For this task, we were asked to choose a specific object and write about how it represents knowledge, belief and opinion. I chose to talk about the smartphone (my smartphone) since it was kind of the first object I saw! However, I believe there is a lot we can talk about in relation to the smartphone.

I think many of us believe our smartphone is one of the most important objects in our lives. Not only do we store much of our personal information and knowledge (and sometimes opinions) on it, but for many of us, it is a tool we can use to access the knowledge, beliefs and opinions of others. When we use our phones to surf the internet or to text our friends and family, or even scroll through Instagram, we can see and learn more about others’ knowledge, beliefs and opinions. Phones represent our ability to easily access the knowledge, opinions and beliefs of others with just a few taps on our screen.

However, one problem that has arisen with the use of the smartphone is our ability to distinguish fact from fiction, or knowledge from the beliefs and opinions of others. Smartphones have allowed us to greatly accelerate the rate at which we communicate with others, and has meant that the amount of information we are exposed to on a daily has increased a lot over the years. Because of the amount of information our brain needs to process, it can be hard for us to distinguish fact from fiction in our daily lives. Sure, we may have the capacity to research and corroborate the information, but with the amount of information we receive, it is impossible to check everything. With the use of smartphones, misinformation can spread faster than ever, through the internet, text messaging, and more, affecting millions and billions of people.

I think the smartphone can be used to investigate the concepts of truth, certainty, and evidence. As mentioned above, it can be really hard to distinguish truth from lies in this day of technology and fast communication. It is also very hard to be certain of the knowledge that we know. Much of the facts and knowledge that we know are acquired from people around us, and when we are forwarded messages or news from people we trust, we might not think to analyse what we read and determine whether it is credible. However, on a separate note, the smartphone can be used to explore the concepts of culture and values. Our cultural norms and behaviours have changed very much with our increasing access to technology, and especially with our use of the smartphone. Much of our interactions with other people and even our relationship are formed over text messages, phone calls and social media. How has this impacted our relationships and our cultural norms? How has it impacted our beliefs, knowledge, and opinions on what our society is like today?

While many people may argue about whether the overall effects of the smartphone have been positive or negative, I think it is safe to say that the smartphone has affected our knowledge, beliefs and opinions, as well as our perception of those three concepts. Just how great the impact has been, and how good or bad it has been, are questions we as a society will continue to look into for a long time.