I'll be honest, I don’t typically listen to podcasts, and finding one about online communication was a bit challenging. While I found some connections to our class discussions, I’m still not entirely sure if I chose the best one. The episode I listened to was "Who Should Control Online Speech?" from the How to Fix the Internet podcast, featuring Daphne Keller from Stanford's Center for Internet and Society. This episode looks into the issues of content moderation, echo chambers, and the concentrated power of big tech companies, offering valuable insights into how online communication is shaped in today's digital landscape.
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In a world increasingly influenced by digital interactions, we get much of our information from platforms like Google, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). With so many sources fighting for our attention, an important question comes to mind, who decides what information we see online? Keller discusses this issue, highlighting how big tech companies now control much of our public discourse by managing what is visible on their platforms. This shift from an "internet of widely distributed nodes of speech" to one dominated by a few companies (Cohn & O'Brien, 2021) raises concerns about private control over spaces meant for public discourse.
One of the main topics explored is the reliance on automated systems for content moderation, which often fails to account for context. Keller emphasizes that these systems, while necessary at scale, can be imperfect and even harmful. The podcast also examines solution to the problem of content moderation by creating smaller, community-driven spaces and developing middleware that enables users to select their content moderation preferences. While this could mitigate big tech's influence, it also risks reinforcing echo chambers, a topic we discussed in class. As smaller communities might cater to specific viewpoints, limiting exposure to diverse perspectives and factual information (Seyler & Brizee, 2018).
In our fast-paced world, where information flows continuously, it’s crucial to consider how we shape and protect online communication spaces. Ensuring a more equal and healthy digital environment. Rather than allowing a few powerful tech companies to determine the internet future, we should aim for a more democratic, distributed digital landscape that serves everyone, not just those with the most resources or the loudest voices but without intervention, we risk perpetuating and deepening existing societal divides through our digital infrastructure, so finding a balance is essential.
Cohn, C., & O'Brien, D. (Hosts). (2021, November 30). Who should control online speech? (No. 103) [Audio podcast episode]. In How to fix the internet. Electronic Frontier Foundation. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/11/podcast-episode-putting-people-control-online-speech
Seyler, D. U., & Brizee, A. (2018). Read, reason, write: An argument text and reader (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
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