[Air-L] Social Media and the UK Riots: ?Twitter Mobs?, ?Facebook Mobs?, ?Blackberry Mobs? and the Structural Violence of Neoliberalism (Christopher J. Richter)

[Amy Sample Ward]

Matthew, Christian (and all)-

I am completely aligned with you around the misplaced attention on social
technologies as the "cause" or even core facilitator to the violence across
the UK. As conversations around the policing of technology build momentum in
light of the UK, I couldn't help be frustrated by news here in NYC
yesterday:

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/08/10/2011-08-10_nypd_forms_new_social_media_unit_to_mine_facebook_and_<http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/08/10/2011-08-10_nypd_forms_new_social_media_unit_to_mine_facebook_and_twitter_for_mayhem.html>
twitter_for_mayhem.html<http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/08/10/2011-08-10_nypd_forms_new_social_media_unit_to_mine_facebook_and_twitter_for_mayhem.html>

I'm conflicted: In principle, I agree that preventive methods (whether it's
health or education or crime, etc.) are worth investing in. On the other
hand, is a police unit focused on "patrolling" the internet for indications
of criminal activity really "worth" it? I'd like to see the projected ROI of
that unit in a city like New York that could always use more feet on the
street.

Perhaps a morning ramble, but it's where my mind has gone on the subject.

Cheers,
Amy



On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 8:57 AM, Mattie Palmer <mfp210 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> I worry that critical approaches might be a knee-jerk reaction to analyzing
> the impact of technology on the riots in the UK.  While that might be
> warranted in situations more akin to the Arab Spring, where men and women
> took to the streets for the purpose of political demonstration, the riots in
> the UK are not in protest.  It is not class warfare nor a plea for social
> justice.  There is not an archaic caste system that needs toppled.  It is
> looting and mob mentality.
>
> Thinking of this is important when looking at the role of social media and
> technology and the subsequent criticism of it.  It's my opinion that many of
> the news outlets have focused on social media because it's still fairly
> recent that such open source technology has been used for macro-level social
> coordination.  Compared to the chronology of social and political conflict,
> social media is in its neonatal period!  It's the new toy...  I haven't
> heard calls for Orwellian surveillance, but I'm also in the United States
> where such commentary might not make it into the headlines.  I know with the
> 'flash mobs' here there have not been calls for the policing of social media
> and technology.  I feel as though the media and policy makers have done well
> in identifying social media not as a catalyst or cause but rather a
> facilitator.
>
> Nevertheless, continually pinning the causes of social delinquency on
> structural oppression can be misguided.  Unemployment has not caused nine
> and ten year olds to take to the streets - what jobs would they have had
> anyway?  Sometimes it's entirely appropriate to call a duck a duck.
>
> Matthew Palmer
>
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Matthew Palmer
> Lehigh University
>
> @TotallyRadGrad
> www.lehigh.edu/~mfp210/
> ----------------------------------------------------
>
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-- 
*Amy Sample Ward*
http://amysampleward.org |  @amyrsward
http://socialbysocial.com   |   @socialbysocial

*Membership Director
* NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network
http://nten.org | @NTENorg