Humane Technology
The Foundations of Humane Technology course focuses on the deeper consequences of technology and how it is affecting society. The modules hone in on how technology affects the way we think, communicate and function as a society. Here are my takeaways from modules one, two, four and five.
Module 1
Technology is a powerful tool that affects our everyday lives. This module shows the dangers of social media and how it affects our thinking and values. Right now, the world is facing challenges that it has never faced before. It is a complex matter rather than a complicated matter, as it is something that is continuously evolving. We cannot predict the future of technology, but we are watching the results of it in real time. Social media is causing harm to future generations, news consumption, attention and cognition, physical and mental health, social relationships, politics and elections and systemic oppression. Many of these harms stem from influencer culture, addiction, information overload, fake news, polarization and bots/fake accounts. However, the root of social media altogether is its design.
Most of the content people consume on social media is what they “want” to see, instead of what they need to see. The photo on the right shows my Instagram search page. It shows content the system believes I would click on, and even provides recommended searches. It all goes back to algorithms and how social media companies track a user’s activity to keep feeding them the content they like or are addicted to. This keeps users engaged. However, if a person is addicted to fake news or content that triggers anger (which is one of the driving emotions among social media sharing, especially on Twitter), misinformation will continue to spread as well as spark negative emotions and thinking in others.
Module 2
When it comes to technology and social media, nature and human nature aren’t something consumers primarily think about. However, it is something social media companies and designers thrive on to gain user engagement. When users are given content they want, they are manipulated. This affects the user’s behavior. Users don’t realize as they’re mindlessly scrolling through their feed how easy it is for their thoughts and actions to be shaped by it. Even if it’s not intentional, the media we consume affects us daily. The Foundations of Humane Technology encourage technologists to create platforms and apps that respect human minds instead of exploiting them. Instead of having social media sites that give users what they want, which can lead to human vulnerabilities, the sites should be designed to spark intelligent conversations and enable wiser choices.
Module 4
A big question to ask when thinking about technology is if it’s possible for the platforms to be neutral. To figure out the answer, the module dives into how neutrality is impossible for humans and how metrics affect behaviors and social systems. When it comes to humans, there are many factors that influence the way we think and our decision-making including the influence of our friends as well as our emotions, what we smell and whether we’re hungry or not. The technology we consume is influenced by our everyday lives.
The picture of the tacos is what my friend and I ate for lunch one day. My friend is a vegetarian, and I am a lover of pork and chicken tacos. While eating at a restaurant with her, she kept raving about the mushroom and cauliflower tacos. This influenced me to try them, which is something I wouldn’t have thought about if I was out with a non-vegetarian friend. This is an example of how easily our actions and behaviors can be influenced.
Social media and technology are just as, if not more, influential in our thinking. Metrics are used to assist in decision-making and collect data on large-scale systems. Even though metrics are helpful in providing insight, they can also be harmful. Metrics can promote click-bate and influence the way we think of ourselves. For example, SAT scores are thought of as representing your intelligence. This can be a dangerous addiction and mindset if there is not taken in moderation.
Module 5
Social media has created distortions that many people believe in due to trends, hashtags, sharing of posts and more. Some of these distortions include “engaging content,” “moral outrage,” “amplification,” “extreme emotion,” “microtargeting,” “othering,” “disloyalty,” “information flooding” and “anti-journalism.” All of these distortions are shared beliefs, or understandings, amongst a group of people who follow certain trends on social media. This influences their thinking and behaviors as it can cause them to feel angry, insecure, skeptical of the truth and much more. Essentially, they are “warping our perception of reality.” The module also focused on how these affect political views and how people perceive political parties.
Overall Takeaway
Social media and technology have a huge impact on society’s way of thinking, values and behaviors. Humane technologists must create technologies that respect human nature and aren’t manipulative. Technology should help enhance the human experience and thinking, not manipulate our society. This course made me think deeply about how my loved ones and I use technology and it encourages me to take a break from social media and regain my deeper sense of consciousness. Social media is highly distracting and it’s important to use it in moderation and find a balance.
Featured Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay