Special Advisor at the ICT4Peace Foundation, Sanjana Hattotuwa, in conversation with Marvin Hubbard from OAR FM Dunedin, looking at the issues around social media, hate, peace and democracy in Aotearoa/New Zealand and beyond. Broadcast live on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin on 23 March 2021. Original podcast at Community or Chaos programme’s website / podcast page.
Sanjana touched on the following questions and issues, charted by Marvin, in an hour-long conversation that picked up on the major themes that were discussed at the New Ec(h)o systems: Democracy in the age of social media conference on 16 and 17 March 2021.
- Briefly what has been your work and experience in Sri Lanka and elsewhere before becoming a student at the Otago National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies?
- Could you tell us about why you became interested in the present the relationship between Online Social media and Political social crisis?
- Could you talk about the New Ec(h)o systems: Democracy in the age of social media Conference held recently at Otago University?
- Could you talk about the view that new technologies often have a disruptive influence on cultures and may benefit those introducing the new technologies more than those receiving the new technologies?
- Could you talk briefly about journalism and the changes that have occurred in this generation and how we distinguish between facts and falsehood?
- Social media and online extremism gets talked about a lot but in some ways are they possible scapegoats for avoiding larger real issues such as climate change and growing in inequality?
- Did the Christchurch Mosque massacre and the New Zealand response have particular relevance to you and your experiences in Sri Lanka?
- Can you talk about the Christchurch call?
- Were you surprised that some of the high school aged attendees at the conference seemed unaware of the Christchurch call and how would you account for that?
- How do young people experience social media compared to people over 40?
- Some technologies such as automated warfare i.e. killer robots should be banned, how do we decide to keep or use new technologies?
- How do you see the future and how can we make sure that as new technologies are introduced the harmful effects are minimized and at the same time that we benefit from the positive opportunities?