Tech-Empowered Activism: The Role of Education in Modern Protests

• In Event: Poster Group 2
  In Poster Session: Tech-Empowered Activism: The Role of Education in Modern Protests

Proposal

The landscape of protest tools around the globe in the digital era is everchanging. With new technologies, the tools and strategies used are constantly changing and updating. Whether it is data visualization resources or social media platforms, technology is an integral part of modern protests in educating, moblizing, and communicating with fellow protesters. It is important to understand the role and evolution of technology in modern activism education to not only study how it democratizes access to information but also its effect on raising awareness and educating the masses about social issues.
For the next generation of activists to be aware and well-prepared to leverage the power of technology for impactful activism, the study of the intersection of education and technology is of utmost importance. While the traditional methods of protesting are useful, the advent of new technologies has changed the tools and strategies that can be efficiently used in protests today. The poster aims to study the role of education in leveraging technology for modern protests.
It will also look at concerns like protester surveillance and privacy, digital security, misinformation, the ethics of using technology in protests, etc, and the role of education to mitigate these concerns.

The poster will also delve into the interesting case study of CAA protests (2020) and Assam Agitation (1980) in Assam, India, drawing a comparison between the use of technology in both contexts, highlighting its changing role and impact on activism education. To gain a better understanding of the events, interviews with individuals who actively participated in the protests will be conducted and studies. The first-hand accounts and perspectives will enrich our study to better understand the experiences, strategies, tools, and motivations of the protesters. Qualitative interviews with the aim to identify patterns and themes, along with a thorough literature review will give us a holistic understanding of the two protests.

Drawing from the study and comprehensive analysis, the poster aims to gain a deeper understanding of the evolving nature of strategies and tools used in modern-day protests - and the role of education in harnessing technology for meaningful and impactful social change. It aims to contribute to the important discourse on leveraging technology in protests through an educational lens.

Author

• Audrika Thakuria, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania