Analysis and Theory

Develop new ideas, analysis, and theory and strengthen existing ideas that could make progress in the digital social sphere. (e.g. papers, digital humanities projects, op-eds and other public writing)

Posts

April 6, 2024

Some states are seeking to restrict TikTok. That doesn’t mean their governors aren’t using it

Visiting Scholar Anupam Chander is quoted in an article from ABC News highlighting the tension between efforts to ban TikTok and efforts to connect with younger constituents through the app.

April 3, 2024

Counter-speech as Content Moderation with Kesa White

Alum Kesa White joins the Wonks and War Rooms podcast to discuss her research into counter speech and its use in content moderation.

March 26, 2024

Six Reactions to The Proposed TikTok Ban

Visiting Scholar Anupam Chander writes “we should worry when politicians target a foreign-owned speech platform because of the content it carries,” as the U.S. considers a potential ban on TikTok.

March 24, 2024

Unpacking the Oral Argument in Murthy v. Missouri

Alum Kate Klonick joins The Sunday Show from Tech Policy Press to discuss the Murthy v. Missouri oral argument and how SCOTUS might respond.

March 12, 2024

US set to vote on bill to ban TikTok

Visiting Scholar Anupam Chander joins PRX's The World to discuss the US House bill that could potentially ban TikTok in the United States, and the potential consequences the bill could have on the entire social media landscape.

March 12, 2024

What to Do About the Junkification of the Internet

Alum Nathaniel Lubin writes in The Atlantic that the rise of synthetic content online means social media companies have an even greater responsibility for the information they host and share.

March 1, 2024

Artificial Intelligence, Journalism, and the Ubuntu Robot in Sub-Saharan Africa: Towards a Normative Framework

Alum Gregory Gondwe explores the integration of Ubuntu philosophy in AI-driven journalism practices in Sub-Saharan Africa, and its potential to foster more equitable treatment across communities.

February 26, 2024

Why Online Free Speech Is Now Up to the Supreme Court

Visiting Scholar Anupam Chander is quoted by Bloomberg on how social media companies would likely respond to a SCOTUS decision in favor of Florida and Texas laws challenging current content moderation practices.

February 23, 2024

We spend less time on TikTok than we fear

Alum Elissa Redmiles summarizes her collaborative work on the (in)accuracy of user estimates of TikTok usage, and lays out the implications:

"Like a restrictive diet, controlling how much time we spend on TikTok will only make us feel worse about the time we spend. Instead, we need to do the hard work of critically reflecting on how we’re spending our time. Are we enjoying ourselves? What content are we consuming? How is it shaping what we think?"

February 2, 2024

A Herculean task: How do we save ourselves from social media?

Events

May 8, 2024

Information Foraging in a Social Media World (RSM Speaker Series)

The Institute for Rebooting Social Media welcomes Carl T. Bergstrom for a talk exploring social media's impact on the scale of human communication and our mechanisms for creating collective understanding.

May 2, 2024

Platforms and the Right to Information

Join us for a one-day workshop examining what the right to information should look like in relation to platforms and how it can be implemented in a manner that protects user privacy.

April 24, 2024

Harvard x Creators: Making Evidence-Based Public Health Information Viral (RSM Speaker Series)

The Institute for Rebooting Social Media welcomes Amanda Yarnell and Kate Speer for a conversation with Visiting Scholar Jeff Hall about the Center for Health Communication's efforts to improve the quality of public health information circulating online.

April 12, 2024

Dangerous Dancing?: TikTok, National Security, and the First Amendment

Join us for a conversation moderated by Visiting Scholar Anupam Chander, featuring Jennifer Huddleston, Ramya Krishnan, Jenna Leventoff, and Alan Rozenshtein.

April 3, 2024

Trust & Safety in the Majority World Workshop  

This workshop will bring together professionals within the field of Trust & Safety (T&S) to discuss socio-technical issues that disproportionately affect the Majority World.

April 2, 2024

A Conversation with Anne Neuberger, U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor

The Institute for Rebooting Social Media welcomes Anne Neuberger, U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technologies, for a conversation on cybersecurity, AI, and other emerging technologies with Faculty Director Jonathan Zittrain.

March 28, 2024

Social Media and Well-Being in Context

Join us for a series of conversations organized by Visiting Scholar Jeff Hall and featuring:

Nancy Baym
Linda Charmaraman
Diane B. Francis
Connie Hadley
Lee Humphreys
Carrie James

March 27, 2024

A Contractual Approach to Social Media Governance (RSM Speaker Series)

The Institute for Rebooting Social Media welcomes Gilad Mills for a discussion with Martha Minow regarding his work on contractual approaches to social media governance.

March 20, 2024

Moderating AI and Moderating with AI (RSM Speaker Series)

The Institute for Rebooting Social Media welcomes Dave Willner for a talk on the promises and perils that foundation models present for the field of content moderation.

March 6, 2024

Moderating Model Marketplaces: Platform Governance Puzzles for AI Intermediaries (RSM Speaker Series)

The Institute for Rebooting Social Media welcomes Robert Gorwa and Michael Veale for a discussion of their research into the governance questions raised by the moderation of model marketplaces.