TLDR 174

Somewhere I Belong

Published: 2018-11-17 • 📧 Newsletter

Welcome to Issue 174. Somewhere I belong.

Writing from Houston at NCTE 2018. Presented Ignite talk on screentime and divergent thinking session. Screentime materials here.

Also working on behaviorism in the classroom ideas for LRA. Let us know what you think.

🔖 Key Takeaways

Facebook Systematic Betrayal: NYT exposé reveals Facebook didn't just fail to protect users but actively obfuscated deflected and distracted from election interference and privacy violations.
Amazon Corporate Extortion: HQ2 spectacle forcing cities to bid billions in tax incentives reveals unchecked corporate power demanding public subsidy for private profit.
China Digital Dictatorship: Social credit system building real-world surveillance state with 24/7 tracking judging and controlling 1.4 billion citizens through privileges and punishments.
Social Media Depression Link: Study shows limiting use to 30 minutes daily significantly improves wellbeing revealing causal not just correlational relationship.
Student Edtech Resistance: Brooklyn teens protesting Facebook-designed program forcing self-teaching demonstrates students recognize when technology replaces rather than supports teachers.

📺 Watch

Kurzgesagt: Why Is Something Beautiful?

Hard to define what makes something beautiful but we seem to know beauty when we see it. Why is that and how does beauty affect our subconscious? Another great video from Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell.

📚 Read

Facebook Betrayal

As regular TL;DR reader we've been painting this picture for some time. Narrative not hard to see although many shocked this week.

Facebook in business of keeping you on platform gathering info coaxing you to give more then selling to anyone paying top dollar. They've proven they don't care about your best interests with algorithm manipulation.

When users learned about Cambridge Analytica and 2016 election role Facebook dragged feet obfuscated and distracted. NYT reports when users learned Facebook compromised privacy allowing access to tens of millions to political data firm linked to Trump Facebook sought to deflect blame and mask problem extent.

Facebook betrayed us. Does it matter? Probably not.

Amazon's HQ2 Spectacle Isn't Just Shameful—It Should Be Illegal

Fourteen months ago Amazon announced national beauty contest where cities could apply to win honor of landing second headquarters. Prize: 50,000 employees and glory of housing tech giant. Cost? Several billion in tax incentives and potential city face-lift. Last week Amazon would split HQ2 between Crystal City DC and Long Island City Queens.

Heard pundits suggesting government should have forced Amazon to place headquarters in area needing economic stimulation. I agree. Amazon doesn't care. Government wouldn't do it. We should have continued questions about power of these businesses become powerful entities.

China building digital dictatorship to exert control over 1.4 billion citizens. For some "social credit" brings privileges—for others punishment. Real world surveillance state involving constant tracking and judging all actions 24 hours a day.

Story making rounds over last year. Thoroughly recommend reviewing post and ideas presented.

New study PDF in Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology by University of Pennsylvania researchers looked into causal side whether people actually feel better cutting down social media. Conclusion: "Our findings strongly suggest that limiting social media use to approximately 30 minutes per day may lead to significant improvement in well-being."

Brooklyn Students Hold Walkout Protesting Facebook-Designed Program

Brooklyn teens protesting high school's adoption of online program spawned by Facebook saying it forces them to stare at computers for hours and "teach ourselves."

Story provides interesting counter-narrative for those thinking teachers no longer needed in age of tech.

🔨 Do

Coaching Through Discomfort

HBR post about coaching others and positivity. Something to think about as we work with others or seek change in ourselves.

"I have two questions for you. One: Do you want to do better?"

If answer is "no" then to attempt to coach would be fool's errand.

"Yeah" he said.

"Here's my second question: Are you willing to feel the discomfort of putting in more effort and trying new things that will feel weird and different and won't work right away?"

🤔 Consider

"Sooner or later, if man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill our hearts with tolerance." — Stan Lee

Finding somewhere you belong requires tolerance for others finding their own belonging. Facebook betrayal shows intolerance for user autonomy treating people as resources. Amazon HQ2 reveals intolerance for shared prosperity demanding subsidy. China social credit demonstrates intolerance for difference enforcing conformity through surveillance. Depression study suggests social media cultivates intolerance for present moment. Brooklyn students show tolerance matters in education—they're tolerant of technology but intolerant of replacement masquerading as enhancement. Coaching question about discomfort asks whether we're tolerant enough of our own awkwardness during growth. Stan Lee understood superhero stories are ultimately about tolerance—accepting difference, coexisting despite conflict, finding belonging without requiring conformity.

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🌱 Connected Concepts:

Facebook Betrayal — NYT exposé revealing systematic obfuscation about Cambridge Analytica and election interference showing platform actively deflects rather than addresses harms in Platform Accountability.
Amazon Corporate Power — HQ2 spectacle forcing cities to bid billions in tax incentives demonstrates unchecked corporate power demanding public subsidy for private profit in Corporate Welfare.
China Social Credit — Digital dictatorship building surveillance state with constant tracking judging and controlling citizens through algorithmic privileges and punishments in Surveillance States.
Student Edtech Resistance — Brooklyn teens protesting Facebook-designed program demonstrates students recognize when technology replaces rather than supports teachers contradicting automation narratives in Educational Technology.
Social Media Wellbeing — Study showing 30-minute daily limit significantly improves wellbeing reveals causal not just correlational relationship between use and depression in Mental Health.

Part of the 📧 Newsletter archive documenting digital literacy and technology.