5/ Social media is curious: it partly disrupts racism by hiding irrelevant context, partly amplifies via filter bubbles.
Conversation
Replying to
6/ So in terms of capacity to disrupt racism as cognitive technology, online = between town and country. BUT a lot more room, so net plus.
1
1
Replying to
7/ The reason spelling-bee racists seem so funny is that their very choice of target marks them as living in uncool part of online world
2
1
3
Replying to
8/ So prediction: social media will eventually eliminate racism via ephemeralization, because on the social graph isolation is atrophy
2
4
Replying to
9/ Which isn't to say humans will turn into saints overnight. We'll still be star-bellied sneetches.
2
4
Replying to
10/ But race as central part of social identity has been disrupted. Racists today seem *technologically* odd like people who use land-lines
2
2
7
Replying to
11/ Once you know 1 person of given race personally, even if only online, and enjoy relationship, it's basically impossible to be racist.
5
3
Replying to
12/ Which means ultimately, it's rather cruel to laugh at spelling bee racists: they are digitally isolated, technologically obsolete.
3
1
2
Replying to
Have you read Ian Haney Lopez's book "White by Law"? It documents a pretty strong case against your point.
5
Replying to
White -- post Civil War -- White or Black. That was the constitutional requirement for citizenship (until like 1970, which is insane)
2
1
Replying to
Yeah, twitter and philosophy are not great friends. Big words. Many characters.
1

