Inequality in relation to technology
A fascinating presentation given by Danah Boyd at the Personal Democracy Forum. It is a discussion of the ways in which technology is NOT the great equalizer, and that inequality in relation to technology is not just about “access”. An excerpt:
For decades, we’ve assumed that inequality in relation to technology has everything to do with “access” and that if we fix the access problem, all will be fine. This is the grand narrative of concepts like the “digital divide.” Yet, increasingly, we’re seeing people with similar levels of access engage in fundamentally different ways. And we’re seeing a social media landscape where participation “choice” leads to a digital reproduction of social divisions.
She cites as a case study a comparison of MySpace and Facebook use among teens. Very, very interesting.
“The Not-So-Hidden Politics of Class Online”
Via Essential Prose
