“We need those who understand technology to commit to social justice.”

danah boyd is A Person You Should Know.

Principal Researcher, Microsoft Research. Founder, Data & Society. Author, It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens.

Suggests teachers must help teens think critically about social media, just as they help them understand other aspects of life that happen outside the classroom.

Believes teens’ use of social media is significantly shaped by race and class, geography and cultural background.

“In a world where information is easily available, strong personal networks and access to helpful people often matter more than access to the information itself.”

Thinks we need those who are thinking about social justice to understand technology and those who understand technology to commit to social justice.

Believes there’s a cost to fame and that cost is not evenly borne.

“Today’s youth aren’t lazy. They want to socialize and they want to interact. They are just given too few opportunities to do so.”

Warns that parental anxieties about technology are dangerous because they create walls between kids and parents.

Thinks Pokemon Go is an example of how technology can bring people together in the real world.

Connect with danah: Website • Twitter

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Other people you should know:

“Failures are cheap if you do them first…and expensive if you do them at the end.”

“Connecting broadly is meaningless unless you connect deeply.”

“Everything you have achieved…is a reflection of how much your audiences remember you.”