Karen Frost-Arnold, "Who Should We Be Online?: A Social Epistemology for the Internet" (Oxford UP, 2023)
Apr 1, 2023
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Author Karen Frost-Arnold discusses the ethical and epistemological challenges of the internet, including fake news and online deception. She explores the psychological impact on content moderators and the complexities of imposters online. The podcast delves into the importance of trust, objectivity, and combatting fake news through ethical online behavior.
Imposters on the internet undermine trust and objectivity, harming epistemic communities.
Commercial content moderators face trust issues and epistemic dumping due to lack of necessary skills.
Satirical news shows like The Colbert Report challenge perceptions and unveil underlying truths.
Deep dives
The Importance of Recognizing Imposters vs. Tricksters in Online Spaces
Imposters on the internet, exemplified by the case of a blog hoax during the Syrian uprising, can undermine trust and practices of objectivity, harming epistemic communities. They spread stereotypes, casting doubt and eroding trust in marginalized voices. However, tricksters, like the Yes Men activists, strategically betray trust as virtuous acts of resistance, using ignorance to highlight biases and draw attention to overlooked issues through online pranks and culture jamming.
The Epistemic Challenges Faced by Commercial Content Moderators
Commercial content moderators tasked with sifting through disturbing online content face an epistemic nightmare, making rapid decisions that impact the community. They work under stressful conditions, exposed to traumatizing imagery, leading to trust issues and epistemic dumping. Trust in moderation processes is crucial for objectivity, yet the labor model fails to cultivate the necessary epistemic skills for reliable and objective moderation.
The Significance of Social Epistemology in Navigating Online Deception
Examining online deception cases, such as the 'gay girl in Damascus' blog hoax, sheds light on the critical role of trust in fostering objectivity in online spaces. Imposters like Tom McMaster betray trust, spreading harmful stereotypes and eroding credibility. However, tricksters, exemplified by activists like the Yes Men, strategically challenge authenticity to draw attention to societal issues, serving as a form of virtuous resistance and systemic critique.
Impact of Satirical News Shows
Exploring the influence of satirical news shows like The Colbert Report and The Daily Show, the podcast delves into how these programs engaged audiences and blurred lines between satire and reality. With a significant portion of conservative viewers perceiving Stephen Colbert as genuinely conservative, the discussion highlights the role of satire in challenging perceptions and unveiling underlying truths.
Ethical Considerations in Internet Research
In analyzing the complexities of internet research ethics, the podcast examines the normative hazards that researchers face when studying online communities. Addressing issues of privacy, context collapse, and researcher's positionality, the discussion emphasizes the importance of respecting the privacy and agency of individuals studied, while also advocating for better protection of both researchers and online content creators within the academic reward system.
The Internet plays a central role in how we communicate, share information, disseminate ideas, maintain social connections, and conduct business. The Internet also exacerbates existing problems regarding irrationality, bias, wrongful discrimination, exploitation, and dehumanization. Moreover, the Internet gives rise to new ethical and epistemological problems – fake news, sock-puppetry, internet hoaxes, disinformation, and so on.