Library Exercise #4

In class brainstorming!

https://www.wired.com/story/ideas-jason-pontin-three-commandments-for-technologists/

• This text is all about the approach technologists can take to realize the effect their products have on the world

• I need more evidence of specific companies and what they are doing that they think is good that is actually hurting people

• Also, more research into specific psychology for the individuals that are taking on these products

  • How can this psychology be applied or acknowledged in order to make real change instead of pretend to

  • What are examples of companies that don’t subscribe to confirmation bias or their own ego

    • What resources are available for companies that want to have checks and balances on what they are doing?

      • Diversity is one resource

    • Should all companies be required to prove that their idea works before trying it? Will this halt innovation?

https://www.edge.org/conversation/the-argumentative-theory

https://www-jstor-org.libproxy.berkeley.edu/stable/41484335?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=Mercier&searchText=and&searchText=Sperber&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DMercier%2Band%2BSperber&refreqid=search%3A502ffca9b9db616dddf48f7355389cf6&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

• This article on Edge gives a great summary for argumentative theory and the accompanying book goes into great detail on the in depth psychology aspects.

• I need to research more on this psychology in general because it applies to many aspect I’m interested in.

  • How do people make the decision that their idea is a good one and decide to pursue it?

  • How do other people look at that idea and choose to support it? What role does one’s peer group have in influencing their decision making

  • Is it better to have a more diverse group of people that can provide feedback on your project/idea?

    • How does one go about having more diversity in the tech industry?

  • Should we keep the institutional systems that regulate new ideas and try to ensure they contribute to social good - even if this suppresses innovation?

    • How would we go about doing this?

    • What is the incentive for tech companies to self-regulate?

https://www.oregonbusiness.com/article/education/item/18278-virtual-reality-project-takes-on-biased-discipline-in-public-schools (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

https://venturebeat.com/2018/08/30/improving-tech-education-doesnt-start-with-tech/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

• These two articles were helpful since they were specific examples of tech initiatives in the education sector

  • I’m not sure I want to focus on education - that may be too much of a side tangent

    • If I do, the digital divide is interesting because lack of exposure to technology means certain people are behind

      • This is related to the wage gap - how can people afford to get technology so they can contribute to society

      • It’s not just about money and education, it’s tech skills as well

  • Technology can be really helpful in the education sector in some instances - Or at least it seems like it.

  • There are certain aspects of technology that provide new ways of solving issues

    • VR, personalized learning

    • How do we test these methods and see if they’re really better than traditional education

    • Research the concern that these technologies aren’t really helping.

      • Is there a generalized study on incorporating tech in the classroom that provides insight?

      • Besides just tech, how do we measure growth in general?

  • Social good for the education sector could be a good case study lens

    • Why does it matter? - Because education bridges digital divide and leads to diversity in the workplace and people who understand how to build new technology based on their needs

  • Companies really want soft-skills

    • Collaboration, idea generation

    • People who are making education products focus on the wrong things - information and gamification

    • How do we determine the correct focus and result for tech products

• Another case study could be the use of AI and the question of privacy for big companies like Google and Facebook

  • Sure, they have people using their software, but is it really benefiting people’s lives

  • Psychology of addiction

https://www.wired.com/story/jeff-weiner-on-how-technology-accentuates-tribalism/

• Haven’t really read yet but seems cool.

Searchable Thematic Keywords/concepts:

• Tech for social good

• Technology and Compassion

  • Human centered design

  • Philosophy of business

    • Capitalism, consumerism

• Positive focus: Startups and companies

  • Sustainability

  • Open-source

  • Research-oriented

    • Forwarding scientific knowledge

    • Building things that help us understand the world and ourselves, not just things that seem cool

  • Need-based

  • Legal regulations

  • Customer feedback

  • Awareness of external costs

  • Tribalism

  • Argumentative theory

• Negative focus - a result of social media/ingroups

  • Confirmation bias

  • Ego

  • Sunken-cost fallacy

  • Growth versus progress

  • Materialism for consumers

    • Why do we always seem to want more even if it won’t help us?

• Potentially: Bigger companies

  • AI and privacy for social good

    • Google, Facebook, Apple data issues

  • Psychology of addiction

  • Tendency to only want to associate w people like oneself - also included in startups/idea formation - need to listen to other opinions, but it’s hard w social media

    • Social media consequences

    • Echo Chambers of opinion

  • Sweatshops/tragedy of the commons

    • Abuse of resources

• Education - Could be cool to talk about since what we learn about leaning applies to how companies can learn to serve people better.

  • Soft skills

  • VR

  • Gamification

  • Personalized learning

  • Habit tracking/big data

• Digital divide

• Free Speech in Tech industry

  • Diversity of opinion

  • Democratic process for allowing startups in cities

  • Current government systems

  • Resources for companies to realize their true effects on the world.

Conceptual Questions Thesis (basically just questions since I have so many):

With all of the advances in technology nowadays, how do companies and individuals ensure that the products being developed are really helping people? How do we determine ways to use resources most effectively and cooperate to balance creative ideas with rational thinking? How have startups on a mission to change the world revolutionized the education sector, for better or for worse, and how do we measure those effects? Also, should society encourage products that are addictive or have unintended consequences (like environmental damage, privacy loss, health effects, or addiction)? If so, where should the line be drawn? Or do we just let silicon valley capitalism run its course and hope philanthropic individuals will realize when their plans won’t work.

Hypothetical Essay Prompt:

How do we ensure technological advances build a better world? What are the complexity of trying to help people with tech since we don’t necessarily know what will be good for them?

Research structure:

1. Philosophy of decision making, diversity of opinion, freedom of speech, confirmation bias, sunken-cost fallacy,

   1. I’m starting with this to have an understanding of the incentives of entrepreneurs and analyze their projects

   2. Philosophy of compassion - deep dive into why exactly doing one’s part to benefit the world is desirable

2. Companies/specific ideas (In education with tech sector?)

   1. Specific companies that have put a lot in to their ideas but have failed to actually produce results

   2. Ideas that have worked and show that tech provides some sort of edge to users

      1. Determine what kind of questions companies had to ask and problems they had to solve to actually help their clientele.

   3. Human centered and research oriented design - what do these buzzwords mean

   4. VR vs. gamification vs. personalized learning - which aspects are good, which aren’t helpful

   5. How company mottos differ from their effects (Facebook: connecting the world - does this but what about privacy + addiction)

I also booked an appointment with the librarian for EECS!