geek heresy rescuing social change from the cult of technology

He provides a fierce critique and a heartwarming reminder that itÃ¢â¬â¢s human wisdom, not machines, that move our world forward. As a book, though Geek Heresy often feels like it's doing too much - Toyama seems to use the theme (social change and technology) as a jumping-off point into a whole bunch of his own philosophies: Maslow's hierarchy of needs, notions of 'heart, mind, and will', and thoughts on 'expanding circles of concern,' to name a few. A heretic among technologists, Toyama is uniquely able to reveal why social progress depends on human changes that gadgets just canÃ¢â¬â¢t deliver. Why then, do we keep hoping that technology will solve our greatest social challenges? In this talk, Toyama inoculates us against the rhetoric of digital utopians and reinvigorates us with a genuinely human paradigm for social change. And, four decades of incredible innovation have done nothing to turn the tide of increasing poverty and inequality. Meanwhile back in the United States, Silicon Valley executives who evangelize novel technologies at work sent their children to Waldorf schools that ban electronics. Ã¢â¬ÅTelecentersÃ¢â¬Â intended to teach rural farmers better agriculture devolved into places for sleazy web surfing. Mobile-phone projects to disseminate health information routinely failed. What Toyama experienced in India, though, shook his faith in technology.ÃÂĪt a school outside Bangalore, Toyama saw computers locked away in a dusty cabinet because teachers didnÃ¢â¬â¢t know what to do with them. J(12:30-2pm), World Bank (internal talk G 5-130) Machines as Amplifiers: How a Simple Theory Explains Technology’s Role in Global Development. J(4-5pm), Oxfam America (internal talk) ICT and Rights-Based Approaches to Development. In 2004, he co-founded Microsoft Research India, and he set his mind to design electronic inventions to improve education, agriculture, health care, and governance in the developing worldÃ¢â¬â¢s poorest communities. Geek Heresy: Rescuing Social Change from the Cult of Technology. Kentaro Toyama was a self-described Ã¢â¬ÅtechnoholicÃ¢â¬Â and award-winning computer scientist whose research paved the way for cutting-edge products like MicrosoftÃ¢â¬â¢s Kinect.

Well-being, mindfulness, digital tools Abstract

University of Michigan School of Information

Geek heresy rescuing social change from the cult of technology