MD Patton's inquiry uses qualitative in addition to computational information collection methods to examine how in addition to why gang violence, trauma, grief, in addition to identity are expressed on social media in addition to the existent ground touching they take away hold on well-being for low-income youth of color.
Desmond in addition to I spoke inward Jan of 2017. He unpacked the complex human relationship betwixt gang banging in addition to cyberbanging – a term he in addition to his colleagues coined dorsum inward 2013. We also talked nearly how social workers tin give notice think nearly the human relationship betwixt social media in addition to youth. Desmond encourages us to think of the online ground every bit a novel social environs that social workers demand to understand. He questions existing agency policies that prohibit social workers from interacting alongside clients on social media in addition to asks if those are empirically-sound policies. And 1 of the things that I dear the most nearly Desmond’s run is that he combines the rich agreement that comes from qualitative inquiry in addition to the cutting border insights that tin give notice come upwardly from analyzing big data.
Download MP3 [29:29]
Bio
MD Desmond Upton Patton is an Assistant Professor at the Columbia School of Social Work, a Fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center, in addition to a Faculty Affiliate of the Social Intervention Group (SIG) in addition to the Data Science Institute. His inquiry utilizes qualitative in addition to computational information collection methods to examine how in addition to why gang violence, trauma, grief, in addition to identity are expressed on social media in addition to the existent ground touching they take away hold on well-being for low-income youth of color.
His electrical flow inquiry projects examine:
- How gang-involved youth conceptualize threats on social media
- The extent to which social media shapes in addition to facilitates youth in addition to gang violence
- Developing a natural linguistic communication processing tool for detecting aggression in addition to grief inward social media posts inward partnership alongside the Data Science Institute at Columbia University.
MD Patton’s inquiry on Internet Banging has been discussed nationally on media outlets to include the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, NPR, Boston Magazine, ABC News, in addition to many more. MD Patton also provides skillful witness testimony using social media during courtroom trials. He was lately cited inward an Amici Curae Brief submitted to the U.S.A. Supreme Court inward the Elonis vs U.S.A. instance which examined the issues of interpreting threats on social media.
Interview
Introduction
Jonathan Singer: Hey in that location podcast listeners, Jonathan here. Today’s episode is nearly social media in addition to gang violence. It is nearly 8 1 chiliad k tweets, cyberbanging, in addition to using social media to acquire a 360 flat thought of your client. It is nearly the amazing inquiry of MD Desmond Patton.
Desmond is an Assistant Professor at the Columbia School of Social Work, a Fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center, Director of SafeLab, in addition to a Faculty Affiliate of the Social Intervention Group (SIG) in addition to the Data Science Institute. His inquiry uses qualitative in addition to computational information collection methods to examine how in addition to why gang violence, trauma, grief, in addition to identity are expressed on social media in addition to the existent ground touching they take away hold on well-being for low-income youth of color. MD Patton’s inquiry on Internet Banging has been discussed nationally on media outlets to include the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, NPR, Boston Magazine, ABC News, in addition to many more. MD Patton also provides skillful witness testimony using social media during courtroom trials. He was lately cited inward an Amici Curae Brief submitted to the U.S.A. Supreme Court inward the Elonis vs U.S.A. instance which examined the issues of interpreting threats on social media. And if that weren’t enough, he was the recipient of the 2018 Early Career Achievement Award from the Society for Social Work in addition to Research. And similar most recipients of that award, Desmond has done to a greater extent than inward his early on career than most of us could perchance promise to create inward our entire career. Can’t hold back to consider what comes next.
Desmond in addition to I spoke inward Jan of 2017 nearly his research. He unpacked the complex human relationship betwixt gang banging in addition to cyberbanging – a term he in addition to his colleagues coined dorsum inward 2013. We also talked nearly how social workers tin give notice think nearly the human relationship betwixt social media in addition to youth. Desmond encourages us to think of the online ground every bit a novel social environs that social workers demand to understand. He questions existing agency policies that prohibit social workers from interacting alongside clients on social media in addition to asks if those are empirically-sound policies. One of the things that I dear the most nearly Desmond’s run is that he combines the rich agreement that comes from qualitative inquiry in addition to the cutting border insights that tin give notice come upwardly from analyzing big data.
If yous desire to hear Desmond in addition to I speak to a greater extent than nearly technology in addition to social run practice, check out the video nosotros made when I was at Columbia University giving the 2017 Austin lecture.
And now, without farther ado, on to episode 116 of the Social Work Podcast, Social media in addition to gang violence: Interview alongside Desmond Patton, Ph.D.
Interview
[3:02]
Jonathan Singer: Alright. Desmond – thank yous so much for beingness hither on the podcast in addition to talking alongside us today. How did yous acquire involved inward this work?
Desmond Patton [5:10]: So, nearly 4-years-ago I was doing youth violence inquiry inward Chicago. I had stayed inward contact alongside the immature men that are a business office of my dissertation report in addition to many of them made me aware of some interactions that were happening on Twitter. In particular, in that location were 2 really well-known rappers from Chicago that were inward a beef [Ed note: consider /search?q=06/rap-rivalry-and-twitter-outrage-lead-pitchfork-to-pull-video/]. They were argument dorsum in addition to forth on twitter. And 1 private inward item identified himself on Twitter, made himself really clear to the community. And was form of fed upwardly alongside the beef that was happening in addition to basically said, “Well if yous desire to create something nearly this lets run across at this item location.”. On twitter he identified a location in addition to he wanted the other rapper to run across him there. Lo in addition to behold inside 3 hours that rapper was killed inward that exact location.
And so that began my involvement inward the usage of social media every bit a way to sympathize gang violence in addition to root causes of violence. And from that it became genuinely clear to me that social media is a tool in addition to that it’s non nearly why gang members usage social media but, everyone is using social media to limited themselves to fix community to speak alongside friends, but what’s dissimilar is the context inward which that communication is embedded in. And when immature people are embedded inward a civilization or a community where violence is pervasive in addition to a business office of day-to-day life in addition to that becomes the context inward which they narrate inward these online spaces
Jonathan Singer [7:12]: So 1 of the price I’ve heard is cyber banging or cyberspace banging. Can yous tell us what that is or speak a petty nearly that?
Desmond Patton [7:20]: Yes. So my colleagues, Rob Eschmann in addition to Dirk Butler, nosotros wrote a newspaper inward 2013 called Internet Banging which is a conceptual newspaper inward which nosotros assay to depict a reckoner mediated communication inward which immature people, who take away hold some type of gang affiliation, whether it travel difficult kernel gang members or on the periphery, are using social media to taunt in addition to brand threats through the usage of emojis, hashtags in addition to video images. And that conversation, those interactions on social media take away hold the proficiency to Pb toward existent ground violence.
So frequently times what happens is in that location is a postal service made someone perhaps disrespecting an private that was killed past times a competitor gang. Then the dissimilar gangs or factions commenting on that postal service in addition to they are going dorsum in addition to forth. But because of the context inward which these people are embedded in, they cannot only exit it in that location right away because that postal service is visible. Thousands of people are right away looking at that post. Everyone is getting emotional in addition to they right away take away hold to testify themselves. So if they made a comment online they take away hold to dorsum it up. If yous don’t dorsum it upwardly that could brand yous to a greater extent than susceptible to violence or injury. So right away they demand to accept it offline to hold that code of the street.
There has been 1 representative that has genuinely stuck out inward my mind. For the past times few years I take away hold been studying 1 woman mortal deceased gang fellow member Gakirah Barnes. What is most interesting nearly Gakirah is that she was a woman mortal gang fellow member that was known every bit a shooter. It’s non uncommon for immature women to travel a business office of gangs but it is uncommon for immature women to travel active shooters inward gangs. And so non alone did she take away hold this positionality every bit a shooter but she also had a really prominent… um… infinite on twitter. She was really good known on twitter, she had over 27,000 tweets 5,000 followers, which lay her inward the 98th percentile of all twitter users. And I learned a lot nearly her, I became aware of her through pop media. In 2014 many pop media outlets wrote nearly Gakirah calling her the “Teen Queen of Gangland Chicago” in addition to many variations of that. And they talked nearly her savage nature, her willingness to shoot at the driblet of a chapeau in addition to her communicating these ideas in addition to threats on twitter. And so I intentionally became interested inward her because I wanted to consider to what extent tin give notice I give away telephone substitution words in addition to phrases that could assist me sympathize what Pb her to brand these types of comments on twitter. And when I dug deeper alongside my inquiry squad nosotros genuinely constitute something much to a greater extent than interesting, which is genuinely placidity sad, nosotros actually, nosotros were bespeak the incorrect question. We forgot that this was a immature woman, a girl, a human who has fears in addition to hurting in addition to trauma in addition to stress; only similar everyone else.
When nosotros dug deeper into her twitter information nosotros saw someone who was expressing an immense amount of pain. So she would state things similar “the hurting is unbearable” next 1 of her goodness friends [who was], allegedly, shot past times the Chicago constabulary department. She would state phrases similar this frequently in addition to so adjacent twenty-four hours she would state something a chip to a greater extent than aggressive. So yous could consider her grief becoming anger. Then in that location would travel people who were from the opposing gang who were looking at her vulnerability, her willingness to limited herself on social media, in addition to so they would brand comments to her. And so beingness the mortal that she is, she would brand comments dorsum so this form of back-and-forth would evolve. But what is most of import is that the initial comment was around hurting in addition to grief; the initial comment was non around aggression or threats. And that is what has been missing inward our word surrounding this link betwixt social media in addition to gang violence. In that nosotros are forgetting the human chemical component inward that in that location is a person, in that location is a laid of events, in that location is an sense that triggers aggression in addition to threats; it doesn’t start there.
Jonathan Singer [12:10] So that was such a… kind-of a moving in addition to compelling story. You uncovered that this mortal had hurting in addition to that in that location was a multidimensionality to her experience. Does your inquiry on social media in addition to these gangs genuinely delve into the sadness, the depression, the trauma… the form of things I think that a lot of social workers bargain alongside on a regular basis?
Desmond Patton [12:30]: Yeah, so that’s a smashing question. So 1 of the smashing things nearly beingness a qualitative researcher is that nosotros travel where the participant takes us in addition to on social media that tin give notice travel many dissimilar places. That tin give notice travel genuinely wild in addition to that tin give notice travel genuinely exciting. What I’ve done is assay to rail the story that is emerging from day-to-day in addition to week-to-week. And alongside immature people, only similar alongside other folks, but specially alongside immature people they travel through a host of emotions throughout the calendar week that depending on what happened at school, what’s happened inward the community. So for representative on 1 twenty-four hours the content mightiness travel heavy in addition to really distressing in addition to really traumatic, in addition to frequently times that is driven, good non frequently times, that is driven past times the offline context. What people frequently times don’t understand, or non think through, is that social media is rooted inward offline context. The experiences the events that immature people travel through are essentially only expressed on these social media platforms. And so some days that’s nearly trauma in addition to nearly grief in addition to nearly hurting in addition to other days it’s nearly dear in addition to happiness in addition to excitement in addition to all the beautiful things that are happening inward one’s life.
I published a newspaper inward Violence in addition to Victims, where nosotros looked at 8 1 chiliad k posts from gang involved folks inward Detroit. What nosotros realized is that alone 4% of the communication from those folks, those 8 1 chiliad k tweets, were nearly criminal offence in addition to violence. And so that form of flys-in-the-face of the narrative that nosotros acquire nearly immature people in addition to immature people from marginalized spaces, inward that their communication, their activities, their engagements around violence in addition to criminal offence they were genuinely talking nearly a host of other things. They were genuinely using these platforms every bit a promotive infinite only similar everyone else. But what is of import is that [while] alone 4% of the communication was nearly violence in addition to crime, that 4% was placidity threatening in addition to aggression. And because of the context that these immature people are embedded in, they would displace on those comments every bit well.
Jonathan Singer [15:02] Did yous expect in addition to consider what per centum of the tweets had to create alongside state dear or infatuation or romance?
Desmond Patton [15:10] Well it’s interesting, is that… nosotros were trying to larn to a greater extent than nearly violence in addition to crime, in addition to nosotros thought… our hypothesis was that nosotros would give away to a greater extent than conversations around violence in addition to crime, in addition to that was non the case. So nosotros were non looking for happiness in addition to dear in addition to excitement in addition to that is what was there. That is the primary content inward the twitter feed that nosotros scraped.
Jonathan Singer [15:40] I tin give notice sympathize why yous would travel looking at violence, because yous know the consequence of romantic interactions on a twitter feed is form of personal. It’s intimate, it’s… it doesn’t wound anybody in addition to so inward essence similar the things that nosotros think of every bit goodness in addition to positive in addition to prosocial the outcomes are almost invisible. Its these really small-scale per centum of the communications that travel world in addition to travel the things that nosotros so focus on.
Desmond Patton [16:11] Absolutely
Jonathan Singer [16:18] You know I’m certain that in that location are folks out in that location proverb that’s genuinely interesting but I am non going to travel analyzing 8 1 chiliad k tweets, right? So what are the accept domicile points hither for practitioners?
Desmond Patton [16:30] First I think that practitioners should sympathize that social media is a novel environmental context for understanding: deportment in addition to adaptation in addition to trauma in addition to stress in addition to dear in addition to happiness. It is ripe for the form of run that social workers create day-in in addition to day-out but get-go nosotros demand to realize that it is an of import context in addition to nosotros demand to displace beyond our form of fearfulness around the usage of technology inward practice.
I learn social workers at the University of Columbia in addition to on the get-go twenty-four hours of course of report I inquire them, “How many of yous all take away hold a twitter account?” in addition to most of my students are 22/23 in addition to maybe out of a course of report of 25 maybe 2 or 3 hands volition raise. I inquire how many people take away hold a Facebook trace concern human relationship in addition to maybe in that location are to a greater extent than hands but they’re using social media for personal interactions or they’re using social media to follow celebrities.
When I think 1 affair nosotros demand to wrap our heed around every bit social industrial plant is that many of the communities that nosotros are working in, take away hold some life on social media whether its immature people, older people, immature adults they are expressing in addition to narrating their life online. And frequently times inward really vulnerable ways in addition to they are presenting multiple selves. So you’ll get a schoolhouse self, a personal self, a professional person self, a light-headed self in addition to so it gives yous form of a 360 perspective of one’s identity in addition to how they are expressing that identity online. And so it gives yous a overnice form of entre into one’s ground which mightiness travel challenging to brand it a one-to-one interview. In the run that I create yous know I am interviewing people all the time, in addition to it’s genuinely difficult to acquire this flat of vulnerability. I think, yous know, interviewing a immature mortal around hurting in addition to trauma, immature people who alive inward Chicago, inward some of the toughest neighborhoods inward the city, take away hold never been every bit expressive every bit I take away hold seen them travel on twitter. And I think that was the instant when I realized that this medium is to a greater extent than powerful than nosotros realized.
And so I think that nosotros also demand to think nearly good what is the purpose of technology in addition to social media at the organizational level? Often times organizations may take away hold a policy around interaction or engagement alongside their clients on social media in addition to I think nosotros demand to think nearly whether or non that is an empirically sound policy. Are nosotros missing whole swabs of information, data, context that tin give notice assist us create our task better? And so I think for social run practioners in addition to students I think the get-go measuring is to travel aware that this is an of import context in addition to b [second step] start to think, start to engage these platforms from a dissimilar perspective. So instead of next a celebratory, think nearly what yous are reading, what are yous taking into when yous are on social media. Sit for a twenty-four hours in addition to only create some observations, accept some acre notes sit down alongside 1 private in addition to form of banker's complaint what they are talking about, the pictures that they’re uploading in addition to consider if yous tin give notice tell a story nearly that private in addition to what mightiness gleam from that experience.
Jonathan Singer [20:20] So it sounds similar yous are almost suggesting that nosotros demand to rethink the way that nosotros think nearly our clients in addition to the information that nosotros acquire from clients. Would it travel reasonable to state that yous would advocate for maybe getting permission from clients to maybe read their world twitter feed for representative if they take away hold them? Like if yous are working alongside an adolescent in addition to during your intake assessment or your get-go yoke of sessions say:
“Hey are yous on twitter?” “Yeah.” “You know if that an of import seat for you?” “Yeah.” “Would yous travel okay if I would travel checking out your twitter feed?”.
Is that something yous think could travel useful? I realize in that location are a lot of ruddy flags that travel upwardly especially if they think “Oh my social worker is reading my twitter feed thence I tin give notice communicate via twitter alongside my social worker.” But... um… it almost sounds similar yous are proverb this is a genuinely of import slice of information in addition to it provides a 360 thought of our clients which nosotros can’t acquire otherwise. What are your thoughts nearly that?
Desmond Patton [21:22] That’s a genuinely of import inquiry in addition to a genuinely complicated question. I think that it is of import for social workers to hold trust in addition to reporior edifice alongside their clients. And I think that at whatsoever dot of getting additional information that the social worker should travel into into a conversation alongside the customer nearly what information is helpful in addition to valid in addition to what are issues around privacy in addition to trust that should travel bridged. But so I think conversely nosotros also know that in that location may travel weather that are non necessarily tied to an individual. So for representative in that location may travel times when in that location are external events, offline province of affairs that are happening inward the community or surrounding an individual, but non necessarily tied to the individual. So that may travel yous know, inward one’s neighborhood in that location take away hold been a serial of robberies in addition to they take away hold learned that past times sitting on twitter in addition to looking at diverse hashtags that are indicated, inward which a neighborhood is indicated, in addition to that information may assist yous contextualize that neighborhood. But it is non giving yous that individual’s information. So nosotros take away hold to think nearly the dissimilar micro in addition to marco levels of information that yous tin give notice larn from social media. I would think a nosotros demand to get-go take away hold conversations but b[second] nosotros demand to also think nearly broader conversations in addition to broader implications that nosotros tin give notice gleam from social media that may non demand to travel around the private customer but to a greater extent than so around the ecological system.
Jonathan Singer [23:22] So this has been genuinely interesting. Starting out talking nearly gang violence in addition to usage of twitter, yous know, every bit a way of identifying where a criminal offence may occur in addition to so talking nearly twitter every bit a tool in addition to social media every bit a tool that teenagers are using to communicate all sorts of things inward their lives. And so also to think nearly twitter, social media every bit a way to sympathize the broader context for things that are happening online in addition to offline inward a teenagers life. So it sounds similar yous sympathize social media genuinely every bit this way of agreement in addition to providing information nearly non only a specific lawsuit or a specific tweet, but genuinely the context for a kid’s life.
Desmond Patton [24:12] Absolutely, but I think it’s of import to think nearly ethics in addition to the ethics involved inward this work. One affair that I take away hold learned inward this inquiry is that, it is tardily to misinterpret what immature people are saying. There is a complex in addition to nuance shape of linguistic communication that is embedded inward youth culture, one’s neighborhood, one’s block, one’s gang affiliation in addition to if you’re non from that item neighborhood or community yous may misinterpret was is genuinely beingness said. And what happens when that misinterpretation happens is immature people, immature people of color, are farther marginalized in addition to policed because of their communication. And so I think that it is genuinely of import to think nearly how create nosotros brand certain that nosotros take away hold an accurate agreement of the linguistic communication the context in addition to the civilization that is beingness expressed on social media in addition to how create nosotros privilege the vocalism of immature people inward this space?
So inward my ain inquiry I hire immature people inward Chicago to travel inquiry assistance inward my lab in addition to they interpret in addition to interpret the information to assist me sympathize the total context, or every bit unopen every bit nosotros tin give notice acquire to the total understanding. That way if nosotros are seeing that a item laid of tweets or posts are aggressive that immature people from the community take away hold validated that item label in addition to that it’s non a label that comes out of sparse air because some of the challenges around this infinite are frequently times that sometimes constabulary may usage this type of information in addition to it’s used to surveille communities of color. What nosotros desire to create in addition to the run that I’m a business office of is leverage expertise of community members in addition to youth to best back upwardly the needs that they articulate online in addition to I think that that is a smashing infinite for social workers is to travel on to fix relationships alongside communities members in addition to youth in addition to using social media every bit a coming together seat to sympathize each other, to sympathize needs that are expressed in addition to to think nearly diverse points of entry way. Maybe perhaps novel interventions or prevention strategies that come upwardly out of conversations around social media that acquire us closer to needs for youths in addition to communities.
Jonathan Singer [26:54] Do yous take away hold an representative nearly a tweet or a serial of tweets that were misinterpreted?
Desmond Patton [27:02] Yeah so 1 of the issues that nosotros take away hold is interpreting rap lyrics. And I retrieve when I get-go started doing this inquiry in addition to in that location were a number of posts that were on the human face upwardly to me in addition to my squad looked really aggressive in addition to threatening. And so I commenced doing a inquiry report alongside gang involved youth inward Chicago in addition to I presented these tweets. And I said “You know I think these tweets are genuinely aggressive. Do yous know what’s happening alongside these tweets.” And they laughed at me in addition to they were really clear to state that “can’t yous tell this is a rap lyric in addition to the guy was in all probability on the “L” [Chicago’s subway] headed domicile in addition to he was listening to Kendrick Lamar (or whomever else) in addition to they posted that lyric on twitter in addition to it agency nothing.” And so my quick supposition that was embedded inward my ain form of biases around linguistic communication in addition to music could take away hold travel placidity problematic but when I talked to immature people they gave me a dissimilar agreement in addition to a dissimilar approach to this content that genuinely changed the direction of how nosotros create this work. So right away nosotros are really clear on assessing the severity of context correct in addition to so nosotros create a lot of checks on our interpretations of the information to brand sure, ya know create nosotros genuinely think that this item comment is threatening? Let’s analyze it to consider to what extent nosotros think this is a high flat threat, a medium flat threat, a depression flat threat in addition to let’s supply some justifications around this based on our agreement in addition to youth agreement of what nosotros think is genuinely aggressive on social media.
Jonathan Singer [28:44] Desmond give thank yous you so much for beingness hither on the social run podcast in addition to talking alongside us nearly your run alongside social media in addition to immature kids. I genuinely appreciate yous taking the time.
--End—
[29:29]
Transcription generously donated by: Cassie Griffith, MSW, Case Manager JUF Uptown Cafe, EZRA Mutli-Service Center.
Jonathan Singer: Alright. Desmond – thank yous so much for beingness hither on the podcast in addition to talking alongside us today. How did yous acquire involved inward this work?
Desmond Patton [5:10]: So, nearly 4-years-ago I was doing youth violence inquiry inward Chicago. I had stayed inward contact alongside the immature men that are a business office of my dissertation report in addition to many of them made me aware of some interactions that were happening on Twitter. In particular, in that location were 2 really well-known rappers from Chicago that were inward a beef [Ed note: consider /search?q=06/rap-rivalry-and-twitter-outrage-lead-pitchfork-to-pull-video/]. They were argument dorsum in addition to forth on twitter. And 1 private inward item identified himself on Twitter, made himself really clear to the community. And was form of fed upwardly alongside the beef that was happening in addition to basically said, “Well if yous desire to create something nearly this lets run across at this item location.”. On twitter he identified a location in addition to he wanted the other rapper to run across him there. Lo in addition to behold inside 3 hours that rapper was killed inward that exact location.
And so that began my involvement inward the usage of social media every bit a way to sympathize gang violence in addition to root causes of violence. And from that it became genuinely clear to me that social media is a tool in addition to that it’s non nearly why gang members usage social media but, everyone is using social media to limited themselves to fix community to speak alongside friends, but what’s dissimilar is the context inward which that communication is embedded in. And when immature people are embedded inward a civilization or a community where violence is pervasive in addition to a business office of day-to-day life in addition to that becomes the context inward which they narrate inward these online spaces
Jonathan Singer [7:12]: So 1 of the price I’ve heard is cyber banging or cyberspace banging. Can yous tell us what that is or speak a petty nearly that?
Desmond Patton [7:20]: Yes. So my colleagues, Rob Eschmann in addition to Dirk Butler, nosotros wrote a newspaper inward 2013 called Internet Banging which is a conceptual newspaper inward which nosotros assay to depict a reckoner mediated communication inward which immature people, who take away hold some type of gang affiliation, whether it travel difficult kernel gang members or on the periphery, are using social media to taunt in addition to brand threats through the usage of emojis, hashtags in addition to video images. And that conversation, those interactions on social media take away hold the proficiency to Pb toward existent ground violence.
So frequently times what happens is in that location is a postal service made someone perhaps disrespecting an private that was killed past times a competitor gang. Then the dissimilar gangs or factions commenting on that postal service in addition to they are going dorsum in addition to forth. But because of the context inward which these people are embedded in, they cannot only exit it in that location right away because that postal service is visible. Thousands of people are right away looking at that post. Everyone is getting emotional in addition to they right away take away hold to testify themselves. So if they made a comment online they take away hold to dorsum it up. If yous don’t dorsum it upwardly that could brand yous to a greater extent than susceptible to violence or injury. So right away they demand to accept it offline to hold that code of the street.
There has been 1 representative that has genuinely stuck out inward my mind. For the past times few years I take away hold been studying 1 woman mortal deceased gang fellow member Gakirah Barnes. What is most interesting nearly Gakirah is that she was a woman mortal gang fellow member that was known every bit a shooter. It’s non uncommon for immature women to travel a business office of gangs but it is uncommon for immature women to travel active shooters inward gangs. And so non alone did she take away hold this positionality every bit a shooter but she also had a really prominent… um… infinite on twitter. She was really good known on twitter, she had over 27,000 tweets 5,000 followers, which lay her inward the 98th percentile of all twitter users. And I learned a lot nearly her, I became aware of her through pop media. In 2014 many pop media outlets wrote nearly Gakirah calling her the “Teen Queen of Gangland Chicago” in addition to many variations of that. And they talked nearly her savage nature, her willingness to shoot at the driblet of a chapeau in addition to her communicating these ideas in addition to threats on twitter. And so I intentionally became interested inward her because I wanted to consider to what extent tin give notice I give away telephone substitution words in addition to phrases that could assist me sympathize what Pb her to brand these types of comments on twitter. And when I dug deeper alongside my inquiry squad nosotros genuinely constitute something much to a greater extent than interesting, which is genuinely placidity sad, nosotros actually, nosotros were bespeak the incorrect question. We forgot that this was a immature woman, a girl, a human who has fears in addition to hurting in addition to trauma in addition to stress; only similar everyone else.
When nosotros dug deeper into her twitter information nosotros saw someone who was expressing an immense amount of pain. So she would state things similar “the hurting is unbearable” next 1 of her goodness friends [who was], allegedly, shot past times the Chicago constabulary department. She would state phrases similar this frequently in addition to so adjacent twenty-four hours she would state something a chip to a greater extent than aggressive. So yous could consider her grief becoming anger. Then in that location would travel people who were from the opposing gang who were looking at her vulnerability, her willingness to limited herself on social media, in addition to so they would brand comments to her. And so beingness the mortal that she is, she would brand comments dorsum so this form of back-and-forth would evolve. But what is most of import is that the initial comment was around hurting in addition to grief; the initial comment was non around aggression or threats. And that is what has been missing inward our word surrounding this link betwixt social media in addition to gang violence. In that nosotros are forgetting the human chemical component inward that in that location is a person, in that location is a laid of events, in that location is an sense that triggers aggression in addition to threats; it doesn’t start there.
Jonathan Singer [12:10] So that was such a… kind-of a moving in addition to compelling story. You uncovered that this mortal had hurting in addition to that in that location was a multidimensionality to her experience. Does your inquiry on social media in addition to these gangs genuinely delve into the sadness, the depression, the trauma… the form of things I think that a lot of social workers bargain alongside on a regular basis?
Desmond Patton [12:30]: Yeah, so that’s a smashing question. So 1 of the smashing things nearly beingness a qualitative researcher is that nosotros travel where the participant takes us in addition to on social media that tin give notice travel many dissimilar places. That tin give notice travel genuinely wild in addition to that tin give notice travel genuinely exciting. What I’ve done is assay to rail the story that is emerging from day-to-day in addition to week-to-week. And alongside immature people, only similar alongside other folks, but specially alongside immature people they travel through a host of emotions throughout the calendar week that depending on what happened at school, what’s happened inward the community. So for representative on 1 twenty-four hours the content mightiness travel heavy in addition to really distressing in addition to really traumatic, in addition to frequently times that is driven, good non frequently times, that is driven past times the offline context. What people frequently times don’t understand, or non think through, is that social media is rooted inward offline context. The experiences the events that immature people travel through are essentially only expressed on these social media platforms. And so some days that’s nearly trauma in addition to nearly grief in addition to nearly hurting in addition to other days it’s nearly dear in addition to happiness in addition to excitement in addition to all the beautiful things that are happening inward one’s life.
I published a newspaper inward Violence in addition to Victims, where nosotros looked at 8 1 chiliad k posts from gang involved folks inward Detroit. What nosotros realized is that alone 4% of the communication from those folks, those 8 1 chiliad k tweets, were nearly criminal offence in addition to violence. And so that form of flys-in-the-face of the narrative that nosotros acquire nearly immature people in addition to immature people from marginalized spaces, inward that their communication, their activities, their engagements around violence in addition to criminal offence they were genuinely talking nearly a host of other things. They were genuinely using these platforms every bit a promotive infinite only similar everyone else. But what is of import is that [while] alone 4% of the communication was nearly violence in addition to crime, that 4% was placidity threatening in addition to aggression. And because of the context that these immature people are embedded in, they would displace on those comments every bit well.
Jonathan Singer [15:02] Did yous expect in addition to consider what per centum of the tweets had to create alongside state dear or infatuation or romance?
Desmond Patton [15:10] Well it’s interesting, is that… nosotros were trying to larn to a greater extent than nearly violence in addition to crime, in addition to nosotros thought… our hypothesis was that nosotros would give away to a greater extent than conversations around violence in addition to crime, in addition to that was non the case. So nosotros were non looking for happiness in addition to dear in addition to excitement in addition to that is what was there. That is the primary content inward the twitter feed that nosotros scraped.
Jonathan Singer [15:40] I tin give notice sympathize why yous would travel looking at violence, because yous know the consequence of romantic interactions on a twitter feed is form of personal. It’s intimate, it’s… it doesn’t wound anybody in addition to so inward essence similar the things that nosotros think of every bit goodness in addition to positive in addition to prosocial the outcomes are almost invisible. Its these really small-scale per centum of the communications that travel world in addition to travel the things that nosotros so focus on.
Desmond Patton [16:11] Absolutely
Jonathan Singer [16:18] You know I’m certain that in that location are folks out in that location proverb that’s genuinely interesting but I am non going to travel analyzing 8 1 chiliad k tweets, right? So what are the accept domicile points hither for practitioners?
Desmond Patton [16:30] First I think that practitioners should sympathize that social media is a novel environmental context for understanding: deportment in addition to adaptation in addition to trauma in addition to stress in addition to dear in addition to happiness. It is ripe for the form of run that social workers create day-in in addition to day-out but get-go nosotros demand to realize that it is an of import context in addition to nosotros demand to displace beyond our form of fearfulness around the usage of technology inward practice.
I learn social workers at the University of Columbia in addition to on the get-go twenty-four hours of course of report I inquire them, “How many of yous all take away hold a twitter account?” in addition to most of my students are 22/23 in addition to maybe out of a course of report of 25 maybe 2 or 3 hands volition raise. I inquire how many people take away hold a Facebook trace concern human relationship in addition to maybe in that location are to a greater extent than hands but they’re using social media for personal interactions or they’re using social media to follow celebrities.
When I think 1 affair nosotros demand to wrap our heed around every bit social industrial plant is that many of the communities that nosotros are working in, take away hold some life on social media whether its immature people, older people, immature adults they are expressing in addition to narrating their life online. And frequently times inward really vulnerable ways in addition to they are presenting multiple selves. So you’ll get a schoolhouse self, a personal self, a professional person self, a light-headed self in addition to so it gives yous form of a 360 perspective of one’s identity in addition to how they are expressing that identity online. And so it gives yous a overnice form of entre into one’s ground which mightiness travel challenging to brand it a one-to-one interview. In the run that I create yous know I am interviewing people all the time, in addition to it’s genuinely difficult to acquire this flat of vulnerability. I think, yous know, interviewing a immature mortal around hurting in addition to trauma, immature people who alive inward Chicago, inward some of the toughest neighborhoods inward the city, take away hold never been every bit expressive every bit I take away hold seen them travel on twitter. And I think that was the instant when I realized that this medium is to a greater extent than powerful than nosotros realized.
And so I think that nosotros also demand to think nearly good what is the purpose of technology in addition to social media at the organizational level? Often times organizations may take away hold a policy around interaction or engagement alongside their clients on social media in addition to I think nosotros demand to think nearly whether or non that is an empirically sound policy. Are nosotros missing whole swabs of information, data, context that tin give notice assist us create our task better? And so I think for social run practioners in addition to students I think the get-go measuring is to travel aware that this is an of import context in addition to b [second step] start to think, start to engage these platforms from a dissimilar perspective. So instead of next a celebratory, think nearly what yous are reading, what are yous taking into when yous are on social media. Sit for a twenty-four hours in addition to only create some observations, accept some acre notes sit down alongside 1 private in addition to form of banker's complaint what they are talking about, the pictures that they’re uploading in addition to consider if yous tin give notice tell a story nearly that private in addition to what mightiness gleam from that experience.
Jonathan Singer [20:20] So it sounds similar yous are almost suggesting that nosotros demand to rethink the way that nosotros think nearly our clients in addition to the information that nosotros acquire from clients. Would it travel reasonable to state that yous would advocate for maybe getting permission from clients to maybe read their world twitter feed for representative if they take away hold them? Like if yous are working alongside an adolescent in addition to during your intake assessment or your get-go yoke of sessions say:
“Hey are yous on twitter?” “Yeah.” “You know if that an of import seat for you?” “Yeah.” “Would yous travel okay if I would travel checking out your twitter feed?”.
Is that something yous think could travel useful? I realize in that location are a lot of ruddy flags that travel upwardly especially if they think “Oh my social worker is reading my twitter feed thence I tin give notice communicate via twitter alongside my social worker.” But... um… it almost sounds similar yous are proverb this is a genuinely of import slice of information in addition to it provides a 360 thought of our clients which nosotros can’t acquire otherwise. What are your thoughts nearly that?
Desmond Patton [21:22] That’s a genuinely of import inquiry in addition to a genuinely complicated question. I think that it is of import for social workers to hold trust in addition to reporior edifice alongside their clients. And I think that at whatsoever dot of getting additional information that the social worker should travel into into a conversation alongside the customer nearly what information is helpful in addition to valid in addition to what are issues around privacy in addition to trust that should travel bridged. But so I think conversely nosotros also know that in that location may travel weather that are non necessarily tied to an individual. So for representative in that location may travel times when in that location are external events, offline province of affairs that are happening inward the community or surrounding an individual, but non necessarily tied to the individual. So that may travel yous know, inward one’s neighborhood in that location take away hold been a serial of robberies in addition to they take away hold learned that past times sitting on twitter in addition to looking at diverse hashtags that are indicated, inward which a neighborhood is indicated, in addition to that information may assist yous contextualize that neighborhood. But it is non giving yous that individual’s information. So nosotros take away hold to think nearly the dissimilar micro in addition to marco levels of information that yous tin give notice larn from social media. I would think a nosotros demand to get-go take away hold conversations but b[second] nosotros demand to also think nearly broader conversations in addition to broader implications that nosotros tin give notice gleam from social media that may non demand to travel around the private customer but to a greater extent than so around the ecological system.
Jonathan Singer [23:22] So this has been genuinely interesting. Starting out talking nearly gang violence in addition to usage of twitter, yous know, every bit a way of identifying where a criminal offence may occur in addition to so talking nearly twitter every bit a tool in addition to social media every bit a tool that teenagers are using to communicate all sorts of things inward their lives. And so also to think nearly twitter, social media every bit a way to sympathize the broader context for things that are happening online in addition to offline inward a teenagers life. So it sounds similar yous sympathize social media genuinely every bit this way of agreement in addition to providing information nearly non only a specific lawsuit or a specific tweet, but genuinely the context for a kid’s life.
Desmond Patton [24:12] Absolutely, but I think it’s of import to think nearly ethics in addition to the ethics involved inward this work. One affair that I take away hold learned inward this inquiry is that, it is tardily to misinterpret what immature people are saying. There is a complex in addition to nuance shape of linguistic communication that is embedded inward youth culture, one’s neighborhood, one’s block, one’s gang affiliation in addition to if you’re non from that item neighborhood or community yous may misinterpret was is genuinely beingness said. And what happens when that misinterpretation happens is immature people, immature people of color, are farther marginalized in addition to policed because of their communication. And so I think that it is genuinely of import to think nearly how create nosotros brand certain that nosotros take away hold an accurate agreement of the linguistic communication the context in addition to the civilization that is beingness expressed on social media in addition to how create nosotros privilege the vocalism of immature people inward this space?
So inward my ain inquiry I hire immature people inward Chicago to travel inquiry assistance inward my lab in addition to they interpret in addition to interpret the information to assist me sympathize the total context, or every bit unopen every bit nosotros tin give notice acquire to the total understanding. That way if nosotros are seeing that a item laid of tweets or posts are aggressive that immature people from the community take away hold validated that item label in addition to that it’s non a label that comes out of sparse air because some of the challenges around this infinite are frequently times that sometimes constabulary may usage this type of information in addition to it’s used to surveille communities of color. What nosotros desire to create in addition to the run that I’m a business office of is leverage expertise of community members in addition to youth to best back upwardly the needs that they articulate online in addition to I think that that is a smashing infinite for social workers is to travel on to fix relationships alongside communities members in addition to youth in addition to using social media every bit a coming together seat to sympathize each other, to sympathize needs that are expressed in addition to to think nearly diverse points of entry way. Maybe perhaps novel interventions or prevention strategies that come upwardly out of conversations around social media that acquire us closer to needs for youths in addition to communities.
Jonathan Singer [26:54] Do yous take away hold an representative nearly a tweet or a serial of tweets that were misinterpreted?
Desmond Patton [27:02] Yeah so 1 of the issues that nosotros take away hold is interpreting rap lyrics. And I retrieve when I get-go started doing this inquiry in addition to in that location were a number of posts that were on the human face upwardly to me in addition to my squad looked really aggressive in addition to threatening. And so I commenced doing a inquiry report alongside gang involved youth inward Chicago in addition to I presented these tweets. And I said “You know I think these tweets are genuinely aggressive. Do yous know what’s happening alongside these tweets.” And they laughed at me in addition to they were really clear to state that “can’t yous tell this is a rap lyric in addition to the guy was in all probability on the “L” [Chicago’s subway] headed domicile in addition to he was listening to Kendrick Lamar (or whomever else) in addition to they posted that lyric on twitter in addition to it agency nothing.” And so my quick supposition that was embedded inward my ain form of biases around linguistic communication in addition to music could take away hold travel placidity problematic but when I talked to immature people they gave me a dissimilar agreement in addition to a dissimilar approach to this content that genuinely changed the direction of how nosotros create this work. So right away nosotros are really clear on assessing the severity of context correct in addition to so nosotros create a lot of checks on our interpretations of the information to brand sure, ya know create nosotros genuinely think that this item comment is threatening? Let’s analyze it to consider to what extent nosotros think this is a high flat threat, a medium flat threat, a depression flat threat in addition to let’s supply some justifications around this based on our agreement in addition to youth agreement of what nosotros think is genuinely aggressive on social media.
Jonathan Singer [28:44] Desmond give thank yous you so much for beingness hither on the social run podcast in addition to talking alongside us nearly your run alongside social media in addition to immature kids. I genuinely appreciate yous taking the time.
--End—
[29:29]
References in addition to Resources
- NPR Staff. (n.d.). In Effort To Curb Violence In Chicago, Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Professor Mines Social Media. Retrieved Jan 10, 2018, from https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/09/09/493319076/in-effort-to-curb-violence-in-chicago-a-professor-mines-social-media
APA (6th ed) citation for this podcast:
Singer, J. B. (Producer). (2018, Jan 12). #116 - Social media in addition to gang violence: Interview alongside Desmond Patton, Ph.D. [Audio Podcast]. Social Work Podcast. Retrieved from /search?q=06/rap-rivalry-and-twitter-outrage-lead-pitchfork-to-pull-video/]. They were argument dorsum in addition to forth on twitter. And 1 private inward item identified himself on Twitter, made himself really clear to the community. And was form of fed upwardly alongside the beef that was happening in addition to basically said, “Well if yous desire to create something nearly this lets run across at this item location.”. On twitter he identified a location in addition to he wanted the other rapper to run across him there. Lo in addition to behold inside 3 hours that rapper was killed inward that exact location.
And so that began my involvement inward the usage of social media every bit a way to sympathize gang violence in addition to root causes of violence. And from that it became genuinely clear to me that social media is a tool in addition to that it’s non nearly why gang members usage social media but, everyone is using social media to limited themselves to fix community to speak alongside friends, but what’s dissimilar is the context inward which that communication is embedded in. And when immature people are embedded inward a civilization or a community where violence is pervasive in addition to a business office of day-to-day life in addition to that becomes the context inward which they narrate inward these online spaces
Jonathan Singer [7:12]: So 1 of the price I’ve heard is cyber banging or cyberspace banging. Can yous tell us what that is or speak a petty nearly that?
Desmond Patton [7:20]: Yes. So my colleagues, Rob Eschmann in addition to Dirk Butler, nosotros wrote a newspaper inward 2013 called Internet Banging which is a conceptual newspaper inward which nosotros assay to depict a reckoner mediated communication inward which immature people, who take away hold some type of gang affiliation, whether it travel difficult kernel gang members or on the periphery, are using social media to taunt in addition to brand threats through the usage of emojis, hashtags in addition to video images. And that conversation, those interactions on social media take away hold the proficiency to Pb toward existent ground violence.
So frequently times what happens is in that location is a postal service made someone perhaps disrespecting an private that was killed past times a competitor gang. Then the dissimilar gangs or factions commenting on that postal service in addition to they are going dorsum in addition to forth. But because of the context inward which these people are embedded in, they cannot only exit it in that location right away because that postal service is visible. Thousands of people are right away looking at that post. Everyone is getting emotional in addition to they right away take away hold to testify themselves. So if they made a comment online they take away hold to dorsum it up. If yous don’t dorsum it upwardly that could brand yous to a greater extent than susceptible to violence or injury. So right away they demand to accept it offline to hold that code of the street.
There has been 1 representative that has genuinely stuck out inward my mind. For the past times few years I take away hold been studying 1 woman mortal deceased gang fellow member Gakirah Barnes. What is most interesting nearly Gakirah is that she was a woman mortal gang fellow member that was known every bit a shooter. It’s non uncommon for immature women to travel a business office of gangs but it is uncommon for immature women to travel active shooters inward gangs. And so non alone did she take away hold this positionality every bit a shooter but she also had a really prominent… um… infinite on twitter. She was really good known on twitter, she had over 27,000 tweets 5,000 followers, which lay her inward the 98th percentile of all twitter users. And I learned a lot nearly her, I became aware of her through pop media. In 2014 many pop media outlets wrote nearly Gakirah calling her the “Teen Queen of Gangland Chicago” in addition to many variations of that. And they talked nearly her savage nature, her willingness to shoot at the driblet of a chapeau in addition to her communicating these ideas in addition to threats on twitter. And so I intentionally became interested inward her because I wanted to consider to what extent tin give notice I give away telephone substitution words in addition to phrases that could assist me sympathize what Pb her to brand these types of comments on twitter. And when I dug deeper alongside my inquiry squad nosotros genuinely constitute something much to a greater extent than interesting, which is genuinely placidity sad, nosotros actually, nosotros were bespeak the incorrect question. We forgot that this was a immature woman, a girl, a human who has fears in addition to hurting in addition to trauma in addition to stress; only similar everyone else.
When nosotros dug deeper into her twitter information nosotros saw someone who was expressing an immense amount of pain. So she would state things similar “the hurting is unbearable” next 1 of her goodness friends [who was], allegedly, shot past times the Chicago constabulary department. She would state phrases similar this frequently in addition to so adjacent twenty-four hours she would state something a chip to a greater extent than aggressive. So yous could consider her grief becoming anger. Then in that location would travel people who were from the opposing gang who were looking at her vulnerability, her willingness to limited herself on social media, in addition to so they would brand comments to her. And so beingness the mortal that she is, she would brand comments dorsum so this form of back-and-forth would evolve. But what is most of import is that the initial comment was around hurting in addition to grief; the initial comment was non around aggression or threats. And that is what has been missing inward our word surrounding this link betwixt social media in addition to gang violence. In that nosotros are forgetting the human chemical component inward that in that location is a person, in that location is a laid of events, in that location is an sense that triggers aggression in addition to threats; it doesn’t start there.
Jonathan Singer [12:10] So that was such a… kind-of a moving in addition to compelling story. You uncovered that this mortal had hurting in addition to that in that location was a multidimensionality to her experience. Does your inquiry on social media in addition to these gangs genuinely delve into the sadness, the depression, the trauma… the form of things I think that a lot of social workers bargain alongside on a regular basis?
Desmond Patton [12:30]: Yeah, so that’s a smashing question. So 1 of the smashing things nearly beingness a qualitative researcher is that nosotros travel where the participant takes us in addition to on social media that tin give notice travel many dissimilar places. That tin give notice travel genuinely wild in addition to that tin give notice travel genuinely exciting. What I’ve done is assay to rail the story that is emerging from day-to-day in addition to week-to-week. And alongside immature people, only similar alongside other folks, but specially alongside immature people they travel through a host of emotions throughout the calendar week that depending on what happened at school, what’s happened inward the community. So for representative on 1 twenty-four hours the content mightiness travel heavy in addition to really distressing in addition to really traumatic, in addition to frequently times that is driven, good non frequently times, that is driven past times the offline context. What people frequently times don’t understand, or non think through, is that social media is rooted inward offline context. The experiences the events that immature people travel through are essentially only expressed on these social media platforms. And so some days that’s nearly trauma in addition to nearly grief in addition to nearly hurting in addition to other days it’s nearly dear in addition to happiness in addition to excitement in addition to all the beautiful things that are happening inward one’s life.
I published a newspaper inward Violence in addition to Victims, where nosotros looked at 8 1 chiliad k posts from gang involved folks inward Detroit. What nosotros realized is that alone 4% of the communication from those folks, those 8 1 chiliad k tweets, were nearly criminal offence in addition to violence. And so that form of flys-in-the-face of the narrative that nosotros acquire nearly immature people in addition to immature people from marginalized spaces, inward that their communication, their activities, their engagements around violence in addition to criminal offence they were genuinely talking nearly a host of other things. They were genuinely using these platforms every bit a promotive infinite only similar everyone else. But what is of import is that [while] alone 4% of the communication was nearly violence in addition to crime, that 4% was placidity threatening in addition to aggression. And because of the context that these immature people are embedded in, they would displace on those comments every bit well.
Jonathan Singer [15:02] Did yous expect in addition to consider what per centum of the tweets had to create alongside state dear or infatuation or romance?
Desmond Patton [15:10] Well it’s interesting, is that… nosotros were trying to larn to a greater extent than nearly violence in addition to crime, in addition to nosotros thought… our hypothesis was that nosotros would give away to a greater extent than conversations around violence in addition to crime, in addition to that was non the case. So nosotros were non looking for happiness in addition to dear in addition to excitement in addition to that is what was there. That is the primary content inward the twitter feed that nosotros scraped.
Jonathan Singer [15:40] I tin give notice sympathize why yous would travel looking at violence, because yous know the consequence of romantic interactions on a twitter feed is form of personal. It’s intimate, it’s… it doesn’t wound anybody in addition to so inward essence similar the things that nosotros think of every bit goodness in addition to positive in addition to prosocial the outcomes are almost invisible. Its these really small-scale per centum of the communications that travel world in addition to travel the things that nosotros so focus on.
Desmond Patton [16:11] Absolutely
Jonathan Singer [16:18] You know I’m certain that in that location are folks out in that location proverb that’s genuinely interesting but I am non going to travel analyzing 8 1 chiliad k tweets, right? So what are the accept domicile points hither for practitioners?
Desmond Patton [16:30] First I think that practitioners should sympathize that social media is a novel environmental context for understanding: deportment in addition to adaptation in addition to trauma in addition to stress in addition to dear in addition to happiness. It is ripe for the form of run that social workers create day-in in addition to day-out but get-go nosotros demand to realize that it is an of import context in addition to nosotros demand to displace beyond our form of fearfulness around the usage of technology inward practice.
I learn social workers at the University of Columbia in addition to on the get-go twenty-four hours of course of report I inquire them, “How many of yous all take away hold a twitter account?” in addition to most of my students are 22/23 in addition to maybe out of a course of report of 25 maybe 2 or 3 hands volition raise. I inquire how many people take away hold a Facebook trace concern human relationship in addition to maybe in that location are to a greater extent than hands but they’re using social media for personal interactions or they’re using social media to follow celebrities.
When I think 1 affair nosotros demand to wrap our heed around every bit social industrial plant is that many of the communities that nosotros are working in, take away hold some life on social media whether its immature people, older people, immature adults they are expressing in addition to narrating their life online. And frequently times inward really vulnerable ways in addition to they are presenting multiple selves. So you’ll get a schoolhouse self, a personal self, a professional person self, a light-headed self in addition to so it gives yous form of a 360 perspective of one’s identity in addition to how they are expressing that identity online. And so it gives yous a overnice form of entre into one’s ground which mightiness travel challenging to brand it a one-to-one interview. In the run that I create yous know I am interviewing people all the time, in addition to it’s genuinely difficult to acquire this flat of vulnerability. I think, yous know, interviewing a immature mortal around hurting in addition to trauma, immature people who alive inward Chicago, inward some of the toughest neighborhoods inward the city, take away hold never been every bit expressive every bit I take away hold seen them travel on twitter. And I think that was the instant when I realized that this medium is to a greater extent than powerful than nosotros realized.
And so I think that nosotros also demand to think nearly good what is the purpose of technology in addition to social media at the organizational level? Often times organizations may take away hold a policy around interaction or engagement alongside their clients on social media in addition to I think nosotros demand to think nearly whether or non that is an empirically sound policy. Are nosotros missing whole swabs of information, data, context that tin give notice assist us create our task better? And so I think for social run practioners in addition to students I think the get-go measuring is to travel aware that this is an of import context in addition to b [second step] start to think, start to engage these platforms from a dissimilar perspective. So instead of next a celebratory, think nearly what yous are reading, what are yous taking into when yous are on social media. Sit for a twenty-four hours in addition to only create some observations, accept some acre notes sit down alongside 1 private in addition to form of banker's complaint what they are talking about, the pictures that they’re uploading in addition to consider if yous tin give notice tell a story nearly that private in addition to what mightiness gleam from that experience.
Jonathan Singer [20:20] So it sounds similar yous are almost suggesting that nosotros demand to rethink the way that nosotros think nearly our clients in addition to the information that nosotros acquire from clients. Would it travel reasonable to state that yous would advocate for maybe getting permission from clients to maybe read their world twitter feed for representative if they take away hold them? Like if yous are working alongside an adolescent in addition to during your intake assessment or your get-go yoke of sessions say:
“Hey are yous on twitter?” “Yeah.” “You know if that an of import seat for you?” “Yeah.” “Would yous travel okay if I would travel checking out your twitter feed?”.
Is that something yous think could travel useful? I realize in that location are a lot of ruddy flags that travel upwardly especially if they think “Oh my social worker is reading my twitter feed thence I tin give notice communicate via twitter alongside my social worker.” But... um… it almost sounds similar yous are proverb this is a genuinely of import slice of information in addition to it provides a 360 thought of our clients which nosotros can’t acquire otherwise. What are your thoughts nearly that?
Desmond Patton [21:22] That’s a genuinely of import inquiry in addition to a genuinely complicated question. I think that it is of import for social workers to hold trust in addition to reporior edifice alongside their clients. And I think that at whatsoever dot of getting additional information that the social worker should travel into into a conversation alongside the customer nearly what information is helpful in addition to valid in addition to what are issues around privacy in addition to trust that should travel bridged. But so I think conversely nosotros also know that in that location may travel weather that are non necessarily tied to an individual. So for representative in that location may travel times when in that location are external events, offline province of affairs that are happening inward the community or surrounding an individual, but non necessarily tied to the individual. So that may travel yous know, inward one’s neighborhood in that location take away hold been a serial of robberies in addition to they take away hold learned that past times sitting on twitter in addition to looking at diverse hashtags that are indicated, inward which a neighborhood is indicated, in addition to that information may assist yous contextualize that neighborhood. But it is non giving yous that individual’s information. So nosotros take away hold to think nearly the dissimilar micro in addition to marco levels of information that yous tin give notice larn from social media. I would think a nosotros demand to get-go take away hold conversations but b[second] nosotros demand to also think nearly broader conversations in addition to broader implications that nosotros tin give notice gleam from social media that may non demand to travel around the private customer but to a greater extent than so around the ecological system.
Jonathan Singer [23:22] So this has been genuinely interesting. Starting out talking nearly gang violence in addition to usage of twitter, yous know, every bit a way of identifying where a criminal offence may occur in addition to so talking nearly twitter every bit a tool in addition to social media every bit a tool that teenagers are using to communicate all sorts of things inward their lives. And so also to think nearly twitter, social media every bit a way to sympathize the broader context for things that are happening online in addition to offline inward a teenagers life. So it sounds similar yous sympathize social media genuinely every bit this way of agreement in addition to providing information nearly non only a specific lawsuit or a specific tweet, but genuinely the context for a kid’s life.
Desmond Patton [24:12] Absolutely, but I think it’s of import to think nearly ethics in addition to the ethics involved inward this work. One affair that I take away hold learned inward this inquiry is that, it is tardily to misinterpret what immature people are saying. There is a complex in addition to nuance shape of linguistic communication that is embedded inward youth culture, one’s neighborhood, one’s block, one’s gang affiliation in addition to if you’re non from that item neighborhood or community yous may misinterpret was is genuinely beingness said. And what happens when that misinterpretation happens is immature people, immature people of color, are farther marginalized in addition to policed because of their communication. And so I think that it is genuinely of import to think nearly how create nosotros brand certain that nosotros take away hold an accurate agreement of the linguistic communication the context in addition to the civilization that is beingness expressed on social media in addition to how create nosotros privilege the vocalism of immature people inward this space?
So inward my ain inquiry I hire immature people inward Chicago to travel inquiry assistance inward my lab in addition to they interpret in addition to interpret the information to assist me sympathize the total context, or every bit unopen every bit nosotros tin give notice acquire to the total understanding. That way if nosotros are seeing that a item laid of tweets or posts are aggressive that immature people from the community take away hold validated that item label in addition to that it’s non a label that comes out of sparse air because some of the challenges around this infinite are frequently times that sometimes constabulary may usage this type of information in addition to it’s used to surveille communities of color. What nosotros desire to create in addition to the run that I’m a business office of is leverage expertise of community members in addition to youth to best back upwardly the needs that they articulate online in addition to I think that that is a smashing infinite for social workers is to travel on to fix relationships alongside communities members in addition to youth in addition to using social media every bit a coming together seat to sympathize each other, to sympathize needs that are expressed in addition to to think nearly diverse points of entry way. Maybe perhaps novel interventions or prevention strategies that come upwardly out of conversations around social media that acquire us closer to needs for youths in addition to communities.
Jonathan Singer [26:54] Do yous take away hold an representative nearly a tweet or a serial of tweets that were misinterpreted?
Desmond Patton [27:02] Yeah so 1 of the issues that nosotros take away hold is interpreting rap lyrics. And I retrieve when I get-go started doing this inquiry in addition to in that location were a number of posts that were on the human face upwardly to me in addition to my squad looked really aggressive in addition to threatening. And so I commenced doing a inquiry report alongside gang involved youth inward Chicago in addition to I presented these tweets. And I said “You know I think these tweets are genuinely aggressive. Do yous know what’s happening alongside these tweets.” And they laughed at me in addition to they were really clear to state that “can’t yous tell this is a rap lyric in addition to the guy was in all probability on the “L” [Chicago’s subway] headed domicile in addition to he was listening to Kendrick Lamar (or whomever else) in addition to they posted that lyric on twitter in addition to it agency nothing.” And so my quick supposition that was embedded inward my ain form of biases around linguistic communication in addition to music could take away hold travel placidity problematic but when I talked to immature people they gave me a dissimilar agreement in addition to a dissimilar approach to this content that genuinely changed the direction of how nosotros create this work. So right away nosotros are really clear on assessing the severity of context correct in addition to so nosotros create a lot of checks on our interpretations of the information to brand sure, ya know create nosotros genuinely think that this item comment is threatening? Let’s analyze it to consider to what extent nosotros think this is a high flat threat, a medium flat threat, a depression flat threat in addition to let’s supply some justifications around this based on our agreement in addition to youth agreement of what nosotros think is genuinely aggressive on social media.
Jonathan Singer [28:44] Desmond give thank yous you so much for beingness hither on the social run podcast in addition to talking alongside us nearly your run alongside social media in addition to immature kids. I genuinely appreciate yous taking the time.
--End—
[29:29]
References in addition to Resources
- NPR Staff. (n.d.). In Effort To Curb Violence In Chicago, Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Professor Mines Social Media. Retrieved Jan 10, 2018, from https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/09/09/493319076/in-effort-to-curb-violence-in-chicago-a-professor-mines-social-media
APA (6th ed) citation for this podcast:
Singer, J. B. (Producer). (2018, Jan 12). #116 - Social media in addition to gang violence: Interview alongside Desmond Patton, Ph.D. [Audio Podcast]. Social Work Podcast. Retrieved from "); if(r>0) {obj0.innerHTML=s.substr(0,r);obj1.innerHTML=s.substr(r+4);}
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