Announcing danah boyd to Keynote SXSW EDU 2018

SXSW EDU is excited to announce danah boyd, founder and president of Data & Society and Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, as a Keynote for the 2018 Conference & Festival.

Social media scholar, youth researcher and advocate, danah boyd, leads Data & Society in their focus to understand the role of data-driven technologies in society. Dr. boyd also works as a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, a Visiting Professor at New York University and has authored a number of books including "It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens" and "Participatory Culture in a Networked Age". Her extensive exploration to better understand the relationship between technology and society lends her a unique perspective that we look forward to hearing from at SXSW EDU 2018.

In her recent work, Dr. boyd has taken a powerful look at media literacy, the widespread consumption of fake news and the cultural implications of media manipulation. Her SXSW EDU keynote, What Hath We Wrought?, will explore this and more.

"A decade ago, my collaborators and I imagined a world of participatory culture where young people would be empowered to actively and strategically use technology to engage with the world around them. Through a mixture of peer learning, self-learning, and formal education, we saw many young people develop sophisticated understandings of how to use social media to their advantage. Yet, not all of the practices that emerged as a result are inherently positive. From the rise of pro-Ana communities to the trolling associated with #Gamergate to the strategic manipulation of media for racist agendas, we’ve seen a form of participatory culture emerge that can be unhealthy, cruel, and socially devastating.

In this talk, I will grapple with the unintended consequences of efforts to empower youth. We will discuss fake news, media manipulation, propaganda, media literacy, radicalized racism, and polarization. And then we’ll talk about the role of educators, education, and technology in addressing some of the more caustic challenges of our time."

-danah boyd

Visit the speakers page to learn more about Dr. boyd and get to know other voices that have been announced to speak at SXSW EDU.

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Make plans to join us at SXSW EDU, March 5-8, 2018, in Austin, Texas. Register to attend before the upcoming discount deadline, Friday, October 20, to save $200 on your badge and take advantage of the best selection of downtown hotels.

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