Susan Etlinger: What do we do with all this big data?

Summary

In this insightful talk, the speaker explores the profound impact of technology on society, drawing on Neil Postman's 'Amusing Ourselves to Death' to contrast Orwell's and Huxley's dystopian visions. Emphasizing the importance of critical thinking over mere data consumption, the speaker illustrates the challenges of interpreting big data through the Health Media Collaboratory's work with the CDC. Personal anecdotes, such as her son Isaac's autism diagnosis, underscore the necessity for context in data interpretation. The talk concludes with a call to action for individuals to harness the power of data responsibly, advocating for a balance between technology and critical thinking.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Technology has significantly advanced human capabilities but also stirred deep-seated fears about its impact on society.
• 📚 Neil Postman's book 'Amusing Ourselves to Death' contrasts the dystopian visions of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, highlighting the dangers of a captive versus a trivial culture.
• 👀 We are not merely passive consumers of data; we have the power to shape technology's role in our lives and how we interpret it.
• 🤔 Critical thinking is essential in understanding data, moving beyond mere counting to comprehending its true significance.
• 📊 The volume of data is not the only challenge in big data; its velocity and variety, including images, text, video, and audio, also play crucial roles.
• 🔍 Context is vital for interpreting data, as it is created by humans with complex and ever-changing communication patterns.
• 🚭 The Health Media Collaboratory's work with the CDC on smoking cessation illustrates the complexity of understanding public discourse and the impact of health campaigns.
• 🌐 The internet and social media provide vast amounts of data that require sophisticated analysis to extract meaningful insights.
• 🧠 Personal stories, such as the speaker's experience with her son Isaac, demonstrate the importance of looking beyond mere metrics to understand individuals' unique capabilities.
• 🔑 The misuse of data can lead to flawed conclusions, as illustrated by historical fallacies and misconceptions about autism.
• 🛡️ To harness data effectively, we must respect critical thinking, maintain transparency in our methodologies, and ensure ethical data practices.

Q & A

What is the main argument Neil Postman makes in his book 'Amusing Ourselves to Death'?

Neil Postman argues that technology, while bringing many advancements, also taps into our deepest fears and can lead to a culture of triviality and irrelevance, contrasting the dystopian visions of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley.

How does the speaker suggest we should engage with technology and data?

The speaker suggests that we should not be passive consumers of data and technology but should actively shape its role in our lives and the way we make meaning from it by paying attention to how we think and code.

What is the significance of the Health Media Collaboratory's work with the CDC as mentioned in the script?

The Health Media Collaboratory's work with the CDC is significant because it demonstrates a practical application of data science to understand public discourse on smoking and electronic cigarettes, highlighting the importance of context in data interpretation.

Why is understanding the context of data important according to the speaker?

Understanding the context of data is important because data is created by people, who are complex and use various forms of language, and without context, the data can be misinterpreted or lead to irrelevant conclusions.

What are the four main categories of 'smoking' mentioned on Twitter as per the Health Media Collaboratory's research?

The four main categories of 'smoking' mentioned on Twitter are: smoking cigarettes, smoking marijuana, smoking ribs, and smoking hot women.

How does the speaker use her personal story about her son Isaac to illustrate the importance of critical thinking in data interpretation?

The speaker uses her son Isaac's story to show that relying solely on metrics like verbal communication can lead to an incomplete understanding of a person's abilities, emphasizing the need for critical thinking to avoid overvaluing certain metrics and undervaluing others.

What is the speaker's view on the misuse of data and its potential consequences?

The speaker views the misuse of data as a significant issue, noting that it can lead to incorrect assumptions and decisions with far-reaching impacts, and thus emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and proper data interpretation.

Why does the speaker advocate for the study of humanities, sociology, and social sciences in relation to data?

The speaker advocates for the study of these disciplines because they provide the context necessary for interpreting big data effectively and help in developing critical thinking skills, which are essential for making sense of data and avoiding logical fallacies.

What does the speaker mean when she says 'show your math' in the context of data interpretation?

When the speaker says 'show your math,' she means that one should be transparent about the methodologies and assumptions used in data analysis to ensure that others can understand and verify the conclusions drawn from the data.

How does the speaker conclude the potential of data and the role of critical thinking in our society?

The speaker concludes that the potential of data is vast, but it should be harnessed responsibly by treating critical thinking with respect and being inspired by examples like the Health Media Collaboratory, using data for good and not succumbing to the dystopian visions of Orwell or Huxley.