemic caused by human immunodeficiency virus, also known as HIV/AIDS. Batch, who is now 68, would eventually test positive for the virus himself.

But Pride looks different in 2020. Its a year where yet another pandemic has ravaged the LGBTQ community and a year where many of the people disproportionately impacted by it have already taken to the streets to protest for their lives.

Many experts say things are not that different from the last time they faced a pandemic.

Its kind of terrifying how little has changed actually, said Derrick Matthews, who researches health inequities experienced by LGBTQ people, particularly around HIV prevention and treatment for Black men, at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC Chapel Hill.

Several comparisons have been made between the rise of the HIV pandemic in the United States in the 1980s and 90s and the current Covid-19 pandemic. Both diseases have ravaged vulnerable communities, particularly people of color. Both have been exacerbated by public health responses from government leaders and civilians, and both are still ongoing.

NC Health Newsspoke to a survivor of the HIV pandemic, a former CDC staffer who worked at the agency when the outbreak first hit, a public health researcher, and a local LGBTQ advocate. They reflected on how their understanding of the United States public health response to the HIV pandemic shapes their perspective of this present moment for members of the Black and LGBTQ community.

Gene Matthews was in the room when a director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first reported the strange incidence of the then-rare pneumocystis pneumonia in five gay men in Los Angeles in 1981.

I remember it like yesterday, said Matthews. It was right around this time of year.

Matthews, now a senior investigator at the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, was the chief legal officer at the organization at the time. He said hed grown up in the age of the antibiotic bubble in the United States, following the invention of the polio vaccine.

There wasnt anything that science, and hence in the private sector of pharmaceuticals, couldnt cure or protect us from, recalled Matthews. And all of a sudden, Mother Nature robbed us of that illusion, rather dramatically.

Matthews would continue with the agency throughout much of what would become known as the HIV pandemic.

Heres a disease thats spreading, were not quite sure how its spreading, you die a horrible death, there is no treatment, there is no cure. There is no vaccine. Does that sound familiar?

From his experience, Matthews said pandemics are always political.

Public health messages become weaponized in a highly polarized political environment, said Matthews. HIV was like catnip to politicians. It was called a gay disease there was pressure by Republicans to try to spin AIDS in a way that helped the 1984 re-election.

The administration of Ronald Reagan has beenwidely criticizedfor its response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Reagan himself did not publicly acknowledge HIV until 1985, when over 12,000 citizens had already died of the virus. The federal government ignored, and sometimeslaughed at, the HIV pandemic, said Matthews, largely because of who was first experiencing it. The presidents base had little interest in fighting the virus they believed they could not contract and were suspicious of government spending that interfered with the free market economy.

Sound familiar? Matthews again added. Covid doesnt have the same stigma, but it is at least as politicized now.

All of the people NCHN spoke to talked about seeing the same collective willful ignorance, as Matthews described it, to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The comparisons Ive noticed are less the disease itself and more about our kind of social-cultural response to it, said Derrick Matthews of UNC, who shares no relation to Gene Matthews. I think that we see a lot of parallels with the kind of very poorly coordinated response.

Though the countrys initial response to Covid-19 was much faster than it was to HIV/AIDS, eventually leading to a nationwide shutdown, the United States remains disproportionately represented in the global pandemic death count accounting for 5 percent of the worlds population but 25 percent of total COVID-19 deaths due, in part, to the delayed response of the federal government to early warnings about the threat of the viruss spread.

Even today, as Covid-19 cases spike in 22 states, the pushes to reopen continues. President Donald Trump is considering ending the national coronavirus emergency and depending on political affiliation, citizens may disagree about the severity or in some cases, existence of the disease at all.

I think people have a tendency to go into denial mode. You can see it right now in Raleigh, said Batch, who continues to live in the area. Theres crowds of 20-and-30-somethings where a lot of the restaurants and bars are, and theyre not wearing masks and theyre not doing social distancing.

Theyre not worried about it, because theyre young they think it cant happen to them. A similar thing happened with HIV, where people said, Well, Im not gay, so Im not going to get it, he said. Of course, there were some unpleasant surprises about that.

Public health emergencies always ask us to confront our nations ongoing relationship with racism and bigotry, experts said.

The kind of hatred and bigotry thats surrounded a lot of conversations about the virus is just pure racism, said Derrick Matthews. You know, it seems like forever ago, but at the beginning of 2020 this was the Chinese virus, or the Wuhan virus.

That naming of it really made me think of HIV because you know the early name for HIV even the CDC had called it the 4H Disease.

Before the agency had an official name for HIV/AIDS syndrome, the public often referred to the virus as the 4H Disease the primary risk groups were Haitians, hemophiliacs, heroin users, and homosexuals.

It was very pejorative, said Gene Matthews. I dont like to repeat it. Because there was a certain racial undertone, particularly when talking about homosexuals and heroin users, of Theyre getting what they deserve.

But just like now, the virus attacks those with less health care resources.

The novel coronavirus has disproportionately impacted people of color in the United States. Black people account forover 30%of all hospitalizations from the virus nationally, despite making up just 18% of the population. In North Carolina, withcurrently availableracial data, 34% ofCovid-19 deathsare Black people, who make up just 22% of the state population.

Theres very much a segregation of whos becoming sick and dying, said Derrick Matthews.

And though many of the historical narratives around HIV have predominately featured white gay men, Derrick Matthews said HIV was no different.

The severity of that inequity was so intense, that I think part of the reason the faces of Black gay man and Black trans folks are so erased from that retelling is because, well, theyre gone, he said. As devastating as it was to gay men and queer men broadly, my friends and colleagues and I talk about this: We didnt have an entire generation of people who could mentor us on what it would mean to walk through the world in this country as a gay Black man.

The first known person to die of HIV may have actually been Robert Rayford, a16-year-old Black boyfrom St. Louis, in 1969. (His strain of the virus slightly differed from the one that led to the HIV pandemic in the 80s and continues to infect people today.)

HIV definitely affected the African-American community, and still affects African Americans, much more than the non-Hispanic white community, recalled Batch, who himself is white. Gay Black men and women had a double whammy, but they were not only oppressed by society for being gay.

Evolving ideas around intersectionality have paved the way for broader understanding of how different identities interact a person can be both gay and a person of color, for example.

In the 80s and early 90s, there were kind of the gay concerns around HIV and there were kind of Black concerns around HIV, said Derrick Matthews. When in fact, people who had identities rooted in both their Black race and their gay sexual orientation were the ones who were doing the work. Yet they were the very ones who were being ignored.

The HIV crisis, and the federal governments response to it, spurred LGBTQ people to protest for better health conditions. The pandemic politicized many members of the LGBTQ community, and the work the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) and other queer organizers led to changes in health policy such as faster and more widespread availability of experimental treatment drugs.

J. Clapp, executive director of the LGBTQ Center of Durham, points out that Black LGBTQ people have continued that work. Two of the three founders of the Black Lives Matter movement, Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors, identify as queer. From the beginning, organizers have stateddefending LGBTQ lifewas a key part of the movement.

He believes that the current Covid-19 pandemic may have further politicized members of the Black LGBTQ community contributing to more widespread participation in the recent spate of protests following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and other people of color killed at the hands of law enforcement.

Black people are just tired, said Clapp. They were at Stonewall, they were there to fight Reagan during the HIV epidemic in the 80s and 90s. And here we are again, fighting for Black Lives Matter, in the middle of Covid.

The pandemic has put on display how intimately racism is tied to health. Its also given some LGBTQ people unprecedented space to engage in activism.

I dont know that this protest would be so large and prolonged without Covid, said Clapp, noting that many LGBTQ people, particularly those of color, weredisproportionatelyimpacted by gig economy and restaurant closures, creating opportunity and added incentive for them to participate in protests. Because racism is the actual public health crisis.

Derrick Matthews echoed these sentiments.

Covid-19 and police violence are essentially two sides of the same epidemic of racism, he said. The criminally negligent response to Covid is certainly a kind of more covert form of racism, but I think this is the critical piece people are not getting: These protesters recognize fully the threat of Covid, because its affecting their communities more. And theyre outside, marching, anyway.

Its a completely logical, and I think on-point assessment that racism and all of its poison fruit are the real threat to peoples health and safety, he added. Covid is just another manifestation of it.

Both pandemics are still ongoing.

A lot of people think that because PrEP is a reality, the HIV pandemic is over, said Clapp, referring to thetreatment-as-preventiondrug regimen that can arrest the spread of HIV. But there are still new transmissions. There are still people who are living with untreated HIV. Were on a good path, but we still continue to struggle to get PrEP and other resources into the hands of our most marginalized, which typically include people of color and trans people of color.

Covid-19 may even worsen the ongoing HIV crisis.

Im worried were going to see a lot of people fall out of HIV care and really start to undo the progress that weve made, said Derrick Matthews. So much of health insurance is tied to employment, and we know that people of color were among the ones to lose their jobs the most.

Many queer and trans people were in the service and gig economies. It puts these groups in even more jeopardy.

As scientists race for a vaccine for Covid-19, some members of the LGBTQ community remain similarly concerned about who will have access to it.

I cant help but wonder if, just like HIV, well come up with this really great solution thats really effective, but its going to get into the hands of people that need it the most, less, said Derrick Matthews. If it ever gets there at all.

I hope this really does get people thinking more broadly about what it means to live in a country that does not prioritize the health of its citizens? And I think were finding out.

If a vaccine occurs, its going to be difficult getting it out. And theres gonna have to be a bit of sorting about who gets it first, said Batch. I hope its done on a vulnerability basis, and not some dog whistle criteria where you dont come out and say, Well, were not gonna vaccinate you because youre Black or brown or Spanish or undocumented, but were gonna do some other criteria that basically means theres only like 2% of you that can get it.

Changing human behavior in the face of a pandemic is difficult.

It is not that easy to inspire or require the harm reduction behaviors that are appropriate to the new normal, said Dr. Myron Cohen, director of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases at UNC, at a June 24health briefingon Covid-19. Were being asked to do a thing inconsistent with the general behavior of our species.

We have had the same problems with HIV in inspiring risk reduction behavior. We know how the virus is transmitted, and as weve known how its transmitted weve had to inspire lots of behavior changes, which when used, are very effective. But theyre hard to sustain.

And with Covid-19, prevention behaviors depend on everyone, not just those at high risk for suffering the worst outcomes of the virus.

Gene Matthews, the former CDC official, said the HIV pandemic had to move out of marginalized communities for the majority of the public to take notice.

We got to a point where the majority of people in the country knew somebody with AIDS, said Matthews. Of course, AIDS was a death sentence.

Im not quite sure were there yet, where everybody in this country knows somebody personally that died of Covid. But believe me, we surely will be, unless some miracle [behavior change] occurs.

Derrick Matthews, of UNC, said hes often wondered if the public would be more concerned if the face of Covid-19 looked different. Yet at the same time, he, like the other Matthews, is worried there may be a bigger cultural problem.

There are literally people who think its made up, said Matthews. Literally. I hope we dont have to have to get to the point where basically everyone needs to know someone who died of Covid. But it feels like thats where were heading. And thats strange.

But Brad Batch said hes hopeful about individuals who are changing their behavior.

Im 68 years old. Ive looked back, and Ive seen this kind of stuff before, said Batch, who said he lost count of the number of people he knew who died of HIV. The thing is, you need to have hope. How do you respond to pandemics? You roll up your sleeves and get down to work.

With HIV, we marched, we did ACT UP, we handed out condoms on the street corners. They say you need to wear a mask, and you have a mask shortage? Well, you make some damn masks. And thats how you get through this. Im confident well get through this.

This story originally published on NC Health News and was republished with permission.

Hannah Critchfield is NC Health News Report for America fellow. RFA is a national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities.

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It's kind of terrifying how little has changed: Reflecting on two pandemics faced by the Black & LGBTQ community - Qcity metro

Human Behavior

Column: Embracing the power of music | Shakopee Opinion – SW News Media

For the first time, I feel a lot of anxiety about our country. Its because of recent events. I suspect that most people, regardless of their political views, have seen, read, or experienced events that left them shaking their head if not sick to their stomach. I worry that weve become so bitterly divided that a reconciliation may not be possible, at least not anytime soon. Theres just so much anger and resentment that will be extremely hard to overcome.

I find a lot of solace in music. It makes me wonder if at some level, in some way, shape, or form, music might be the answer to bridging some problems and healing some wounds. Thats because everyone seems to share a passion for music. Its not always the same artists, songs, or genres, but theres probably some overlap between any two people.

I imagine that if you randomly took two people, no matter how politically or demographically different, and made a Venn diagram of their music, youd find common ground. Maybe finding things like music that we have in common with others is a good starting point for building a friendship or a least some level of trust.

For example, when I go to concerts, music is shared and consumed by thousands of people singing along and getting along. It makes me realize that people from across all ideologies can come together, and even form connections, over music.

Interestingly, or maybe ironically, a song popped up on my YouTube playlist last week from Frank Zappa called Trouble Every Day. The lyrics talk about social injustice, racial conflict, and sensationalist journalism. Zappa wrote the song in 1965 after watching the Watts Riots on TV. The riots, ignited by a traffic stop, resulted in 34 deaths, more than 1,000 injuries, about 4,000 arrests, and 1,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. This happened before I was born, yet the song profoundly captures current issues.

Ive read that music affects all parts of your brain, although there appears to be some debate about whether thats scientifically true or not. Regardless, science does confirm that music impacts brain function and human behavior. Its been shown to reduce stress, pain, and symptoms of depression. Thats not surprising. I always feel better when I listen to music.

Science also found that your favorite music triggers the same type of activity in your brain as other peoples' favorite tunes do in their brains. It doesnt matter if the music is Tori Amos, Iron Maiden, or Mozart. All people react the same way to their favorites, and sometimes various songs bring out different feelings, emotions, or memories.

Music is primal. It affects all of us, but in very personal, unique ways, said Jonathan Burdette, M.D, a neuroradiologist at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, in an article for ScienceDaily. Your interaction with music is different than mine, but its still powerful.

Ive found that turning off the news and turning on music, by myself or with others, is having a significant and positive effect on my mental health. I highly recommend it.

Brett Martin is a community columnist whos been a Shakopee resident for over 15 years.

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Column: Embracing the power of music | Shakopee Opinion - SW News Media

Human Behavior

Ethics in the Balance: AIs Implications for Government – Public CIO

While the COVID-19 crisis got most folks thinking about face masks and toilet paper, Chris Calabrese was pondering artificial intelligence and its implications for public policy. His aha moment came when he realized Facebook had sent home most of its human overseers and put AI in charge of policing the social forum for inappropriate content.

The result has been systems that dont work as well. They are taking down groups dedicated to sewing masks, just because they are falsely flagged, said Calabrese, vice president of policy at the Center for Democracy and Technology. Thats automation being used by one of the most influential companies in the world, and its still not up to snuff. That gives me a sense of how far we have to go.

Facebooks stuttering steps into automation reflect broader ethical challenges faced by public tech leaders as AI, biometrics and surveillance technologies increasingly enter the mainstream. CIOs are considering everything from the moral implications of cameras on light posts to the ethical fallout from allowing AI to set prisoners bail.

Will there be bias in AI systems? Will facial recognition erode privacy rights? Around the nation, city-sponsored commissions and academic task forces are trying to tackle some of these tough ethical questions.

New York City was an early entrant into the fray. In 2018, local legislation created the Automated Decision Systems (ADS) Task Force to develop policies and procedures aimed at guiding agencies in their use of AI and related technologies.

The ADS Task Force tackled the complex issues surrounding automated decisions systems to ensure these systems align with the goal of making New York City a fairer and more equitable place, said the mayors Deputy Press Secretary Laura Feyer.

The resulting 36-page report, issued in November 2019, recommended broadening the public discussion around ADS and urged city leaders to formalize management functions. The report was explicit in laying out emerging ethical concerns.

We know that certain decisions, whether made by a human or a computer, carry with them a risk of certain implicit or explicit biases, the authors wrote. They called on the city to investigate these risks in order to use ADS most effectively and responsibly.

The city has since followed up on those early recommendations with institutional means to further safeguard society. After the report was released, the mayor created the position ofalgorithms management and policy officer to continue the work of the task force, Feyer said. That officer will work with all agencies to identify and evaluate ADS though the lens of fairness, equity and transparency.

At the Center for Democracy and Technology, Chris Calabrese and his colleagues work to understand the potential policy impacts of new technologies.

As New York has pursued its foray into issues of fairness and equality in an AI-driven world, various non-government entities have been pursuing a similar track. Drawing from academia, industry and the public sector, several groups are delving deep into these issues in an effort to guide effective policymaking.

The Center for Democracy and Technology has generally focused its efforts on understanding policy challenges surrounding the Internet. More recently, the group has taken a deep dive into the ethics of AI. The impact of that across the board is going to be one of the guiding challenges of the 21st century, Calabrese said.

The centers thinkers are especially concerned about the algorithms that drive automated decision-making. That means making sure facial recognition works as well on a white face as it does on an African-American face, he said. Theyre also exploring the implementation of these technologies. Looking at facial recognition again, that can be used to track people in public, thanks to the power of AI. There are all sorts of issues that arise from that.

More than just a theoretical exploration, the center is focused on the practical applications of new technology. There is, for example, an immediate concern around the growing use of commercial AI products to set bail levels and determine who should or should not be released on bond.

Calabrese isnt just worried about the error rate of these decisions about 30 percent, according to the centers findings. Hes also concerned about the nature of those errors. Whats troubling from our perspective is that it tends to skew differently for different populations, he said. It makes it more likely that African Americans will be incarcerated while high-danger white people will be let out.

To address such potential hazards, the center has developed digital decision tools for schools and policymakers to help them determine whether algorithms are being used appropriately.

Policymakers need to be very conservative in how they deploy these technologies, Calabrese said. If something is new or experimental, you need to have a lot of skepticism about how it is going to do its job. You cant just defer to the computer.

A similar effort is underway at Harvards Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, a 20-year-old interdisciplinary research center. Originally focused on the intersection of law and technology, the center lately has been delving deep into ethical issues. Its Ethics and Governance of AI initiative looks at the challenges that stakeholders face in developing, using and regulating this technology.

We are looking at not just the technological side of AI, but at the ways in which these emerging technologies impact everything from the education of young people, to law and policy, to business, and even issues like democratic engagement and information-sharing online, said Ryan Budish, assistant director for research.

Researchers here are asking tough questions about AI deployments. How is the system trained? How is it validated? What biases were present in the underlying training data? How can policymakers test the system to be sure its not just replicating existing biases?

Budish, too, points to criminal justice as a point of urgent concern. There are a lot of different organizations out there, some very well intended and some just trying to sell snake oil, he said. If you are the IT person in the county court and your administrator wants you to choose a technology to help with this, you might not have the right background to evaluate the different systems. You might not even know the right questions to ask.

The Berkman Klein Center has looked at a range of state and local issues in which AI could play a part. The technology might be used to detect fraud in welfare benefits, or it could be used to identify which properties should be prioritized for fire-code inspections. Each scenario carries not just practical but moral implications as well.

To assist state and local leaders in their search for answers, the Berkman Klein Center shares best practices. Its researchers have looked at various real-world AI implementation policies, looking for common ground and also highlighting points of divergence. That helps folks who are trying to think about their own approach to these questions, when they can see what issues other folks are thinking about, Budish said.

The center also works directly with state attorneys general, helping them to craft policy that responds to the nuanced inner workings of artificial intelligence.

One of the big challenges with AI is that it can be really technical, and then folks just throw up their hands. It seems like magic, Budish said. Its not magic; it is something that people can understand. We can educate folks and put them in touch with experts who can help them to think critically about the way it impacts the work they are doing.

On the global front, the Berkman Klein Center collaborates with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and with the International Telecommunications Union, an agency of the United Nations. Through those efforts, the center has helped to develop AI governing principles that have been adopted by 42 countries.

Budish envisions the center as a potential bridge between civic leaders, who may be new to the conversation around the ethics of AI, and academics who have been exploring these issues for years. There are a lot of places where those conversations are happening, but those conversations are perhaps not always reaching policymakers, he said.

Philadelphia began addressing these issues in 2017 with the launch of GovLabPHL, a multi-agency collaboration using studies of human behavior to shape how the city interacts with residents. That effort led to the creation of a road map in early 2019, and those findings in turn are being leveraged today to help guide Phillys smart city initiatives.

Smart city development is a natural place to put into action the ethical precepts surrounding AI, said Philadelphia Smart Cities Director Emily Yates. All those cameras on light posts, the smart sensors and other apparatuses of civic improvement these are the front lines of AI implementation.

Philadelphia Smart Cities Director Emily Yates balances the usefulness of data collected by connected devices with citizen privacy.

"We are drilling down into specific topics. What do you attach to a smart street pole? Is AI going to be a surveillance program? And what happens to the data that we are pulling down? We are still fleshing out all of that, she said.

Yates office is developing a deep governance structure to ensure that key learnings are incorporated as AI usage increases. This includes executive leadership, an advisory committee, an internal working group and various subcommittees drawn from across city government.

This governmental infrastructure is key to the citys efforts to be responsible in its use of technology.

As the big thinkers address weighty questions around ethical usage, that information has to move up the ladder and across the ladder so that everyone in government is aware of these issues, Yates said. Its incumbent on the working group and the subcommittees to communicate to the relevant individuals and also to the mayors office, in order to put citywide policies in place.

In Philadelphia that effort includes deep engagement with the citys data network and security group, whose experts have weighed in on some of the most pressing issues. There is a tension of how granular and effective you can get with the data, while still respecting the boundaries of privacy and security, Yates said.

As cities and states continue to wrangle with the use and potential misuse of new technologies, Yates offers a practical vision. When it comes to the responsible use of data from automated decisions to biometric-informed surveillance government will be most successful when it is most transparent.

If you are going to put up a camera facing a mosque, you need to communicate what you are doing, who has ownership of that data, whether it is public, she said. Thats why we have the communications and marketing team as a subgroup working on this. We need to address the community so that they know what we are doing and why we are doing it in a specific way.

Serious peril looms for cities that fail to address the risks, or that come up with answers but fail to engage the community. Yates points to the big civic projects of the 1960s and 70s that tried to serve a greater good but ended up sowing distrust.

The worst case is that you spend a significant amount of money, the community gets concerned and then we have to shut it down, she said. We dont want to step backward and deploy technology in a way that makes people worry we might be using it in a way that could harm them.

Those with a firm grasp of the technological underpinnings as well as community sentiment may be best positioned to help government to state its case as it moves ahead to incorporate emerging innovations.

Its especially helpful to understand the cyclical nature of an AI deployment: The power of this technology lies in the algorithmic ability to learn over time. Civic leaders can take advantage of that to constantly improve upon their uses of the new tools.

In each stage of that process you need to interrogate your assumptions, Calabrese said. Is my data representative of the whole population? Will my assumptions impact everybody fairly? As a government official you can build fairness into the process, and you do that by understanding how this process works.

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Ethics in the Balance: AIs Implications for Government - Public CIO

Human Behavior

Coronavirus in Ohio: No single number captures the pandemic. But watch this one. – Massillon Independent

Back in April, health experts warned Kaiser Health News, a leading provider of health news and information, that a one-day peak in cases would not signal that the tide had turned against the new coronavirus.Two months later, what's clear in Hamilton County is that the trend here is sharply up and there's no clear sign of a peak.

On June 18, the county recorded at least 100 new COVID-19 positive patients for the first time. Since then, seven more days (including Sunday, the last day for which data are available) have exceeded 100 cases.

Scientists use averages to figure out the ups and downsof infectious diseases such as the virus. With the coronavirus, they oftenuse one of three different averages to track trends in new cases.

State officials feature the 21-day moving average on Ohio's coronavirus dashboard. It accounts for the 10 to 14 days that it takes for many people to display symptoms once they've been infected by the virus. (Except that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 35% of the infected never show symptoms, a number lower than found in some studies.)

Twenty-one days ago, Hamilton County's21-day average of cases was 38, according to an Enquirer analysis of data from the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 tracking project. On June 18, that first date of 100-plus cases, the 21-day average was 45. By June 22, when the county had a single-day record of 191 new positive results, the average was 61. A week later, on June 28, it was 89.

With new case totals over 100 foreach of the last five days, the 21-day averagewill keep going higher this week with no plateau, much less a decline, on the horizon.

The average of new cases sometimes is expressed in other ways.

The seven-day average is used by the Associated Press and other news organizations. Hamilton County's seven-day average is 138 cases, nearly double from the level on June 18 (when that first 100-plus count was reported). The White House coronavirus task force used the 14-day average, keeping in mind the virus' incubation period, when it set up criteria for reopening businesses, schools and the like. The county's 14-day average is 115 cases, more than twice the reading on June 18.

Bottom line: All three averages have risen sharply at the end of this month.

The result: State and even federal officialsare worried we haven't seen a peak in Hamilton County. The county was among the hot spots nationally discussed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in a conference call with Vice President Mike Pence, head of the Trump administration's coronavirus task force.

What do other numbers tell us?

1. A measure of the coronavirus that's based in part on community spread is flashing red in Hamilton County, as well asin Butler, Kenton and Warren counties.

The measure is the R0 (spoken asR-naught, pronounced AHR-nawt)or reproductive number. Data from the Health Collaborative, a consortium of hospitals in the Cincinnati area, show the virus' R0 in the four counties is above one.The R0indicatesthe number of people, on average, that one infected person will subsequently infect. Any reading above one indicates infections are rising. But it's worth noting that the R0 is an estimate anddifficult to calculate (in part because it measures human behavior, which can change abruptly).

2. Infection rates are highest among younger people in the region, with the positive test rate for those ages 20-30 at over 10%.

The Health Collaborative data show the positive rate in this age group rose in the second half of June to above 10% even as the positive rate fell in all other age groups.

The local data mirrors a national trend. People under 45 made up 42% of cases before Memorial Day weekend but 55% of cases reported since then, USA TODAY analysis has found.

The trend holds in places where new cases are surging and in those that are not, according to the analysis of data from 25 states and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

3. Local hospitals have room but beds are filling

Hospitalizations are rising across the Cincinnati region.The number of COVID-19 patients in Hamilton County's hospitals has doubled from a low of 65 people on June 11 to more than 130 this weekend, DeWine said at his Monday news conference.

The Health Collaborative's dashboard showed the region's hospital and ICU beds just under 80% occupancy on Sunday. So there's room for more patients, but not the surplus of space that existed inearly May, as the pandemic was easing.

In addition, more young people are ending up in the hospital with COVID-19, an Enquirer analysis of state data shows. People under 40 accounted for 11% of Hamilton County hospitalized cases in March and April. But that rose to 19% in May and stands at 37.4% so far in June.

Kaiser Health News and USA TODAY contributed.

Excerpt from:
Coronavirus in Ohio: No single number captures the pandemic. But watch this one. - Massillon Independent