They Say / I Blog

“When we protect nature”: Greta Thunberg on changing the ways we farm, eat, and treat nature

What does the COVID-19 pandemic have to do with the climate crisis and the worldwide loss of wildlife habitats? Activist Greta Thunberg argues that industrial agriculture, which supports meat- and dairy-heavy diets, plays a significant role in these interconnected crises. In this five-minute video, Thunberg challenges her audience—us!—to adopt a plant-based diet and change our fundamental relationship with nature.

Tom Mustill, director, featuring Greta Thunberg, "Our Relationship with Nature Is Broken," 22 May 2021.

 

A case for critical media literacy: Maytha Alhassen and Zaheer Ali on how viral misinformation could affect future historians

Some people might argue that what we do online is our own personal business. Historians Maytha Alhassen and Zaheer Ali, however, contend that online spaces are instead part of our “public life.” In this May 19, 2021 essay, Alhassen and Ali argue that it is our “civic duty” to be critical about what we consume and circulate online, as the constant retweeting and reposting of potentially misleading information has consequences for both our present moment and the work of future historians.

Maytha Alhassen and Zaheer Ali, "By Any Memes Necessary: A Case Study for Critical Media Literacy," Los Angeles Review of Books, 19 May 2021.

 

“Hemp is the way”: Winona LaDuke on the hemp industry and climate justice for Native communities

After decades of being banned due to its close genetic relationship with marijuana, hemp was legalized through the 2018 Farm Bill. Winona LaDuke, a Native writer and activist, argues that Native tribes, which have historically cultivated the crop, should lead and benefit from the growing hemp industry. In this February 2021 essay, LaDuke explains how hemp could be the cornerstone of a new, “post-petroleum” sustainable economy.

Winona LaDuke, "Tribes Revive Traditional Hemp Economies," YES!, February 16, 2021

 

Windows around the world: Paolo Sigismondi on the cultural impact of streaming international movies and shows

What’s next up on your Netflix watch list? You may notice more suggestions for shows and movies made outside the US, such as Spain’s Money Heist and South Korea’s One More Time. Facing pressure to acquire new media content, Netflix has made a conscious decision to develop local shows and films around the world and then distribute that content globally. In this April 7, 2021 essay, Paolo Sigismondi explains how Netflix’s business decision might broaden the content we consume and challenge long-standing cultural stereotypes that have been reinforced by Hollywood.

Paolo Sigismondi, "Netflix’s Big Bet on Foreign Content and International Viewers Could Upend the Global Mediascape – and Change How People View the World," The Conversation, 7 April 2021

 

Party in the streets: Kate Lacour on creating inclusive public celebrations

“When society decides to celebrate, who’s getting an invite, and who’s being excluded?” (1:04). Art therapist Kate Lacour poses this question in her TED talk, featured in this episode of the TEDx Shorts podcast from February 21, 2021. Lacour explains how she has helped teenagers with autism participate in Mardi Gras, a joyously noisy and colorful month-long public celebration in New Orleans with parades, music, masks, floats, and costumes. As you listen, think about the connection Lacour draws to a larger goal, making public celebrations “more attentive to the needs of all.”

Kate Lacour, "Fight for Your Right to Party," TEDx Shorts, 21 February 2021

 

Lost wages for women: Diana Boesch and Shilpa Phadke on policies for a post-pandemic economic recovery

The economic impact of the pandemic, as shown in the unemployment rate, is staggering. Like previous pandemics, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women. In this February 1, 2021 report, researchers Diana Boesch and Shilpa Phadke explain the complex reasons why more women than men have become unemployed since March 2020. Boesch and Phadke argue that a truly equitable economic recovery must include major policy changes that address long-standing issues, such as the gender pay gap and the lack of caregiving support.

Diana Boesch and Shilpa Phadke, "When Women Lose All the Jobs: Essential Actions for a Gender-Equitable Recovery," Center for American Progress, 1 Feb. 2021

 

All alone in our screens: Jenna Wortham on the paradox of wellness apps

As people deal with the persistent stressors of pandemic life, they are increasingly turning to mindfulness apps like Calm and Headspace to soothe their anxieties. Corporate wellness programs have jumped on the bandwagon, sponsoring these apps as a way to promote well-being for their employees, whose lives have suddenly moved almost completely online. In this essay, Jenna Wortham details the complexities of corporate wellness programs and the mindfulness apps sponsored by them. As you read (or listen!) to Wortham’s essay, note the connections she makes among corporate wellness programs, surveillance capitalism, the gig economy, and rising pay disparities in the US.

Jenna Wortham, "The Rise of the Wellness App," The New York Times Magazine, 17 February 2021

 

Lunar landings: Alexandra Witze on protecting the Moon by regulating scientific exploration

Scientists and space explorers face a conundrum: What if upcoming scientific missions to the Moon end up contaminating the very ice researchers are so eager to study? In this January 5, 2021 Nature article, Alexandra Witze explains how experts are determining ways to balance their scientific goals with their responsibility to act as stewards of the Moon for future generations.

Alexandra Witze, "Will Increasing Traffic to the Moon Contaminate Its Precious Ice?" Nature, 5 January 2021

 

Masters of their own fate: Michael A. Cusumano, Annabelle Gawer, and David B. Yoffie on why social media companies should self-regulate

For all the good that social media platforms provide – connection, innovation, a panoply of perspectives – there is also a darker side, evident in online harassment, deep fake video and audio manipulations, and the widespread circulation of disinformation and conspiracy theories. What responsibility should social media companies take for the content hosted on their sites? In their January 2021 Harvard Business Review essay, Michael A. Cusumano, Annabelle Gawer, and David B. Yoffie argue that it is time for social media companies to self-regulate their platforms to secure “their long-term survival and success.”

Michael A. Cusumano, Annabelle Gawer, and David B. Yoffie, "Social Media Companies Should Self-Regulate. Now." Harvard Business Review, 15 January 2021

 

Disrupting the gender binary: Barbara J. King on gender fluidity and queer rights

In this August 2020 essay, Barbara J. King, a biological anthropologist and professor emerita at the College of William and Mary, shares the story of her child Sarah, who is nonbinary and agender. King pulls from her perspective as both a biological anthropologist and a mother to explore the cultural and linguistic resistance to nonbinary gender identity and presentation.

Barbara J. King, "My Nonbinary Child," Sapiens, 21 August 2020