They Say / I Blog

Beyond shame and stigma: Jay Shifman on reframing how we talk about drug use and drug addiction

What would winning the “war on drugs” look like? For Jay Shifman, the answer to that question requires rethinking what we’re at war with, what counts as sobriety, and why people use drugs in the first place. It’s clear that overdoses and addiction cause harm to individuals, families, and communities. Yet, according to Shifman, the current drug policies in the U.S. have been largely ineffective in reducing overdoses, preventing access to dangerous, fentanyl-laced street drugs, and reversing the racial disparity of those who are charged for drug crimes.

Jay Shifman, "Can Better Policy Help Reduce Overdoses?," YES!, 18 May 2022.

 

The limits of free speech: Jacob Mchangama on censorship, extremism, and hate speech

There’s no question that social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube can rapidly amplify and circulate hate speech and extremist content. Solutions to this problem are murky, as seen in debates over topics such as cancel culture, free speech, and censorship. In this essay, Jacob Mchangama, a Danish writer and lawyer, argues that an expansive definition of free expression is essential for vibrant democracies. He warns against having too many restrictions on the kinds of speech posted and circulated online.

Jacob Mchangama, "Banning Hate Speech Won’t End Extremist Violence," Persuasion, 6 June 2022

 

The future of money: Lana Swartz on digital currency and the benefits of cash

Don’t have cash? No problem. The number of places where you can use cashless transactions has multiplied in recent years, from digital wallets to contactless payments on public transit. For all the convenience of digital currency, however, there are significant downsides to eschewing cash, according to Lana Swartz, an assistant professor of media studies. Swartz argues that cash is a “universal, public, printed monetary medium” that makes it possible for people to participate equally in economic exchanges.

Lana Swartz, "In Praise of the Dollar Bill," MIT Technology Review, 15 April 2022

 

A safety net with many holes: Nora Kenworthy and Ken Igra on the limitations of crowdfunding

Organizations like GoFundMe claim to tap into the power of social networks: those in need of financial assistance post on their social media sites and gather donations from people far beyond their immediate circle of family and friends. Yet according to researchers Nora Kenworthy and Ken Igra, crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe “have been largely unsuccessful in solving financial problems for most of the people who use them.” Kenworthy and Igra detail the reasons why and argue that the uptick in crowdfunding campaigns points toward growing inequities in our society.

Nora Kenworthy and Ken Igra, "Crowdfunding Isn't Enough in a Crisis," Scientific American, 4 February 2022

 

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

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 how these glimpses affect both those in the war and those watching it online.

Kyle Chayka, "Watching the World's 'First TikTok War,'" The New Yorker, 3 March 2022

 

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

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 at stake for students and universities if campuses move to the metaverse.

Nir Eisikovits, "College Could Take Place in the Metaverse, but These Problems Must Be Overcome First,"The Conversation, 1 March 2022

 

It’s not the economy: Peter Coy on how our biases and assumptions affect debates about immigration

Debates about immigration often focus on its economic costs and benefits. Yet that focus misses the bigger picture, Peter Coy argues. Coy, a writer for The New York Times, suggests that the real resistance to immigration lies much deeper than data about jobs and economic impact. Coy explains that opposition to immigration often stems from the stories we tell ourselves about immigrants and immigration, stories that are often colored by unchecked biases and assumptions.

Peter Coy, "What Economists Think About Immigration Doesn’t Really Matter," The New York Times, 17 December 2021.

 

The air we breathe: Jan Victor Andasan on how polluted air from ports harms people in surrounding neighborhoods

The environmental and human impact of our global economy is visible in ports, where chemicals, oil, natural gas, and massive containers of goods are moved, shipped, and stored. In this video op-ed, activist Jan Victor Andasan describes how the pollution spewing from these ports, pipelines, refineries, and rail yards contaminates the air of nearby communities, causing long-term health problems for their family and neighbors. Andasan explains how organizations like the East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice advocate for clean air, such as requiring ports to move to zero-waste operations.

Jan Victor Andasan, "Port Pollution Sickens My Family. That's Violence," Los Angeles Times, 21 October 2021.

 

Billionaires in space: Lucianne Walkowicz on making space exploration more accessible

In the summer of 2021, three billionaires – Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, and Jared Isaacson – made history as they blasted off into space on their own privately funded spaceflights. In her essay, astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz analyzes the implications of this new chapter in space exploration. Walkowicz suggests these billionaire-funded launches reflect current inequities here on earth, including rising income inequality exacerbated by the pandemic.

Lucianne Walkowicz, "Don’t Count on Billionaires to Get Humanity into Space," Scientific American, 23 September 2021.

 

The struggling class: Celine-Marie Pascale on determining if people can meet their basic living needs

Over 44% of Americans work low-wage jobs, which can trap people in a precarious cycle marked by limited job security, stagnant wages, unreliable hours, and few opportunities for promotion. Those who are working multiple low-wage jobs struggle to cover their basic living expenses. Celine-Marie Pascale, a professor of sociology at American University, illustrates this complex problem in her November 2021 essay. She contends that the federal poverty line is “an outdated measure of poverty,” and argues that policymakers should use other measures to design safety-net programs based on the real cost of living, which varies across the country.

Celine-Marie Pascale, "The Federal Poverty Line Struggles to Capture the Economic Hardship That Half of Americans Face," The Conversation, 10 November 2021.