When you actively participate in an area in which you are “passion-driven,” others notice, and opportunities will open for you. For young people, I suggest
find your passion, volunteer, and get involved.
Category: Articles
IEEE HTB / SSIT DL – 28 March 10am ET – Co-designing Ethical Interventions in Resource Constrained Environments
By Miriam Cunningham on March 27th, 2023 in Articles, Ethics, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
The IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board Ad Hoc Committee on SIGHT Best Practices is cooperating with a number of IEEE OUs… Read More
“It Sets Boundaries Making Your Life Personal and More Comfortable”: Understanding Young People’s Privacy Needs and Concerns
By Rys Farthing on March 17th, 2023 in Articles, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Privacy & Security, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Young people’s unique understandings and perspectives are often not considered in debates and discussions around privacy and security. This article outlines a youth-centric notion of digital privacy and guiding principles around privacy developed by young people from Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Ghana, and Slovenia.
Toxic Technology
By Jeremy Pitt on March 16th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Communication Technology, Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Health & Medical, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Technology has always been about more than simply a route to increased productivity and economic growth; technology also provides the opportunity to enhance, enrich, and empower—basically, to improve shared qualitative values or people’s quality of life (however that is measured). On the flip side, technology also provides the opportunity to develop and project organizational control, which itself can be weaponized to quantitatively determine human value as an asset to that organization, or to reinforce asymmetric power relationships.
An Artful Approach: Reflecting on the Past to Forewarn and Foretell
By Christine Perakslis on March 6th, 2023 in Articles, Human Impacts, Last Word, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
From the social unity of Ubuntu to the socially ingrained dispositions of habitus, our authors helped us to perceive the value of intentionally weaving together threads of history to shape the present and future social fabric of humanity.
Riding the New York Subway: The Invention of the Modern Passenger
By A. David Wunsch on March 6th, 2023 in Articles, Book Reviews, Case Studies, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Stefan Höhne dives into a wealth of letters—correspondence sent to the New York City Transit Authority in the period 1955–1968.
Is AI Going to Replace You?
By terribookman on March 6th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blog Posts, Human Impacts, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact, Video & Podcasts, Videos
Professor Katina Michael of Arizona State University in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society discusses ChatGPT and its implications. From The List Show TV.
Data Feminism
By Daniene Byrne on February 24th, 2023 in Articles, Book Reviews, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
In Data Feminism, authors Catherine D’Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein do not merely deal with data. They pair data with feminism. Here, feminism is deployed as a “shorthand for the diverse and wide-ranging projects that name and challenge sexism and other forces of oppression, as well as those which seek to create more just, equitable, and livable futures.”
Good Pictures: A History of Popular Photography
By A. David Wunsch on February 21st, 2023 in Articles, Book Reviews, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Good Pictures is about the advice given to photographers—mostly amateurs—on the techniques they should use to improve their work. Of course, the advice is intimately tied to technological developments in photography as well as the desire of camera makers to sell new products.
Learning From Indigenous Cultures
By Marc Steen on February 10th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
We would act wisely if we turn to alternative ways of thinking, other wisdom traditions, and learn from them. Ubuntu philosophy can help to draw attention to social issues, for example, the horrors of colonialism, exclusion, and oppression, and to find ways to promote social justice. Aboriginal wisdom can help to apply diverse ways of knowing, for example, knowledge that is related to place, to kinship, to stories, to patterns—not only knowledge in books. The Indigenous cultures and wisdom of the Americas can teach us how to organize economic and political systems more sustainably and to develop more caring relationships with nature. And Confucian culture and wisdom can help to design and apply technologies in ways that support us as relational and developmental beings.
Humanistic Engineering: Engineering for the People
By Matthew L. Bolton on January 26th, 2023 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Commentary, Environment, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Robotics, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
While it is true that technology is addressing problems and making elements of some people’s lives easier, there are aggregate measures that suggest a troubling trajectory.
Contributive Justice and Self-Actualizing Systems
By Jeremy Pitt on January 9th, 2023 in Articles, Editorial & Opinion, Ethics, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
How can local (grassroots) contributive justice be used as a driving force for the common good?
Not a Valediction
By Clint Andrews on December 31st, 2022 in Articles, Magazine Articles, President's Message, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
The IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) has had many volunteers step into leadership positions for purposefully limited terms over the past half-century. We address the challenges and opportunities of our day and then move on, unlike some world leaders who cannot bear to fade away.
PeaceTech
By Paul Heidebrecht on December 11th, 2022 in Articles, Commentary, Environment, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
PeaceTech is “the movement to use technology to end violent conflict and extremism.”
A Serious Role-Playing Game as a Pedagogical Innovation to Strengthen Flood Resilience
By Evalyna Bogdan on December 10th, 2022 in Articles, Commentary, Environment, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Scholars critique physical infrastructure approaches as ineffective because flooding routinely exceeds defense structures and disaster assistance and removes the incentive for property owners to reduce their risk. As an educational and engagement tool, the flood resilience challenge (FRC) game aims to build the capacity of stakeholders to improve flood resilience and enhance flood risk governance, including collective decision-making.
Making It Strange
By Charles Wallace on December 5th, 2022 in Articles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
In this time of massive growth in the scale and scope of technological innovations, it is more important than ever to look critically at the nature of these innovations and to challenge a naïve, techno-utopian attitude that innovation is synonymous with progress.
The Everyday Ethics of Corporate Social Responsibility
By Jessica Smith on November 21st, 2022 in Articles, Commentary, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Societal Impact
People around the world are increasingly holding corporations accountable for their practices and seeking ways to rectify their unequal distribution of the risks and benefits among differently positioned populations.
2023 IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society
By terribookman on November 15th, 2022 in Articles, Blog Posts, Call for Papers, Conferences, Environment, Ethics, Human Impacts, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact, SSIT Announcements
Call for Papers – ISTAS23 – Submission deadline March 1, 2023 – “Technology and Analytics for Global Development”. 13-15 September 2023, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales
Digital Design With Children in Mind
By Katina Michael on November 14th, 2022 in Articles, Commentary, Ethics, Human Impacts, Magazine Articles, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact
Organizations are gaining awareness that digital products and services targeted at the children’s market segment need to go beyond adopting the “mindset” of a child. Rather, it is necessary to actually invite children to participate in the design process.
SSIT Standards Committee Chair Ruth Lewis Honored with 2022 IEEE Standards Medallion
By terribookman on November 8th, 2022 in Articles, Magazine Articles, News and Notes, Social Implications of Technology, Societal Impact, SSIT Announcements, Standards
Ruth Lewis, IEEE SSIT Standards Committee Chair, has been named a 2022 recipient of the IEEE Standards Medallion for leadership in promoting the development of IEEE technology and society standards.