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 this final blog post I will bring together the topics of my previous four blog posts. I will explore the concepts …
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 previous blog posts I have discussed cases where access to information has been hindered in one way or another – …
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 …
According to Richard Heeks in Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D), in ICT4D, technology “is used to help deliver on the international development agenda” (Heeks, 2017:18). Such technologies, could provide added benefits or affordances to developing societies such as digital information and new forms of communication as well as …
While I am writing down this blog post, there probably is a tense atmosphere in the offices of Facebook in the United States. Facebook is struggling. Struggling to not negatively affect the US presidential elections, struggling to prevent misinformation, voters’ suppression, and foreign manipulations. After harsh critiques on the role …
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 …
On the website of Internet.org, Facebook and its partners display their noble goals: Internet.org was founded to bring internet to all people, to connect them and to improve their lives by offering online access. But not all projects by internet.org are actually welcomed in the Global South.
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 …
This is the second article in a critical series on when well-intended ICTs and online platforms miss the mark. It discusses a recent public notice in Uganda, which requires citizens to obtain “a license to post online,” which coupled with social media taxes further violates freedom of expression and access to information.
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”.
