Internet researchers struggling to find the good in the internet
Sacha Molitorisz, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Media Transition
Over the past fortnight, the CMT team has been on the move. Derek Wilding to London. Chrisanthi Giotis to Indonesia. Peter Fray to Melbourne. And Tim Koskie to South Korea.
And Sacha Molitorisz? That’s me. Well, I flew to Brisbane for my very first Association of Internet Researchers Conference, where I learnt three things. One, people in Brisbane don’t jaywalk. Two, internet researchers look cool, complete with piercings, tattoos and blue hair. And three, internet researchers are not very positive about the internet.
In her keynote address, Macquarie University’s Professor Bronwyn Carlson detailed the torrent of abuse and vilification that Indigenous Australians cop on social media. Of course, she said, there are benefits too, including for Indigenous sufferers of depression and anxiety, who can connect with others. But on balance, she said, social media is hugely destructive. If she could, she said, she'd pull the plug.
On Thursday, Dr Sal Humphreys from the University of Adelaide was glum too. Her research explored whether it’s possible for companies to engage in ethical data practice while remaining commercially viable. This wasn’t speculative. She was researching on behalf of a company building smartphone games offering in-app purchases, including to children. And her short answer? No. Why act ethically if competitors gain an advantage by acting unethically? Surveillance capitalism wins. “I just don’t have any optimism in me about this,” Humphreys said. Read more about AoIR 2019 further down.