Author: Eda Erensoy
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Why Good Policymakers Should Check Their Moral Judgements
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Consider bans of the headscarf, which stem from a moral objection to the object and the value system it symbolizes. A policymaker who advocates for the ban might believe that it would be for the “good” of the women affected by it in opposing a patriarchal symbol. However, for the…
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How AI is Changing Human Communication
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In 2013, the science-fiction drama Her questioned whether communication with artificial intelligence could be indistinguishable from communication with humans. While this day is yet to come, AI is increasingly facilitating human-to-human communication. This phenomenon is AI-Mediated Communication (AI-MC), which Jeffrey T. Hancock, Mor Naaman, and Karen Levy define in their recent paper as…
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Are We Better Off with Less Social Media? Evidence Says Yes
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Whether social media is good or bad for us remains a widely contested topic. Research shows that the same social media networks that can increase voter turnout can also leave us feeling lonely and depressed. So how do we really know if social media’s benefits justify its costs? The results of…
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Social Networks That Help During Crises
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Humans naturally exist in social networks where they exchange ideas and form relationships. Times of collective crises magnify the importance of our social embedding. Understanding how social networks are formed—and how they adapt to new circumstances—can help ensure policy responses are designed to slow the spread of bad things, like…
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Want to Spark Charity? Try Appealing to Both the Head and the Heart
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Prevailing wisdom dictates that emotion – and not reason – motivates people to give money toward important social causes. But a recent study by Matthew Lindauer and colleagues calls this into question. The study finds that rational appeals in the form of philosophical arguments are as effective as emotional appeals…