#iranastudy on... tech and democracy
this week I went on a run and listened to these 3 publications/talks on technology and deliberative democracy
Disclaimer: None of the thoughts expressed in my blog reflect those of Georgia Tech, any institution I was/am a part of, Douglasvillle, my ancestors, etc. In fact, the older this post is, the more likely it is that this no longer reflect those of myself.
Why we need to understand the politics inherent in technology - TEDx Talk by Evan Barba (Assistant Prof at Georgetown University - Communication, Culture, and Technology Program), 2018
This one was okay! I liked Evan’s argument that we are responsible for addressing inequities in tech infrastructure, regardless of whether they were intentionally designed that way. He uses the analogy of the metro system in Washington DC. As many know, there’s no metro stop in Georgetown (a highly affluent neighborhood); it’s unclear whether this is intentional but it does raise questions about equity of mobility. He ends by asking us to ask ourselves “What is my responsibility to restore the balance that technology has disrupted?”. Beyond “balance” being a nebulous goal; I left the video disappointed that he put the onus on us (“talk to people online that you disagree with”) rather than people with the power to make infrastructural changes (i.e. legislators, tech leaders).
The relationship between tech and society: myth, misconception and power dynamics - Podcast interview between Elise Zelechowski (Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Sustainability, and Social Change) and Eduardo Meneses, 2022
Was expecting this conversation to be about how society uses tech, but it was actually about designing tech for society and the ways power dynamics between technologists and the communities they’re working with can make this difficult. My favorite line: “the technology that we can build together can serve a purpose, but it's not going to address some of the people problems that are just inevitable as a part of a social movement”.
Digital Public Spaces for Healthy Democracy: goals, values & aspirations - Panel discussion about MAPLE - a new tool that allows citizens of MA to easily submit testimonies to MA legislature and see testimonies written by others, 2023
I recommend! This is a great example of online participatory citizenship. Was also really cool to see Harvard political philosophy professor Danielle Allen on this panel! MAPLE (the Massachusetts Platform for Legislative Engagement) is a website debuted in May that allows any MA citizen to comment (or “submit a testimony”) on legislation. Notably, features of social media platforms (e.g. likes, feeds) don’t exist on this platform due to lack of commercial incentives; MAPLE is a non-profit. This raises an issue I hadn’t really considered — the public sector has to be bought into participatory democratic tech if it’s going to be sustainable.