Thursday, October 20, 2022
by Dr. Lisa Schirch
Starmann Chair in Peace Studies, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
Dr. Lisa Schirch provided a survey of the best and worst impacts of technology on polarization and social cohesion. Highlighting case studies and examples in the US within the context of a tense US election, she explained how the designs of some technology platforms like Facebook and Twitter seem to encourage polarization. She then explained some new tech platforms that can help build greater trust and care among Americans.
Lisa Schirch, PhD is Professor of the Practice of Peacebuilding and the Starmann Chair in Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. She also directs the Social Media, Technology, and Peacebuilding program for the Toda Peace Institute. A former Fulbright Fellow in East and West Africa, Schirch is the author of eleven books, including Social Media Impacts on Conflict and Democracy: The Tech-tonic Shift.
———– Photos from the event —————
Watch the Video – How Technology Both Increases Polarization and Builds Bridges in a Divided US Election Season by by Dr. Lisa Schirch, Starmann Chair in Peace Studies, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
Video by Richard Brunvand
