On Tuesday, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testified before Congress, claiming that the network prioritizes profit over user safety and has ignored its detrimental effects on youth mental health. Her testimony, along with the internal documents she provided to federal regulators, has furthered calls for Big Tech regulation and transparency. This week’s source can offer perspective on how technology impacts identity formation and how bigotry is maintained through digital communication.

Saif Shahin is an assistant professor in the School of Communication at American University in Washington, D.C. An expert in critical data studies and digital culture, Shahin researches technology policy; the implications of online disinformation; media coverage of global politics; diversity and inclusion efforts in digital spaces; and online social movements. Shahin's recent published work focuses on how digital media users use nationalism to justify bigotry and the far right’s presence on social media. His research methods include machine learning, social network analysis and sentiment analysis, the process of detecting opinion in text on social networks and elsewhere online. 

Other sources of interest this week

A new report from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network shows that rising ocean temperatures killed about 14% of the world's coral reefs in just under a decade, emphasizing the grim future of coral reef health without a decrease in warming and emissions.

Kiho Kim is a professor of environmental science at American University. A marine biologist, Kim’s work focuses on the ecology of coral reefs and how environmental drivers, such as climate change and nutrient pollution, impact coastal ecosystem health. He has served as a member of the Ocean Studies Board of the National Academies and an officer of the International Society for Reef Studies.

Sources of the Week on the news

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition to discuss NASA’s refusal to rename the James Webb Space Telescope amid controversy surrounding Webb. Graciela Aponte-Diaz spoke to The Hill about Rohit Chopra, the newly appointed director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Georges Benjamin spoke to the Associated Press about the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 surpassing 700,000. Shaun Harper spoke to Inside Higher Ed about efforts to counter a decline in college enrollment among Black men during the pandemic. Leila Cobo spoke to Marketplace about a recent rise in the popularity of Latin music. Tiya Miles is a National Book Award nonfiction finalist for All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake.

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