Nothing is “Neutral:” Passive Digital Footprints and the Perpetuation of Inequality

Nothing is “Neutral:” Passive Digital Footprints and the Perpetuation of Inequality

By Kathryn LeBere on February 4, 2022 | Tagged with , , , , , ,

Nothing is “Neutral:” Passive Digital Footprints and the Perpetuation of Inequality

Guest Post by Kathryn LeBere

Have you ever paused to reflect on your passive online activity? How long you lingered on a post? Which links you clicked on while browsing?

We all make thousands of semi-unconscious decisions when using the Internet. Our digital presence, however, is never “neutral.” Passive Internet engagement—browsing, liking, geolocation, tagging—impacts digital footprints as much as intentional engagement.

By simply being online, we contribute to a system that influences others, while being influenced by the system ourselves. Through no fault of users, these passive activities can perpetuate real-world power imbalances in the digital world and even create new inequalities of their own.

Consumers or Commodities?

Why does your passive digital footprint matter? First, your data is constantly being collected online without your informed consent. According to an interview with Facebook’s “Trust Engineers,” every Facebook user is involved in approximately ten different experiments at any given moment.[1] In 2012, Facebook conducted one of its more notorious experiments, manipulating the News Feeds of 689 003 unknowing users to see if removing positive or negative posts could alter users’ moods.[2]

We are simultaneously treated as consumers and commodities. Our data are used to curate social media feeds, inform policy decisions, and study societal trends. Those with increased Internet access, however, are more likely to appear in certain datasets over others, skewing data to exclude those will less Internet access. The information that is collected can also lack nuance—motivations, emotions, and beliefs are reduced to numbers.[3]

Shifting Digital Divide

To understand the impact of our digital footprints, we need to situate them within the context of the digital divide—the gap between those with and without access to information technology. Today, this divide has become more than a person’s ability to access the Internet and includes a “second level”—the ability to use the Internet—and a new “third level”—the ability to benefit through Internet use.[4]

The advent of Influencer culture exemplifies this third level. People who are able to effectively promote themselves online can transform their digital selves into social, economic, and cultural capital through other users’ likes and shares. Today, a person or organization’s ability to harness this passive activity can result in material gain. Moreover, researchers have found that a person’s socioeconomic status, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and age can affect their online experience and ability to reap these benefits.[5] Digital inequalities not only reflect and perpetuate the inequalities of “real” world, but create new ones of their own.[6]

Passive Digital Footprints

How exactly does your online activity contribute to the perpetuation of inequalities? Let’s examine three forms of passive participation: geolocation, liking, and tagging.

Geolocation

Geolocation data are used to create consumer behaviour profiles that can be used to create sexist, classist, and racist targeted online advertisements. Researchers discovered that women are targeted less by STEM job ads than men.[7] In 2015, The Princeton Review—an online test preparation company—used geographic pricing for their courses, which resulted in people of Asian descent being twice as likely to be offered a higher price.[8] Junk food advertising has also been found to disproportionately target poor communities, particularly those home to racialized children.[9] 

Liking

Likes are used by platform algorithms called “recommender systems” to determine who the content should be pushed towards [10]. These systems can shape peoples’ preferences and behaviours, targeting people with lower digital literacy levels who may struggle to recognize misinformation. During COVID-19, celebrities and politicians with large online platforms were found to have a greater reach than mainstream news outlets, encouraging people to flout social distancing guidelines and reject the vaccine based on misinformation.[11]

Tagging

Users have less control over what is linked to their digital identity because they can be tagged in content by others. This function disproportionately harms low-income households since they are “disproportionately plagued with real-life physical safety threats,”[12]  lessening their capacity to be concerned about their online safety. Privacy is a commodity—many people are unable to buy their own laptop, pay for a subscription to a Virtual Private Network (VPN), pay for personal Wi-fi, or pursue legal action when their privacy is compromised.

From Passive to Active

Given that “unplugging” today is virtually impossible, how can we address these digital inequalities? First, we need to reconceptualise the scale of the problem and advocate for the creation of policy to regulate the use of our data. Users should be aware of the extent to which organizations collect and exploit their information for their personal gain. Second, we need to continue to combat the digital divide. Not only should we support organizations like the Internet Society who are trying to make the Internet more accessible, but we should advocate for the creation of digital literacy programs within our own communities.

The boundary between the “digital world” and “real world” is blurred—if we want to combat inequality, we need to address its existence online.

Questions to Consider

  1. What kind of legislation would you like to see?
  2. What actions could you take to help combat digital inequality in your own community?

Reference

[1] Abumrad, J. & Krulwich, R. (2015, February 9). The Trust Engineers [Audio podcast episode]. Radiolab. WNYC Studios.

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/trust-engineers

[2] Hill, Kashmir. (2014, June 28). Facebook Manipulated 689,003 Users’ Emotions For Science. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/06/28/facebook-manipulated-689003-users-emotions-for-science/?sh=474acf51197c

[3] Crawford, K. (2013, April 1). The Hidden Biases in Big Data. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2013/04/the-hidden-biases-in-big-data 

[4] Emerald Publishing. (2021, July 1). The Evolving Digital Divide: From the First to the Third Level. Emerald Publishing. https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/news-and-press-releases/evolving-digital-divide-first-third-level

[5] Robinson, L., Schulz, J., Blank, G., Ragnedda, M., Ono, H., Hogan, B., Mesch, G. S., Cotton, S. R., Kretchmer, S. B., Hale, T. M., Drabowicz, T., Yan, P., Wellman, B., Harper, M., Quan-Haase, A., Dunn, H. S., Casilli, A. A., Tubaro, P., Carveth, R., Chen, W., Wiest, J. B., Dodel, M., Stern, M. J., Ball, C., Huang, K., & Khilnani, A. (2020, July 6). Digital Inequalities 2.0: Legacy Inequalities in the Information Age. First Monday, 25(7). http://dx.doi.org/10.5210/fm.v25i7.10842

[6] Emerald Publishing. (2021, July 1). The Evolving Digital Divide: From the First to the Third Level. Emerald Publishing. https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/news-and-press-releases/evolving-digital-divide-first-third-level

[7] Dunphy, S. (2018, July 28). Women are Seeing Fewer STEM Job Ads than Men: Are Marketing Algorithms Promoting Gender Bias? European Scientist. https://www.europeanscientist.com/en/public/women-are-seeing-less-stem-job-ads-than-men-are-marketing-algorithms-promoting-gender-bias/

[8] Angwin, J., Mattu, S., & Larson, J. (2015, September 1). The Tiger Mom Tax: Asians Are Nearly Twice as Likely to Get a Higher Price from Princeton Review. ProPublica. https://www.propublica.org/article/asians-nearly-twice-as-likely-to-get-higher-price-from-princeton-review

[9] Mannan, H. (2019, May 16). Data Privacy Is a Human Right. MODUS. https://modus.medium.com/data-privacy-is-a-human-right-cf36e1b45859

[10] Adomavicius, G., Bockstedt, J., Curley, S. P., Zhang, J., & Ransbotham, S. (2018, November 13). The Hidden Side Effects of Recommendation Systems. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-hidden-side-effects-of-recommendation-systems/

[11] Waterson, J. (2020, April 8). Influencers Among “Key Distributors” of Coronavirus Misinformation. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/apr/08/influencers-being-key-distributors-of-coronavirus-fake-news

[12] Mannan, H. (2019, May 16). Data Privacy Is a Human Right. MODUS. https://modus.medium.com/data-privacy-is-a-human-right-cf36e1b45859

Written by: Kathryn LeBere, UBC, School of Information

Edited by: Brittanny Dzioba & Alex Kuskowski

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Are your Fitness Trackers Spying on You???

By Sheryl Lim on January 20, 2022 | Tagged with , , , , , ,

Are your Fitness Trackers Spying on You???

Guest Post by Sheryl Lim 

Quantifying and tracking our physical activity, lifestyle, and habits is increasingly conveniently today. Gary Wolf termed this rise in self-tracking the “quantified self” movement [1], where people turn towards numbers to measure and interpret their lives. As wearable fitness trackers such as Fitbits and Apple Watches have become more affordable, they have also become popular tools for those hoping to attain better physical and mental health. With their ability to tell you how many steps you’ve taken, how many calories you’ve burnt, how well you’ve slept, and even how stressed you are, fitness trackers collect large amounts of data while they sit innocuously on your wrist. Do we know how much data they collect, and are we aware of how the data is used?

How do fitness trackers work?

Fitness trackers are increasingly powerful today. Pedometers, accelerometers, altimeters, heart rate monitors and other sensors built into the device work together to paint a picture of your physical activity. These sensors are combined to detect when you start a workout, what type of workout you’ve begun, and how hard your body is working throughout the activity. While some devices are standalone, others are designed to work best when paired with your smartphone. The data that these sensors collect is aggregated to produce interpretations of how physically fit you are. Personal information such as your gender, date of birth, weight, and height are required to increase the reliability of these metrics. Some key features require access to your location data. The device may also prompt you to connect social media accounts.

So what if they have this data?

The data saved about your usual biking route may not only reveal where you are frequently spotted, but even where you live. Back in 2018, the locations of classified US Army bases were revealed through Strava, a popular fitness application that was aimed at tracking exercise routes [2] You were also able to see the names and age groups of people who had run that route, as long as they had not changed their default privacy settings to restrict access to that data.

Recently, health insurance companies have started using fitness tracker data to price their plans, offering discounts to those who transmit their fitness tracker data to them. Large companies like IBM and TimeWarner offered discounted or complimentary fitness trackers to employees as part of corporate wellness programs [3, 9]. Without proper regulation, this could mean that your personal fitness information is shared with your employers, creating the potential for privacy breaches and even discrimination in the workplace

The security features on your tracker are also important. Most trackers use Bluetooth to transmit data between the device and your mobile phone. However, a 2016 report found that seven out of eight fitness tracking devices continue to emit unique identifiers that can make users vulnerable to long-term location tracking even if their tracker is not paired to a mobile device [4]. The same report stated that vulnerabilities have been found in the security protocols that allow for hackers to fake records and read user data, meaning that hackers could have access to intimate health data that you thought was entirely private.

Apart from the security of your tracking device, it may also be wise to consider how vulnerable your fitness tracker’s company is to hacking. In 2020, 2 million FitBit accounts had their personal information exposed by hackers [5]. Meanwhile, Garmin was the target of a ransomware attack that cost them $10 million that same year, although they state that no personal identifiable information was compromised [6]. These breaches show how fitness data is increasingly valuable to hackers.

Protecting Yourself

The most important question to ask yourself before using a fitness tracker is whether you are comfortable with the potential risks of your data being collected, transmitted, sold and reused in ways that may be difficult to imagine today. Like most things in our increasingly interconnected world, using a fitness tracker is a trade-off between your privacy and convenience. For many users, the most valuable functions of a fitness tracker are going to be those that collect the most amounts of personal data. It is nearly impossible to use a fitness tracker without giving up some of your data in exchange.

If you do decide that the benefits of using such a device outweigh risks, here are some steps you can take to ensure that you protect yourself:

  • Be aware of the privacy policies of your fitness tracker’s provider and any associated applications. This is undoubtedly a tedious task and parsing corporate privacy policy is far from easy. Some media outlets such as have created guides that summarizes key findings, which are a good resource if you are starting to consider your privacy [7].
  • Ensure that you disable any unnecessary data collection and make use of the privacy settings for any smartphone applications you use. Before enabling location data collection, consider how this information being public could impact you now or in the future. Wired has a guide to common fitness applications and how to manage your data on them [8].

Further Questions

What do you think makes the use of a fitness tracker attractive to you or those around you? How important do you think data security and privacy is as a consideration when purchasing a fitness tracker? For those who do own a fitness tracker, would you change anything about the way you use one in light of privacy concerns?

References

[1] Wolf, G. (2009, June 22). Know thyself: Tracking every facet of life, from sleep to mood to pain, 24/7/365. Wired. https://www.wired.com/2009/06/lbnp-knowthyself/

[2] Burgess, M. (2018, January 30). Strava’s data lets anyone see the names (and heart rates) of people exercising on military bases. Wired UK. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/strava-military-bases-area-51-map-afghanistan-gchq-military

[3] Farr, C. (2016, April 18). How Fitbit Became The Next Big Thing In Corporate Wellness. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/3058462/how-fitbit-became-the-next-big-thing-in-corporate-wellness

[4] Hilts, A., Parsons, C., & Knockel, J. (2016). Every step you fake: A comparative analysis of fitness tracker privacy and security. Open Effect. https://openeffect.ca/reports/Every_Step_You_Fake.pdf

[5] Mirus, A. (2020, February 11). 2 Million Fitbit Accounts Were Exposed by Cybercriminals | Hacker Noon. https://hackernoon.com/2-million-fitbit-accounts-was-exposed-by-cybercriminals-aa7u36pj

[6] Adler, S. (2020, August 14). Incident Of The Week: Garmin Pays $10 Million To Ransomware Hackers Who Rendered Systems Useless. Cyber Security Hub. https://www.cshub.com/attacks/articles/incident-of-the-week-garmin-pays-10-million-to-ransomware-hackers-who-rendered-systems-useless

[7] Charara, S., & Sumra, H. (2018, May 25). We read your wearable tech’s privacy policy so you don’t have to. Wareable. https://www.wareable.com/wearable-tech/terms-and-conditions-privacy-policy-765

[8] Nield, D. (2019, November 17). How to Lock Down Your Health and Fitness Data. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/health-fitness-data-privacy/

[9] Ajunwa, I. (2017, January 19). Workplace wellness programs could be putting your health data at risk. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2017/01/workplace-wellness-programs-could-be-putting-your-health-data-at-risk

Written By: Sheryl Lim, UBC, School of Information

Edited By: Brittanny Dzioba & Kathleen Scheaffer

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(Privacy) Check, Please!: The Privacy Implications of QR Code Menus

By Britt Dzioba on December 24, 2021 | Tagged with , , , ,

(Privacy) Check, Please!

The Privacy Implications of QR Code Menus

There are many habits we now consider the “new normal”. Masks, sanitizer, and awkward Zoom hangouts are just some of the facets of daily life we no longer think twice about. As restaurants open and we can meet outside our screens again, one of the newer processes we are getting use to is scanning QR code menus. These virtual menus remove one more touchpoint from bars and restaurants and reduce sanitation steps for staff. When you scan the QR code, it takes to directly to a website or PDF containing the menu. We’ve heard about websites mining our data, so are these codes just another tracking trap disguised as a menu? There are some real privacy implications raised by QR codes that need exploration.

What are QR Codes?

“QR” stands for Quick Response. QR codes are not a pandemic invention but were developed in 1994 by a Japanese car manufacture as a way to quickly track and identify car parts [1]. Since QR codes come in more complex shapes than standard barcodes, much more information can be embedded into the code. For restaurants or retailers, a QR code is a quick and simple way of sharing information to clientele. An article by the Washington Post explains:

QR codes have emerged as an effective way to collect first-party data…If that pair of jeans you like has a QR code on the tag, you can scan to read more details on the brand’s website. The next time you visit, the site will remember you, and the jeans might be waiting in your shopping cart with a discount. [2]

What this means is that QR codes are an easy way of marketing directly to customers. Instead of printing and handing out flyers, a business can add a code to a jacket tag and you can learn about sizes, sales, and outfit inspirations. It’s a form of first-party data collection, where the company is reaching out directly to customers who enter their business to gain insights, instead of buying consumer data from third-party companies. In most consumer spaces, the QR codes take the customer directly to a custom webpage.

In the case of restaurants, QR codes have allowed many places to ditch the traditional paper menu. Not only does this save some trees, but it also means that the staff doesn’t have to disinfect hundreds of menus a week and they can easily update as needed. Like in a retail setting, the QR code will take you to a site that collects first-party data. It is important to note that this first-party data may be sold to third-party vendors through the websites you access via QR codes [3]. All of this could be done without your informed consent, which raises privacy concerns. Do you really want your eating habits sold off to marketing companies without your knowledge?

The Privacy Implications of QR Codes

The QR menu at your favourite sushi spot isn’t sending your personal information into the dark corners of the web. That being said, it does not mean that you are not sending out some personal information when you scan those codes. The types of data that QR codes might collect are less personalized. The data might only show the restaurant owner or web-host some overall trends, such as the busiest times at the restaurant. The codes are not collecting your email address, phone number, or name. As explained in an article by the cybersecurity company Kaspersky:

QR code-generating software does not collect personally identifiable information. The data it does collect – and which is visible to the code’s creators – includes location, the number of times the code has been scanned and at what times, plus the operating system of the device which scanned the code (i.e., iPhone or Android). [2]

Although the codes themselves are not mining your data, QR codes take you to websites and these sites collect some data to sell to third-party companies for marketing purposes. This is done through the process of collecting cookies. Cookies are data that websites store on your computer and are used to remember information about you each time you re-enter the site [4]. You won’t

Photo by Keegan Checks from Pexels

necessarily know what data the website collects either. The restaurant could use this information to better market to you and other patrons. Some restaurants use third-party technology for their QR menus, which means that these companies could be aggregating your data from multiple sources if you’re visiting different locations that use the same technology [5]. An article by the CBC used the following example of how a restaurant may use the data from their online menu: “Let’s say it was a Hungarian restaurant that you visited. Well then other Hungarian restaurants in the area might start advertising to you all of a sudden” [6]. QR codes are tied up to this overarching question of informed consent. Do you want the restaurants you visit to have more information about you than you are consciously aware of? Restaurants using online menus need to consider what data their websites collect and make this process transparent to their customers. It is not just a courtesy but a legal requirement under the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act [7].

Is there anything I should be doing?

The simplest solution is to open QR codes in private browsing mode. This will limit the amount of data that is shared with the website, and what can be mined by third-party companies. If a website allows you to choose which cookies it tracks, ensure you are taking the extra minute to review your options. QR code menus are likely here to stay – they’re convenient, easy to update, and much cheaper than physical menus. It is always important to use a critical lens with the technology we use, even if it seems innocuous. Informed consent and data transparency is the future we should all be fighting for with all forms of technology.

Points to Consider

How do you feel about QR code menus – are they convenient or tedious? Could you see QR code menus becoming a privacy issue in the future? What protocols should companies implement to protect their customers? Feel free to discuss below!

References

[1] Kaspersky. (n.d.) QR Code Security: What are QR codes and are they safe to use?. Kaspersky Resource Centre. https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/definitions/what-is-a-qr-code-how-to-scan

[2] Hunter, T. (2021, October 7). QR codes are a privacy problem — but not for the reasons you’ve heard. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/07/are-qr-codes-safe/

[3] Perlstein, J. (n.d.) Deprecating the cookie: The impact of eliminating third-party identifiers. Venture Beat. venturebeat.com/2021/11/19/the-impact-of-eliminating-third-party-identifiers/

[4] Rescorla, E. (2021, July 26). What’s wrong with QR code menus?. Educated Guesswork Blog. https://educatedguesswork.org/posts/qr-code-menus/

[5] Dunham, J. (2021, September 28). ‘Convenience comes at a price’: Experts urge caution on QR codes. CTV News. www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/convenience-comes-at-a-price-experts-urge-caution-on-qr-codes-1.5603169

[6] Weikle, B. (2021, September 26). Scan QR-code menus with a side of caution, say privacy experts. CBC News: Cost of Living.  https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/there-just-aren-t-enough-houses-for-canadians-to-buy-plus-digital-menus-and-getting-into-sports-betting-1.6173009/scan-qr-code-menus-with-a-side-of-caution-say-privacy-experts-1.6188515

[7] Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, S.C. 2000, c. 5. (2019). laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/P-8.6.pdf

 

Featured Image: Photo by Tim Douglas from Pexels https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-cafe-coworkers-using-app-on-smartphone-at-work-6205512/

Written By: Brittanny Dzioba

Edited By: Lucas Wright

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Addictive by Design: How TikTok Keeps You Hooked

By Britt Dzioba on November 19, 2021 | Tagged with , , ,

Addictive by Design: How TikTok Keeps You Hooked

You don’t need me to tell you that TikTok is addictive. Spend a few minutes on the app and you can see how easy it is to fall down a rabbit hole of cute animals, short-form comedy, and innovative DIY. There’s endless content to keep you engaged and it seems like the app knows exactly what video you want to watch next. An article in Medium states that “TikTok receives more engagement per user than Instagram and on average its users spend 52 minutes per day on the platform” [1]. But how does TikTok know what will get you hooked? And why is it so hard to close the app even when you know you have a paper due in 6 hours?

A Brief Guide to the TikTok Algorithm

A lot of TikTok’s appeal has to do with how the app was designed [2]. I think many of us have realized that the TikTok’s algorithm works with frighteningly fast precision. But what information does the algorithm base its learning on? There are several interactions that influence the content you are shown. An article by Hootsuite [3] lays out the main data points that Tiktok’s algorithm pulls on to ensure you’re getting the most enjoyable experience possible:

  • Which accounts you follow
  • Creators you’ve hidden
  • Comments you’ve posted
  • Videos you’ve liked or shared on the app
  • Videos you’ve added to your favourites
  • Videos you’ve marked as “Not Interested”
  • Videos you’ve reported as inappropriate
  • Longer videos you watch all the way to the end (aka video completion rate)
  • Content you create on your own account

From this list you can start to understand that there are a lot of factors that go into the curation of your For You Page [FYP]. An article by Wired says that the strongest signals that you send to TikTok are “whether you watched a video to the end, whether you shared it, and if you followed the creator who uploaded it afterward” [4]. The time you spend on the app and the time you spend engaging with content are the biggest factors that influence the algorithm. But how does TikTok get you to stay on long enough so that it can perfect your FYP?

Less Choices to Make = Less Chances to Leave

TikTok’s UX designers embody the principle known as “Hick’s Law” [5]. This principle states: “The more choices users have, the harder it is for them to make one.” When we reduce the number of decisions that our brain must make, we go into autopilot. It’s the same reason psychologists say that if you want to pick up a new habit, make it easy! Want to start a running routine? Leave your shoes and workout gear beside your bed. Need to floss more regularly? Keep the floss out where you will see it often. TikTok takes the guess work out by showing you content on a rolling basis with the flick of a finger. You don’t need to click “Next Video”, wait for 10 seconds for a new video to load, or search around on the site to find something relevant. TikTok’s algorithm and design makes the decision for you. It doesn’t take long to get sucked into the content blackhole when all you need to do is sit there and enjoy.

Why does TikTok invest so much energy into building a meticulous machine learning model? It’s the same reason all social media apps fight for your undivided attention. The time you spend on the app directly corresponds to TikTok’s profit margins. Your attention is the product that TikTok sells to advertising partners. It is in their best interest to keep you hooked for as long as possible to show advertisers that their platform has the best engagement rates.

Addictive by Design

There is a surprising (or maybe not so surprising) inspiration behind this addictive design: casinos [6]. TikTok is not the first app to pull their inspiration from casinos, but they have certainly perfected it. Modern casinos rely on the psychological tactic coined by B.F Skinner called Operative Conditioning. This theory suggests that people can be trained to exhibit certain behaviours through programmed rewards. For instance, parents may give their children a treat every time they clean their room. This is an example of the parents trying to shape their children’s behaviour with rewards [7]. Casinos give out the reward of money (or the

Casino by the Digital Tattoo Project

promise of money) and social media apps give out the reward of entertainment, engagement, and social validation.

Just like social media apps, it’s in the best interest of the casino to keep you around as long as possible. The longer you’re there, the more money you’re likely to spend (and lose). Casinos rely on some sneaky methods to keep you engaged. Think bright lights, fun sounds, variety of machines and games, and incentives to stick around (free drinks or free plays). There are also some less obvious methods. Casinos generally lack windows on the playing floor and they don’t put any clocks on the walls. This is to disorient your sense of time and disassociate you from the outside world. Remember Hick’s Law? Casinos use the same principle. The playing floor will have no sharp corners and the path-like design of the carpet will guide you along, gently swerving between machines and tables, in an endless loop. Eliminating decision making in the physical design of the building means that there are less chances for the players to stop and think about their next move.

The Near-Win Principle

There is an important cognitive principle that casinos rely on as well. It’s called The Near-Win Principle, or the Goal-Gradient Theory. This idea suggests that:

“When a reward is one hundred steps away, your initial step progresses you only one per cent towards your payoff. However, once you are almost in reach, the payoff for each effortful act is much higher, meaning we become more physiologically aroused and ready to act. But should the reward be snatched away, the readiness to act doesn’t disappear.” [8]

Essentially, “near-wins” excite our brains in the same way as winning. The more times a person scores “Cherry-Cherry-Dollar Sign” on a slot machine, the more motivated they feel to continue playing because of how often they have “almost” won. This psychological phenomenon is how casinos can keep players hooked without having to dole out consistent wins. Just the proximity to a jackpot is enough to keep you engaged.

TikTok’s Design

So how does TikTok borrow from these design principles? The most obvious feature would be the infinite scroll. This feature isn’t exclusive to TikTok and is available on pretty much all social media apps. However, TikTok takes it to a new level with how seamless and fast each new video pops up [9]. The app also hides the time length of videos to obscure a sense of how long you’ve

How TikTok Keeps Us Hooked by the Digital Tattoo Project

been scrolling. All of the central controls are along the bottom and lower-right side of the app, meaning you barely need to stretch your finger to navigate. You can also scroll through the comment sections while you’re watching a video, meaning you don’t need to pause the app or move away from the content. TikTok also leans on the principle of near-wins by teasing you with the next video. Their extremely intuitive algorithm gives you what you are looking for and then pulls back, keeping you looking for the next funny, interesting, viral video. It prominently displays likes, views, and comments which means when you create your own content, you are hyper aware of how well your video is doing and how others perceive your content. This can influence you to create more videos, searching for the dopamine rush we all get from internet validation.

Like a slot machine at a casino, TikTok knows how to keep us playing. Bright lights, music, bottomless content, and engagement. We are always searching for that next big “win”, that novel rush of feel-good hormones we get when we find a great video or create a video that goes viral. And it’s not just the endless content that hooks us, it’s the entire experience of the app’s design that draws us in and makes it so easy to keep coming back.

Take Back Control

What can we do to ensure we have a healthy relationship with TikTok? Here at the Digital Tattoo project, we don’t advocate for deleting all your social media accounts and throwing your phone in the ocean. Apps like TikTok can play an enjoyable and educational role in our lives! There are some really innovative creators on the platform and it can be a quick and accessible means for connecting with communities that would be harder to connect with offline. That being said, we recognize that you may want to re-examine your relationship to social media and ensure you’re engaging in a healthy and informed way.

Here are some tips to help you:

  • Set a timer on your phone for the time that you want to spend on TikTok. As mentioned, TikTok makes time telling really difficult while using its app so you will want to set up your own system to track your usage.
  • You can also set different timers for all your social media apps! This article by Popular Science explains how to set app-specific timers on any phone.
  • Practice intentionality with the content you engage with. Don’t spend time watching, commenting, or sharing content that gets you heated. This could influence the algorithm to show you similar content that could have a negative impact on your mood.
  • A more extreme tip is to change the display on your phone to grayscale. You can usually do this under the Accessibility section on your Settings page. Our brains are designed to love colour. If you zap the colour out of your phone, it removes a lot of the appeal. For a less extreme approach, most phones let you dim the colour saturation on your display.
  • If you’re finding that you just can’t stop using TikTok (or any social media app) and it’s having a serious impact on your mental health – maybe it’s time for a digital detox? Check out the Digital Tattoo’s quiz and resources on starting a Digital Detox.

References

[1] How TikTok is Addictive. (2020, Sept. 6). Medium. https://medium.com/dataseries/how-tiktok-is-addictive-1e53dec10867

[2] Memmo, J. (2020, Dec. 14). Why TikTok is Addicting (It’s Not the Reason You Might Think). NYU Comm Club.  https://www.nyucommclub.com/content/2020/12/14/why-tiktok-is-addicting-its-not-the-reason-you-might-think

[3] Newberry, C. (2021, Aug. 23). How the TikTok Algorithm Works in 2021 (and how to work with it). Hootsuite. blog.hootsuite.com/tiktok-algorithm/

[4] Matsakis, L. (2020, June 18). TikTok Finally Explains how the ‘For You’ Algorithm Works. Wired.  https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-finally-explains-for-you-algorithm-works/

[5] Dulenko, V. (2020, Dec. 8). How TikTok Design Hooks You Up. UX Planet. https://uxplanet.org/how-tiktok-design-hooks-you-up-6c889522c7ed

[6] Busby, M. (2018, May 8). Social media copies gambling methods ‘to create psychological cravings’. The Guardian. www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/may/08/social-media-copies-gambling-methods-to-create-psychological-cravings

[7] Jhangiani, R. (n.d.). Introduction to Psychology I: Operant Conditioning. BC Campus. pressbooks.bccampus.ca/kpupsyc1100/chapter/operant-conditioning/

[8] Fradera, A. (2015, Aug. 19). The powerful motivating effect of a near win. The British Psychological Society Research Digest. bps.org.uk/2015/08/19/the-powerful-motivating-effect-of-a-near-win/

[9] Pierce, R. (2021, Sept. 22). TikTok Videos Really Get You Hooked By Tricking Your Brain. Tech Times. www.techtimes.com/articles/265687/20210922/tiktok-videos-really-get-you-hooked-by-tricking-your-brain-sociologist.htm

 

Featured Image: Image by Kon Zografos from Pixabay  licensed by Pixabay License

Written by: Brittanny Dzioba

Edited by: Alex Kuskowski & Lucas Wright

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Sovereignty and Tradition: Indigenous Knowledge & Open Educational Resources

By Britt Dzioba on November 5, 2021 | Tagged with , ,

Sovereignty and Tradition: Indigenous Knowledge & Open Educational Resources

What’s an OER? 

With rising publication costs and tuition fees, there is a movement challenging the exclusivity of academic research that contributes to educational inaccessibility. Academic publishing companies charge institutions thousands of dollars to lease the rights to the research that their own faculty and students create [1]. The paywall barriers enforced by these companies pass the cost onto students’ tuition and prevent knowledge from being freely shared among the community. Many concerned students, academics, and community members are pushing for Open Educational Resources (OER) that will alleviate some of the inequality created by the financial interests of publishing companies. Advocates of OER fight for free and accessible education. It’s a movement to break down the barriers in academic resources (such as paywalls and archival red-tape) and allow for a sharing economy. The conversation around OER is fundamentally community centred, focused on sharing knowledge publicly and allowing for community governance over knowledge ownership rights. 

What does Indigenous Knowledge Mean? 

The land that is now called Canada is the ancestral home to over 600 unique First Nations bands [2]. Within each nation are many individual communities that hold their own knowledge and each have protected their knowledge for thousands of years. Indigenous knowledges encompass oral traditions, are experiential (involving all of the senses in connection to the land), and bring together the spiritual and physical world through narrative and metaphor [3]. If institutions and organizations are serious about decolonization and respecting Indigenous sovereignty then the rights to create and control Indigenous OERs must remain with the relevant communities. 

The 5 R’s of OER 

The barriers that regulate the educational publishing market keep students and scholars from easily sharing and accessing knowledge. These regulations often take the ownership away from the creator and lock it up behind paywalls and restrictive copyright, which is a serious issue when this impacts traditional and sacred knowledge. 

The scholar David Wiley coined the “5 R’s of OER” [4]. These serve as a framework for OER creators (anyone producing academic and educational resources) and holders (institutions, open access ). The 5 R’s clearly represent the values of open access and the goals of this movement: 

  • Retain – the right to make, own, and control copies of the content 
  • Reuse – the right to use the content in a wide range of ways (e.g., in a class, in a study group, on a website, in a video)
  • Revise – the right to adapt, adjust, modify, or alter the content itself (e.g., translate the content into another language)
  • Remix – the right to combine the original or revised content with other open content to create something new (e.g., incorporate the content into a mashup) 
  • Redistribute – the right to share copies of the original content, your revisions, or your remixes with others (e.g., give a copy of the content to a friend)

Even if you are not a content creator or holder, OER projects still impact you as a student and community member. We all lose out on productive conversations and new insights when there are barriers to resources. The latest research findings may not make it to the communities that need it most. Students also bear the brunt of expensive publishing paywalls in rising tuition fees. There is also the issue that only people affiliated with academic institutions can access these resources. This creates an unequal power dynamic and does not give the community whose knowledge it is the chance to review and distribute resources to the public in a fair way. 

Indigenous Knowledges and OER 

UBC’s 2021 Open Access week began with a symposium on Indigenous Knowledge and OpenEducational Resources. X̱wi7x̱wa Library’s Indigenous Programs and Services Librarian Kayla Lar-Son gave a talk contextualizing the relationship between Indigenous knowledges and open education. She highlighted that there are challenges that arise from applying a westernized framework to Indigenous knowledge keeping. Indigenous knowledges are personal, holistic, experiential, sometimes orally transmitted, ecological, and they can centre the subjective narrative. Knowledge is alive and there are many truths, which are dependent on individual experiences. 

Lar-Son posed the question: how can we reimagine the 5 R’s of OER to honour Indigenous ways of knowing? One of the trickier aspects of the 5 R’s is the idea around ownership. There is power in knowledge and whoever possesses this knowledge holds power. With traditional knowledges, there are complications with ownership since “authors” are not always identifiable (thus there is no “rights holder”). The community holds knowledge collectively and some knowledges are so old they are deemed “Public Domain” by Canadian copyright standards. OER projects can help Indigenous knowledges break away from oppressive publishing standards and return the rights to the communities. 

There are also protocol considerations. Indigenous knowledges can be linked to traditions that inhibit open access. Within some Indigenous communities, various types of knowledge have protocols around the time of year for sharing, methods of sharing, and who can access the knowledge. Lar-Son gave an example of how some community archives are navigating traditions by using tiered-access OERs. This offers communities the opportunity to come together and decide collectively which elements of the knowledge to share with the public, and which aspects of the knowledge can only be shared with certain individuals or at specific times of the year. 

The 6 R’s of Indigenous OERs  

Lar-Son reframes Wiley’s 5 R’s in a way that honours Indigenous ways of knowing, and respects traditional protocols. She draws inspiration from the “R’s” of Indigenous Knowledge [5] and contextualizes this framework in relation to OERs. She lists the 6 R’s of Indigenous OERs: 

  • Respect – honour the knowledge sovereignty of Indigenous communities 
  • Relationships – build with the community to honour their traditions and protocols 
  • Responsibility – put community practices first and only share when and what we are allowed, and to publish in an ethical way
  • Reverence – uphold what is sacred and respect sacred traditions 
  • Relevance – ensure the project serves the needs of the community 
  • Reciprocity – give back to the community through projects; don’t just take what you need 

There are some questions that we need to ask before embarking on OER projects. Who’s driving the need for OER creation? What kinds of knowledges are being shared? Are there any protocols that need to be adhered to? It is only in consultation with the community who created the content that we can answer these questions. 

For settlers working in education, open access, or any field that works with Indigenous knowledges, it’s critical that we situate ourselves as respectful but uninvited guests. We must work in partnership with related Indigenous communities and hold their needs at the forefront of OER projects. There may be protocols and traditions related to certain knowledges that require considerations. OER loses its power as a community driven effort if we only focus on the goal of making all knowledge accessible, in-spite of community desires. We have to have the collective autonomy of the community in our forefront. 

Digital Data Rights and Indigenous Knowledges 

As more resources are transferred online, we need to consider who benefits and who is harmed by knowledge access. We have seen how our personal data has been disrespected by corporations and governments and we must fight to prevent the same treatment of traditional knowledges [6][7][8]. Supporting Indigenous-led OER projects ensures that we are engaging with Traditional Knowledges in respectful and sustainable ways. Individual communities hold sovereign rights over their data, knowledge, and traditions, even when promoting open access projects. This process cannot be done with haste. Anyone engaging in OER projects relating to Indigenous knowledges must work with mindfulness and care. There is no checklist. It is a vital process to ensure we are respecting the Indigenous, ancestral sources of knowledge. 

Further Questions 

Do you have any ideas of how institutions can support Indigenous OER projects? How can non-Indigenous OER projects draw inspiration from the 6 R’s of Indigenous OER? Feel free to share your comments below! 

Resources 

Digital Tattoo has tutorials on Copyright and Open Access! We also provide resources on Open Education and check out our tutorial on Scholarly Publishing. 

Xwi7xwa also has a database of Open Indigenous databases that is freely available to anyone through the UBC Library. 

Check out Localcontexts.org for more information on Traditional Knowledge Rights and Indigenous self-governance around sharing data. 

References  

[1] The Right to Research Collation. (n.d.) Why Open Access? www.righttoresearch.org/learn/whyOA/index.shtml 

[2] OECD (2020), Chapter 2. Profile of Indigenous Canada: Trends and data needs. In Linking Indigenous Communities with Regional Development in Canada, OECD Rural Policy Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/fa0f60c6-en. 

[3] Traditional Knowledge and Technology. (n.d.) What is Indigenous Traditional Knowledge?https://blogs.ubc.ca/traditionalknowledgetechnology/revaluation-of-indigenous-cultures/what-is-indigenous-traditional-knowledge/ 

[4] Wiley, D. (2014, March 5). The Access Compromise and the 5th R. Improving Learning. opencontent.org/blog/archives/3221 

[5] Edwards, A. (2021, August 10). Indigenous Knowledge and Pedagogy. Simon Fraser University Library. https://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/academic-integrity/indigenous-initiatives/icrc/indigenous-knowledge#indigenous-ways-of-knowing 

[6] Cheung, J. (2018, July 9). Ownership of Content in Your Digital Life – Social Media (Part 1). Digital Tattoo Project. 

[7] Digital Tattoo Project. (n.d.). Who Owns Your Data? https://digitaltattoo.ubc.ca/tutorials/privacy-and-surveillance/data/big-data/ 

[8] Short, B. (2017, January 5). Taking Control of Your Data. Digital Tattoo Project. https://digitaltattoo.ubc.ca/2017/01/05/taking-control-of-your-data/ 

Written By: Brittanny Dzioba 

Edited By: Alex Kuskowski & Lucas Wright 

Featured Image: sʔi:ɬqəy̓ qeqən (double-headed serpent post), Brent Sparrow, Musqueam by Paul H. Joseph / UBC Brand & Marketing 

 

 

 

 

 

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Guest Post: Are the Likes Worth It?

By Rachael Bradshaw on October 19, 2021 | Tagged with , , , , ,

Are the Likes Worth It?

by Sarah Robertson

With the introduction of modern social media came the “like system”: a metric system which publicly reveals the positive interaction a person has received with a piece of content created for their audience, whether it be the general public or a select group of followers. Users were able to see how many people had positively interacted with the post of any person with a public profile/post at any given time. 

 

In July of 2019, Instagram famously started to test out removing the “like” feature from certain zones, such as Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, and many others. While some zones were purposefully included in this new update, there was unfortunately a bug that occurred in which more people than originally intended were added to the beta feature of this “likes” removal [1]. Almost immediately there was outrage, or at least something close to outrage and more akin to fear and anxiety. Some of you might remember one social media starlet in particular making a tearful video about how the “likes” system being removed was destroying her livelihood and how she needed to take a break from social media due to Instagram’s decision [2]. The viral outburst brought to attention a question that had originally led to the attempted removal of the like system: when had we come to place so much value in how many likes we achieved per post? This leads us to the main question of this blog post: Are the likes worth it?

 

Let’s address the first question. The main reason why Instagram decided to experiment with taking away the public nature of the metric value placed on interaction and engagement on posts was an attempt “to reduce anxiety [and]… to reduce social comparisons” [3]. As was becoming increasingly apparent, people had begun perceiving the number of likes they received as akin to their worth in the public eye [4], especially when considering the number of likes in comparison to their follower count or the amount of likes that people they knew were gaining. Evidence of this anxiety for high like counts can be easily found online: a quick Google search will show many sites with instructions on what day of the week and at what time it was best for people to post in order to get the highest amount of likes, and apps were developed so that you could schedule your posts during these periods of time. Multiple apps were also created in which a user could keep track of who unfollowed them from Instagram, so that if one felt the desire to, they could unfollow back [5]. Although these apps provide evidence that the desire for high like counts is common, the fact remains that chasing likes can be unhealthy for social media users. Numerous studies found that people who received low numbers of likes were likely to feel that they were of less value: their self-esteem was impacted along with their mental health [6]. People were more likely to feel depressed or unhappy when they began to compare themselves to others [7]. 

 

As the public began to consider how people might be negatively impacted by the numerical system attached to their public posts and some began to get too focused on the ‘likes’ system, it became frequently agreed upon that ‘likes’ needed to be eliminated [8]. This begged the question: what about people whose livelihood depended on being able to show a numerical value to companies?

 

As this question arose, so did a very easy solution: the person who the account belongs to will be able to see how many likes that they received as a numerical value, while others simply see a list of account names if they click on the area beside the little red heart [6]. As another way to view the number of likes, Instagram allowed one to change their account from “personal” to a “professional”, allowing for access to analytical data such as general engagement  on posts or account visits. In lieu of companies publicly accessing the likes an account obtained via a single post, the owner of the posting account could send an analytical report detailing the ‘exposure’ they could provide in exchange for sponsorships.

 

Many companies, having seen a fairly positive public perception of the elimination of the feature, as seen via a Google search conducted on the topic, started to think about following suit [1]. Companies such as Facebook and Twitter started to seriously examine whether they should also make the change [1]. However, as of this publication in 2021, the only social media platform to have eliminated the numerical value attached to the “likes” system is Instagram. Facebook introduced the idea of placing emotion behind one’s reaction in 2015 [9] and added the ‘care’ reaction in 2020 [10] to posts, but the general numerical value of all the reactions remains in place. Twitter still reveals the amount of likes and retweets a post receives, Reddit has kept the number attached to upvotes and downvotes, and Tumblr has retained its number of reblogs.

 

As of May 2020, Instagram decided to change the ‘likes’ policy and user experience once again. It appeared first as a pop-up notification when users opened the app the first time after the update was initiated, and asked you if you wanted to see ‘likes’ or continue to have them hidden.  This is not the only option available; users now have three options: they can choose to keep likes from appearing on the posts on their feeds, they can choose to hide the likes on their own posts from other users, or they can go back to the original user experience in which users see all likes [11]. 

 

So this brings us back to our central question: Are likes worth it? 

 

As seen by the most recent update to the Instagram likes policy, it is clear that the answer depends on each individual and what they stand to gain. For some, likes still remain a way of assessing self-worth and value in a social context, associating the number of likes they receive to be how much they are liked within their social circle. For others, it is simply a number and nothing more. Then there are those whose livelihoods are tangled in how many likes their posts receive, and I believe that in their case, the likes are definitely worth it. Luckily there was a recent update that allows users with a professional account easy to understand analytics through the ‘insights’ section [12]. 

 

In my personal experience as someone who posts only to update their family and friends on their lives or wanting to share a photo that they are proud of, generally speaking, the likes are not worth it [13]. It is important to recognize when your self-worth and how much you value yourself becomes heavily associated with something that does not literally represent you and how much other people are interested in what you have to give. Especially when it gets to the point that the association becomes unhealthy.

 

If you find that you are struggling with your self-esteem or your perception of yourself due to social media engagement and the ‘likes’ systems associated with them, consider changing your settings to eliminate the likes on your Instagram posts and feed. Or, consider taking a social media break and seeing if you find that beneficial. I have personally tried this and I found myself generally happier though I did start to wonder what I was missing from my friends’ and loved ones’ lives.  A break can be a good way of checking whether or not you need to work on your relationship with social media, use this resource to see if this applies to you.

If you’re interested in reading more on the subject look at these blog posts:

 

How does social media affect you and your self-image? Does your time online impact you in a meaningful way? Are you following accounts that bring you joy? And, are your Instagram settings right for you?

 

References

[1] Meisenzahl, Mary. “Instagram Accidentally Removed ‘Likes’ for Some Users – Here’s What Your Posts Will Look like without Them.” Business Insider. Business Insider, March 3, 2021. https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-removing-likes-what-it-will-look-like-2019-11 

[2]  “Instagram Model and Influencer Has Meltdown After Likes Disappear from Posts.” News18, 27 July 2019, www.news18.com/news/buzz/instagram-model-and-influencer-mikaela-testa-has-meltdown-after-her-likes-disappear-from-the-app-2248045.html

[3] Nast, Condé. “Adam Mosseri and Tracee Ellis Ross in Conversation with Arielle Pardes.” Wired, Conde Nast, 2019, www.wired.com/video/watch/adam-mosseri-and-tracee-ellis-ross-in-conversation-with-arielle-pardes

[4] Sabik, Natalie J., et al. “When Self-Worth Depends on Social MEDIA Feedback: Associations with Psychological Well-Being.” Sex Roles, Springer US, 4 July 2019, link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-019-01062-8 

[5] Johnson, Dave. “How to Figure out Who Unfollowed You on Instagram Using a Free App for IPhone and Android.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 8 Aug. 2019, www.businessinsider.com/who-unfollowed-me-on-instagram

[6] Leventhal, Jamie. “How Removing ‘Likes’ from Instagram Could Affect Our Mental Health.” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, November 25, 2019. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/how-removing-likes-from-instagram-could-affect-our-mental-health AND Prieler, Michael, et al. “The Relationships among SELF-WORTH Contingency on Others’ APPROVAL, APPEARANCE Comparisons on Facebook, and Adolescent Girls’ Body Esteem: A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 21 Jan. 2021, www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/901/htm

[7] Prieler, Michael, et al. “The Relationships among SELF-WORTH Contingency on Others’ APPROVAL, APPEARANCE Comparisons on Facebook, and Adolescent Girls’ Body Esteem: A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 21 Jan. 2021, www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/901/htm

[8] Leventhal, Jamie. “How Removing ‘Likes’ from Instagram Could Affect Our Mental Health.” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, November 25, 2019. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/how-removing-likes-from-instagram-could-affect-our-mental-health AND Prieler, Michael, et al. “The Relationships among SELF-WORTH Contingency on Others’ APPROVAL, APPEARANCE Comparisons on Facebook, and Adolescent Girls’ Body Esteem: A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 21 Jan. 2021, www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/901/htm

[9] Witte, Rae. “Should Instagram Get Rid of ‘Likes’?” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 25 July 2019, www.wsj.com/articles/should-instagram-get-rid-of-likes-11564071289

[10] Lyles, Taylor. “Facebook Adds a ‘Care’ Reaction to the like Button.” The Verge, The Verge, 17 Apr. 2020, www.theverge.com/2020/4/17/21224805/facebook-care-reaction-like-button-messenger-app

[11] Warren, Jillian. “Instagram Tests New Feature for Users to Hide Likes.” Later Blog. Later, May 27, 2021. https://later.com/blog/hidden-likes-instagram/

[12] Todorovska, Marija. “Top New Instagram Updates and Features in 2021.” EmbedSocial. EmbedSocial, July 2, 2021. https://embedsocial.com/blog/new-instagram-features/

[13] Burrow, Anthony L., and Nicolette Rainone. “How Many Likes Did I Get?: Purpose Moderates Links between Positive Social Media Feedback and Self-Esteem.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Academic Press, September 14, 2016. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103116303377 [note: this resource is not open access] 

Additional resources

Chozick, Amy. “This Is the Guy Who’s Taking Away the Likes.” The New York Times. The New York Times, January 17, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/17/business/instagram-likes.html

Fardouly, Jasmine, and Lenny R. Vartanian. “Social Media and Body Image Concerns: Current Research and Future Directions.” Current Opinion in Psychology. Elsevier, September 14, 2015. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X15002249

Fardouly, Jasmine & Brydie K Willburger. “Instagram Use and Young Women’s Body Image Concerns and Self-Objectification: Testing Mediational Pathways – Jasmine Fardouly, Brydie K Willburger, Lenny R Vartanian, 2018.” SAGE Journals, February 1, 2017. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1461444817694499?icid=int.sj-full-text.similar-articles.1#_i24 [note: this resource is not open access] 

Fardouly, Jasmine & Elise Holland. “Social Media Is Not Real Life: The Effect of Attaching Disclaimer-Type Labels to Idealized Social Media Images on Women’s Body Image and Mood – Jasmine Fardouly, Elise Holland, 2018.” SAGE Journals, March 1, 2007. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1461444818771083 [note: this resource is not open access] 

Jan, Muqaddas, Sanobia Soomro, and Nawaz Ahmad. “Impact of Social Media on Self-Esteem.” SSRN. European Scientific Journal, 13(23), 329-341, September 5, 2017. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3030048

Perloff, R.M. Social Media Effects on Young Women’s Body Image Concerns: Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research. Sex Roles 71, 363–377 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-014-0384-6

Witte, Rae. “Should Instagram Get Rid of ‘Likes’?” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 25 July 2019, www.wsj.com/articles/should-instagram-get-rid-of-likes-11564071289

Written by Sarah Robertson

Edited by Rachael Bradshaw

Featured image Heart and Zero Neon Light Signage by Prateek Katyal via Pexels License

 

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Guest Post: Fact vs. Fiction: How Universities are Helping to Curb the Spread of Digital Misinformation

By Rachael Bradshaw on October 5, 2021 | Tagged with , , , , ,

Fact vs. Fiction: How Universities are Helping to Curb the Spread of Digital Disinformation

by Mary Sim

When was the last time you encountered a catchy headline or news article online, only to question the truthfulness of its content? Perhaps you were searching for an article to include in a research project or were simply looking for accurate coverage of a recent event. Clickbait, designed to attract attention by appealing to readers’ emotions and curiosity, contains unverified information rather than objective facts [1]. Sensationalized headlines are particularly harmful when they lead to the creation and dissemination of false content, a phenomenon described in a recent guest blog post on fake news.

 

It is important to distinguish between two types of misleading information: disinformation, false information that is intended to cause deliberate harm [2], and misinformation, inaccurate information that is spread regardless of whether there is an intention to deceive [3]. The rise of disinformation has led to the post-truth era, Oxford’s 2016 Word of the Year that describes circumstances in which “objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief” [4]. With the spread of false beliefs and “alternative facts,” it is increasingly important to advocate for accurate and truthful reporting.

 

Higher education institutions play a critical role in combatting disinformation. Across Canada and internationally, universities have established initiatives that promote digital literacy and enable students to become critical consumers of information. Read on to learn how to distinguish fact from fiction and avoid sharing false news online.

 

1. Fake News Detection

Many academic libraries offer subject guides designed to build digital literacy and encourage students to recognize misinformation [5]. The following infographic provides a step-by-step guide to spot fake news by checking the source, date, headlines, and claims.

Guide for spotting fake news. Tips include: Consider the source, Read beyond, Check the author, Supporting sources?, Check the date, Is it a joke?, Check your biases, Ask the experts

Image by IFLA used under CC-BY 4.0 license

When combining this approach with fact checking websites such as FactCheck.org and Snopes.com, readers can verify information. The newly-updated Digital Tattoo Fact Checking Tutorial is a helpful resource that provides an overview of fact checking and fake news and allows readers to test their knowledge.

 

2. Critical Information Literacy

The ubiquitous nature of the digital world has made it increasingly challenging for traditional gatekeepers such as media outlets and journalists to control and verify information [6]. To combat the spread of fake news online, librarians are shifting from fact checkers to educators and teaching students critical thinking and information literacy skills.

 

The SIFT model, developed by Mike Caulfield, a digital information literacy expert at Washington State University, was created in response to the spread of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic [7].

SIFT stands for: Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace claims, quotes and media to the original context. This method encourages university students to evaluate and contextualize information sources and learn strategies to sort fact from fiction online.

Steps of the SIFT fact checking method: Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context

Image by Mike Caulfield used under CC-BY 4.0 license

3. Online Games

Bad News Game, developed by scientists at the University of Cambridge in collaboration with Dutch media platform DROG, is an award-winning fake news intervention that aims to improve media literacy and social impact [8]. By exposing people to weakened doses of misinformation, players build cognitive immunity and resistance to fake news in a process known as psychological inoculation [9]. Allowing players to take on the role of a fake news producer enables individuals to develop confidence in spotting misinformation and ultimately builds resistance against future manipulation.

Try the game here: www.getbadnews.com

 

What methods do you use to spot disinformation? Do you know of other ways that universities are helping to detect and deter disinformation online? Leave a comment below or start a discussion on Twitter and tag @DTatUBC

Further reading

Cooke, N.A. (2018). Fake news and alternative facts: Information literacy in a post-truth era. ALA Editions.

McIntyre, L. (2018). Post-Truth. MIT Press.

O’Connor, C. & Weatherall, J.O. (2019). The misinformation age: How false beliefs spread. Yale University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv8jp0hk

References

[1] GCFGlobal. (n.d.) The now: What is clickbait? Retrieved June 11, 2021, from

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/thenow/what-is-clickbait/1/

[2] UNESCO. (2021, May 7). Journalism, ‘fake news’ and disinformation: A handbook for journalism education and training. Retrieved June 11, 2021, from https://en.unesco.org/fightfakenews

[3] University of Washington Bothell & Cascadia College Campus Library. (2021, May 27). News: Fake news, misinformation & disinformation. Retrieved June 14, 2021, from https://guides.lib.uw.edu/c.php?g=345925&p=7772376

[4] Oxford Languages. (n.d.). Word of the Year 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2021, from

https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2016/

[5] University of Toronto Libraries. (2020, November 3). How do I spot misinformation? Retrieved June 14, 2021, from https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/faq/how-do-i-spot-misinformation

[6] De Paor, S. & Heravi, B. (2020). Information literacy and fake news: How the field of librarianship can help combat the spread of fake news. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 46(5), 102218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2020.102218

[7] Caulfield, M. (n.d.). Sifting through the coronavirus pandemic. Retrieved June 14, 2021, from https://infodemic.blog

[8] Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab. (2020, July 28). Bad news game.

https://www.sdmlab.psychol.cam.ac.uk/research/bad-news-game

[9] Basol, M., Roozenbeek, J. & van der Linden, S. (2020). Good news about bad news: Gamified inoculation boosts confidence and cognitive immunity against fake news. Journal of Cognition, 3(3), 2. http://doi.org/10.5334/joc.91

Written by Mary Sim

Edited by Rachael Bradshaw

Featured image People Sitting on Chair in Front of Table by Mikhail Nilov via Pexels License

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Guest Post: The Revolution Will Not Be Streamed: Digital Activism in the Era of Mass Surveillance

By Rachael Bradshaw on September 21, 2021 | Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

The Revolution Will Not Be Streamed: Digital Activism in the Era of Mass Surveillance

by Leila Matte-Kaci

On December 4th, 2020, the State Council of France expanded three decrees to widen the scope of police surveillance. [1, 11, 28] French police will now be able to track citizens or groups whose activities indicate that they might pose a threat to State or public safety. [1, 11, 28]

Before these decrees were expanded, only the activities of violent individuals could be tracked. [1] Now, police can track citizens’ social media activities, including their names, pseudonyms, comments, and pictures. Law enforcement can keep a file of citizens’ political, philosophical, and religious opinions, the name of their union, life habits, mental health history, movements, and sport activities. [1, 11, 24, 26, 28]

The amount of people who the government is able to surveil has also increased. No longer restrained to violent sport fans and protesters, the decrees include individuals or groups who are potentially dangerous and those in their social circle. [23, 26] Opponents of the decision have denounced the concept as too vague and worried over the risks it poses to democracy. [1, 11]

These expanded decrees come in the wake of the Global Security Law which in its initial form (it has since been revised) would have made it illegal for citizens and journalists to share images of police forces [16, 20], and after years of raging political protests headed by the Yellow Vests, Truth for Adama (France’s equivalent to Black Lives Matter, named after the late Adama Traoré who died in mysterious circumstances after being chased by police [6], and Extinction Rebellion. [3, 17, 25] These protests have led to displays of police violence so intense they were denounced by the U.N., Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International. [3, 22, 25] Given this context, one might wonder if the expansion of the decrees will be used to further quiet political opposition.

Surveillance

Government surveillance is nothing new. Totalitarian governments have taken advantage of Internet technology to track activists [9], install spyware into citizens and journalists’ computers [2, 21], and allow people to report social media posts to the police. [10] Just this year, the Indian government has arrested a group of young environmental activists and used information from their Google Doc as proof of their “crime”. [13]

But dictatorships are not alone in surveilling their citizens. People living in liberal democracies should not think they are immune. American police are already targeting activists over Facebook and Twitter posts. [15, 18] The German police similarly used social media videos to track down Black Block activists. [14] In France, the leader of Truth for Adama, Assa Traoré (Adama’s older sister) was put on trial for Facebook posts in which she blamed the police for her brother’s death. [19]

And do not think that Canada is any different. Thanks to Edward Snowden, we now know that the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) has once used the free Internet service of a major Canadian airport to gain access to Canadian citizens’ wireless devices in order to surveil their communications for weeks. [29] If you were one of the people to connect to this airport’s Internet service during this operation, the CSE may have kept track of who you were texting, emailing, or calling for how long, where, and when for weeks without your knowledge or consent. [29] And they are not the only Canadian governmental agency to be interested in using the Internet to keep track of citizens’ online activities. Internal communications obtained by the news magazine The Tyee from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) show that the RCMP has purchased software that allows them to search through (in their words) online “private communications” and “political protests”. [5] They also have in their possession a tool that gives them the ability to unlock Facebook friends’ lists that users have set to private. [5] Inside their internal communications, the RCMP refers to what it is doing as social media surveillance, despite publicly denying doing just that. [5]

High levels of government surveillance surrounding activism are unfortunately nothing new; however, France is formalising these surveillance practices by putting them into law and making them vague enough that it allows a lot of leeway on the part of law enforcement.

Why Should You Care?

People all over the globe have been rising up asking for an end to police violence [4], action on climate change [7], and greater access to civil rights. [27] The responses activists have been met with from the police and government have too often been violent. This is not unique to France, and if you have ever used the Internet to share your political opinions or join a protest, these changes to French decrees may serve as a warning for what may lie ahead in Canada or other countries.

Social media platforms, including Twitter and TikTok are not private living rooms where we can share our thoughts with friends. They are very much public spaces, and your friends might not be the only ones listening. Next time you are on social media, you might ask yourself the following prior to posting content about issues you care about:

  • Am I prepared for the potential government ramifications I may face if I share content about this issue?
  • Am I sharing photos of activists who could be identified, and I didn’t receive their permission to post?
  • What information would I not want to share with the police? Did I make sure that I did not post it anywhere online?
  • Could I share these ideas and plans with fellow activists without using social media?

The rise of the Internet has been credited with helping spread democratic movements. [4, 8, 12] The French government’s expansion of social media surveillance reminds us that the Internet, like a sword, has two edges, and we should be careful not to get caught on the wrong end.

How would you feel about the police going through your Twitter account? Are you ever worried about your privacy? And have you taken any steps to protect it? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

References

[1] Agence France Presse. (2021, January 4). La police pourra ficher des données personnelles. La Presse. Retrieved from https://www.lapresse.ca/international/europe/2021-01-04/france/la-police-pourra-ficher-des-donnees-personnelles.php

[2] Amnesty International. (2017, March 10). Azerbaijan: Activists targeted by ‘government-sponsored’ cyber attack. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/03/azerbaijan-activists-targeted-by-government-sponsored-cyber-attack/

[3] Amnesty International. (2019, November 18). Gilets Jaunes en France: Un bilan inquiétant. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.fr/liberte-d-expression/actualites/gilets-jaunes-un-bilan-inquietant

[4] Bort, R. & Aleah, K. (2020, December 14). Year in review: How Black Lives Matter inspired a new generation of youth activists. Rolling Stone. Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/black-lives-matter-protests-new-generation-youth-activists-1099895/

[5] Carney, B. (2020, November 16). ‘You Have Zero Privacy’ Says an Internal RCMP Presentation. Inside the Force’s Web Spying Program: ‘Project Wide Awake’ files obtained by The Tyee show efforts to secretly buy and use powerful surveillance tools while downplaying capabilities. The Tyee. Retrieved from https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/11/16/You-Have-Zero-Privacy-RCMP-Web-Spying/

[6] C.P. (2020, June 18). Mort d’Adama Traoré: Retour sur quatre ans de guerre des expertises. Le Parisien. Retrieved from https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/mort-d-adama-traore-retour-sur-quatre-ans-de-guerre-des-expertises-18-06-2020-8337900.php

[7] Harvey, F. (2020, September 25). Young people resume global climate strikes calling for urgent action. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/25/young-people-resume-global-climate-strikes-calling-urgent-action-greta-thunberg

[8] Huang, C. (2011, June 6). Facebook and Twitter key to Arab Spring uprisings: report. The National News. Retrieved from https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/facebook-and-twitter-key-to-arab-spring-uprisings-report-1.428773

[9] Human Rights Watch. (2019). Azerbaijan: Events of 2019. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/azerbaijan

[10] İbrahimoğlu, M. (2019, October 30). Informers help Turkish police social media crackdown. Ahval. Retrieved from https://ahvalnews.com/social-media/informers-help-turkish-police-social-media-crackdown

[11] Johannès, F. (2021, January 5). Le Conseil d’État autorise l’élargissement des fichiers de police. Le Monde. Retrieved from https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2021/01/05/le-conseil-d-etat-autorise-l-elargissement-des-fichiers-de-police_6065229_823448.html

[12] Kanalley, C. (2011, June 10). Occupy Wall Street: Social media’s role in social change. Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/occupy-wall-street-social-media_n_999178?ri18n=true

[13] Klein, N. (2021, February 27). India targets climate activists with the help of big tech: Tech giants like Google and Facebook appear to be aiding and abetting a vicious government campaign against Indian climate activists. The Intercept. Retrieved from https://theintercept.com/2021/02/27/india-climate-activists-twitter-google-facebook/

[14] Knaebel, R. (2019, July 9). Reconnaissance faciale, avis de recherche, vidéos: la vaste traque lancée contre les «Black Block» de Hambourg. Basta!. Retrieved from https://www.bastamag.net/black-block-videos-Reconnaissance-faciale-traque-Hambourg-violences-G20-G7

[15] LaChance, N. (2016, July 12). After Dallas shootings, police arrest people for criticizing cops on Faceboook and Twitter. The Intercept. Retrieved from https://theintercept.com/2016/07/12/after-dallas-shootings-police-arrest-people-for-criticizing-cops-on-facebook-and-twitter/

[16] Leclère, E. (2021, March 5). Le Sénat réécrit totalement l’article 24 de la loi “sécurité globale”. France Inter. Retrieved from https://www.franceinter.fr/le-senat-reecrit-totalement-l-article-24-de-la-loi-securite-globale

[17] Le Devin, W. (2020, June 12). Violences policières: le combat d’Assa Traoré relance. Libération. Retrieved from https://www.liberation.fr/france/2020/06/12/violences-policieres-le-combat-d-assa-traore-relance_1791144/

[18] Levin, S. (2017, May 18). Jailed for a Facebook post: how US police target critics with arrest and prosecution. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/18/facebook-comments-arrest-prosecution

[19] L’Express. (2021, March 3). Assa Traoré condamnée en appel pour atteinte à la présomption d’innocence des gendarmes. Retrieved from https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/societe/assa-traore-condamnee-en-appel-pour-atteinte-a-la-presomption-d-innocence-des-gendarmes_2145983.html

[20] News Wires. (2021, January 30). Thousands take to streets to protest against French security bill. France 24. Retrieved from https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20210130-new-protests-in-france-against-security-bill

[21] Nex. (2016, December 9). How a hacking campaign helped shut down an award-winning news site. Amnesty International. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2016/12/how-a-hacking-campaign-helped-shut-down-an-award-winning-news-site/

[22] O.N.U. Info (2019, February 14). France: des experts de l’ONU dénoncent des restrictions graves aux droits des manifestants «Gilets Jaunes». Retrieved from https://news.un.org/fr/story/2019/02/1036341

[23] Pair, S. (2021, January 5). Trois questions sur les fichiers de renseignement que le Conseil d’État a validés au nom de la “sûreté de l’État”. France Info. Retrieved from https://www.francetvinfo.fr/politique/loi-sur-le-renseignement/trois-questions-sur-les-fichiers-de-renseignement-que-le-conseil-d-etat-a-valides-au-nom-de-la-surete-de-letat_4245551.html

[24] Petitijean, S. (2020, December 10). Trois nouveaux décrets très discrets élargissent le fichage de police. Sud Ouest. Retrieved from https://www.sudouest.fr/politique/trois-nouveaux-decrets-tres-discrets-elargissent-le-fichage-de-police-1639202.php

[25] Rall, K. (2019, July 2). En pleine canicule, des CRS aspergent des militants écologistes de gaz lacrymogène. Human Rights Watch. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/fr/news/2019/07/02/en-pleine-canicule-des-crs-aspergent-des-militants-ecologistes-de-gaz-lacrymogene

[26] Sud Ouest. (2021, January 5). Opinion politique, santé, religion… L’élargissement des fichiers de renseignement validé par le Conseil d’État. Retrieved from https://www.sudouest.fr/france/opinion-politique-sante-religion-l-elargissement-des-fichiers-de-renseignement-valide-par-le-conseil-d-etat-1564208.php

[27] Tan, Y. (2020, August 1). Why a new generation of Thais are protesting against the government. BBC News. Retrieved from  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53589899

[28] Untersinger, M. (2020, December 7). Le gouvernement élargit par décret les possibilités de fichage. Le Monde. Retrieved from https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2020/12/07/le-gouvernement-elargit-trois-fichiers-de-renseignement_6062511_4408996.html

[29] Weston, G. (2014, January 30). CSEC used airport Wi-Fi to track Canadian travellers: Edward Snowden documents: Electronic snooping was part of a trial run for U.S. NSA and other foreign services. CBC. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/csec-used-airport-wi-fi-to-track-canadian-travellers-edward-snowden-documents-1.2517881#:~:text=Politics%C2%B7Exclusive-,CSEC%20used%20airport%20Wi%2DFi%20to%20track%20Canadian%20travellers%3A%20Edward,documents%20obtained%20by%20CBC%20News.

Written by Leila Matte-Kaci

Edited by Rachael Bradshaw

Featured image Crowd of People by Amine M’Siouri via Pexels License

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Digital Tattoo 2021 Welcome!

By Rachael Bradshaw on September 7, 2021 | Tagged with , , ,

Digital Tattoo 2021 Welcome!

Welcome to the Digital Tattoo Project! We are so excited to welcome you back to another exciting semester at UBC, UofT, or wherever you’re reading from! In case you need a refresher, I’ll be explaining who we are, what we do, and how you can engage with our content.

What is the Digital Tattoo Project?

The Digital Tattoo Project is a students-as-partners collaboration between the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto. Our content is created by student coordinators and student guest contributors who strive to make useful and interesting posts by students for students and the community.

Our goal is to ask questions, provide examples, and give you the resources to critically think about your digital identity and its components, including online privacy, digital safety, and your online academic and professional life.

How can you use our site?

The DT website is full of interesting and helpful content that can help you to navigate many aspects of your digital life. If you want to test your skills before getting started, you can check out our Quizzes on privacy and surveillance, your academic and professional life, and copyright and open access before you dive in to learn more. We even have some brand new quizzes on topics like social media use, spotting fake news, and digital wellbeing for you to learn more about your online habits!

After you assess your skills, I would recommend checking out our handy Tutorials to take an in-depth look at various aspects of digital identity. Here are some great places to start:

  • Managing Your Online Profile: this tutorial explains how you can shape your online “self” to be more professional
  • Fact Checking: this tutorial explores how fact checking works and gives you great tips for spotting fake news

We also have some brand new tutorials published just this summer. Check them out:

  • Algorithms and Your Data: this tutorial how algorithms use your data and can become biased (and even racist and sexist)
  • Sharing Sensitive Content Online: this tutorial explores some of the things you should consider before you share emotionally or politically sensitive content online

We also have a huge array of Blog Posts from DT coordinators and guest contributors from UBC and UofT covering topics such as digital identity and authenticity, using your online democratic voice, and Canada’s changing internet regulations. Two especially interesting blog posts that I’d like to recommend are this guest post by Johnson Huang about his experience with fake news and this guest post by Sasha Krieger which challenges readers to think about the environmental impact of their digital identities.

Learn and Explore

While this post gives you plenty of resources to get started, the Digital Tattoo website is full of thought-provoking content around digital identity and online safety, so don’t forget to poke around the rest of the site. From all of us at Digital Tattoo, have fun exploring and we hope you have a fantastic first term!

What is the biggest digital identity question that you have? And how can you incorporate digital safety into your online habits? Let us know in the comments below!

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Presentation for Educators: Managing Your Online Profile

By Rachael Bradshaw on August 26, 2021 | Tagged with , , ,

Presentation for Educators: Managing Your Online Profile

Educators and future educators: This presentation is designed and adapted for you to help you learn how to build a digital profile that expresses an authentic “you” while maintaining a professional profile that can help you connect with your community and even help you advance your career.

Presentation by Rachael Bradshaw

Adapted from “Cultivating an Online Profile” by Melonie Fullick from Prezi

Featured image Photo of Woman Holding a Mug by fauxels via Pexels License

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Our Podcast…

The Digital Tattoo Project Podcast raises questions, shares stories, speaks with experts and encourages us to consider our digital lives.

Listen to us on iTunes or Soundcloud

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