Month: March 2022

Dispatch from the war zone: Kyle Chayka on the effects of using social media to document war

On By W.W. NortonIn How is Technology Changing Us?11 Comments

Social media platforms are another front in 21st century warfare, and people have increasingly turned to them to narrate and share their personal war experiences. From Syria to Ukraine, images and videos circulated on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok have chronicled the human impact of conflict in real time. In this essay, Kyle Chayka analyzes …

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Class in the metaverse: Nir Eisikovits on the challenges of building virtual reality universities

On By W.W. NortonIn How is Technology Changing Us?, What's College For?18 Comments

Virtual reality, widely used in gaming, is now being adapted for a range of purposes, including medicine, therapy, and sports. But could virtual reality work for higher education? In this essay, Nir Eisikovits, an associate professor of ethics at University of Massachusetts-Boston, explores the ethical and social challenges of virtual reality. He explains what is …

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