Dehumanizing language often precedes genocide. One tragic example: Extreme dehumanizing language was a strong contributor to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. As I have written, the Hutu majority used a popular radio station to continually refer to Tutsi tribal members, a minority in Rwanda, as “cockroaches.” As support for this characterization grew among Hutus, it essentially […] … learn more→

The idea of robots taking our jobs is not radically new. But artificial intelligence (AI) is now completely reorganising the global economy. Some estimates of productivity-driven economic growth conclude that AI will contribute approximately $US16 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Unfortunately – compared to the European Union, Japan, United States and United Kingdom – […] … learn more→

The Federal Trade Commission issued its largest-ever fine, of US$5 billion, to Facebook for violating a 2011 privacy settlement in late July. But the amount is only about a month’s worth of the company’s revenue, suggesting that the fine, while seeming large, is, in fact, rather modest. More significantly, Facebook is required to have an “outside assessor” – a […] … learn more→

Millions of college students volunteer at soup kitchens, animal shelters and other nonprofits near where they go to school. The arrangement gives these young adults valuable experience that can help them launch their careers while giving charities a hand. As a professor who studies nonprofits, I’m interested in the effects student volunteers have on the local nonprofit […] … learn more→

Facebook’s News Feed algorithm determines what users see on its platform – from funny memes to comments from friends. The company regularly updates this algorithm, which can dramatically change what information people consume. As the 2020 election approaches, there is much public concern that what was dubbed “Russian meddling” in the 2016 presidential election could happen again. But what’s not getting enough […] … learn more→

Since 1990, the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) has been in place to protect individuals with disabilities in the work force. The act protects qualified, potential candidates for employment during the interview process as well as employees already working against any discrimination based on their mental or physical disabilities. It also protects employees from any […] … learn more→

Instagram is running a social media experiment in Australia and elsewhere to see what happens when it hides the number of likes on photos and other posts. If you have an Instagram account, you’ll get to see the numbers but your followers won’t – at least, not automatically. They will be able to click and […] … learn more→

Talking about portraits of victim and stalker in the phenomenon of bullying can be confusing and lead to the mistaken idea that in childhood there are children who have characteristics that will make them stalkers of others and that, in turn, there are other children destined to be victims. This image contrasts with what we know of […] … learn more→

Iris, a high school student in New York City, took a course aimed at preparing public school students for college. As part of the course, she visited the Park Slope Food Coop, among the oldest member-owned businesses in the United States. Members work monthly shifts in return for access to affordable, ethically sourced food and goods. […] … learn more→

Free speech is in the news. Not least because several leading universities have adopted a “model code” to protect it on campus. And then there’s the Israel Folau saga, and debate over whether his Instagram post was free speech, or just hate speech. If the Bible is to be believed, humans have sought knowledge since Eve. They have […] … learn more→