This series of articles elucidates the consequences of what limited access to information and the ever-growing spread of misinformation have on the most vulnerable groups of the society. In the second part of this two-part series, I will dive into looking at how to ensure that vulnerable groups such as …
This series of articles elucidates the consequences of what limited access to information and the ever-growing spread of misinformation have on the most vulnerable groups of the society. Access to internet has been vital during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the social distancing rules and remote work, the internet has …
In the NMICT course, I wanted to address an important and much-discussed topic in communication for development, representations of development, but instead of analyzing its role within the field of development, to broaden my perspective on representations of development in society at large. This perspective allowed me to tie my …
This is the fourth article in a critical series on when well-intended ICTs and online platforms miss the mark in transforming society. This article discusses how the digital divide effects access to remote learning and learning outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This week, Elli addressed the topic of cancel culture on social media as a way to counter behavior contributing to inequalities and Richaela brought up a recent ICT failure as Uganda imposed a compulsory license for online publishing in addition to the existing tax for social media use. Cancel Culture …
In the previous articles, we have explored three different perspectives on the role of social media in (mis)representations of development: the risks of celebrity philanthropy, the white savior complex on Tinder, and sometimes problematic marketing of social enterprises. These new forms of manifestation of deeply rooted perceptions of development on social media are also being countered in a variety of ways. One concept that has risen in recent years but gained especially popularity in 2020 is “cancel culture”.
This week Elli delved into the issues faced by social enterprises in social media marketing, Richaela presented an African feminist perspective on online gender-based violence, and Anna discussed the role of Facebook in pro-democracy protests in Thailand. In Social enterprises – Balancing between target audiences and stakeholders, Elli considered …
If you travel to Thailand as a tourist, you should know some basic rules. The probably most famous one: Don’t do or say anything that might seem to criticize the monarchy. The strict lèse-majesté law affects peoples’ lives and political changes in Thailand. And it affects the way people can communicate via Facebook.
COVID-19 changed our lives. The virus entered the world, changed our working lives and our attitude towards physical closeness. For many of us, it turned the world upside down. The pandemic slowed down some parts of life but accelerated others. For example, efforts for digitalization suddenly got tail wind. Companies discovered the advantages of remote work and home office, online offers for education and leisure sprouted like mushrooms. And being quarantined, many people started spending even more time with Social Media than before. That shift from offline to online favored misinformation as well.
Imagine that you have just taken a life-threatening journey to a foreign country to seek asylum. Not only your boat has sunk in the middle of the ocean, but you have also been detained and transported to an island with minimal infrastructure to be essentially imprisoned, though you have not actually committed a crime. On top of this, the one and only means for you to keep in touch with your family and let them know you are alive, is taken away from you. Your mobile phone is, or was, your lifeline.
