SMSociety Conference '22

Last week I attended the Social Media Society Conference and made some cool new Twitter mates, who are active in the Social Media Industry, including those I interacted with most, @YiTing_Uhm in Hawai'i and @yuying_tan in Germany! Coincidentally, they're both Chinese, as am I! Yiting is finishing up her PhD and a thesis on TikTok, and I'm super inspired by her work on research about gesticulation and behavior on video... (Did I get that right???)

Also, I began following Thot Leedur, @DocDre and Popup Innovator, @EthanZ... who I'm actually in conversation with!!! I'm so excited to have listened to both of them during the conference and am especially excited that I got to interact with the notorious inventor of pop-up ads. 

Excellent, inspiring, and insightful keynote. Thank you very much! Reason for a moderated network for highschool students within a neighborhood community could produce immediate activism, and where better to find willing activists than in a hs classroom?#SMSociety #EME6414

— Leelocin (@priornear) July 19, 2022

Finally, as I write this quick reflection, I catch up by listening to the first Keynote speaker, Dr. Moya Bailey, @moyazb from Northwestern University.

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Post listening to @Moyazb's keynote about the ethics of social media/networks... The keynote was primarily about paying proper tribute to natives/indigenous tribes of areas where resources are being used that contribute to the upkeep, care, and maintenance of social network servers... Many of the servers need water to keep them cooled down, as well as physical locations. Iphone factories in China has high rates of suicide and also implemented anti-sucicide preventions... not in the way that you think (not MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND MAINTENANCE) but more so physical restrictions to prevent workers from committing suicide!?! (Isn't that just horrendous?!). Also, Dr. Bailey makes you question, where are old electronics disposed of? Can they be recycled and reused to create more technologically advanced equipment, rather than just accumulating into a giant mountain of trash, she suggests the answer to solving these issues is to consider the future in the perspective of a science fiction novel... Which I find totally inspiring and... perhaps when I have more time, this is an area I'd like to further explore.

Take a look and share your thoughts!! Also, follow these amazing academics!!

Thank you, Professors!!!!