Wed, Feb 19, 2025 09:55
Feb 19, 2025
·
1 min read
I’m disgusted by the White House’s official account posting an ASMR video on deportations.
To better understand, let’s revisit sociologist Zygmunt Bauman’s perspective on the Holocaust. His argument was that the Holocaust’s origins were in modernity itself, not only in the unique histories of Germany and the Jewish people.
Similarly, we should examine how contemporary techniques are being used. This case shows how social media’s tools are used to dehumanize and morally neutralize through ASMR, memes, and irony.
Via kottke.org.
Authors
Wouter Van Rossem is a researcher on the intersection between social science and computer science. He previously worked on the European Research Council (ERC) funded project, Processing Citizenship, where he investigated how data infrastructures for population processing co-produce citizens, Europe, and territory. He completed his PhD at the University of Twente in the Netherlands and is still working on publications stemming from these impactful projects. In addition to his academic pursuits as a PhD at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, he brings a diverse background as a software engineer, having worked in various companies and at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Italy. His diverse background, spanning both theoretical and hands-on knowledge, reflects his keen interest in exploring the intricate interconnections between technology and society.