Art apps with hidden harms, arguing better, and the misplaced burden of accessibility (SBLTN Lab Notes 026)
Increase your persuasiveness through receptive words, why Smart Caption Glasses in theaters aren’t a quick fix, and art apps with hidden harms
IN THE MARGINS
Today is supposed to be magical, apparently: 2/22/22.
Even though I don’t know much about the connection that tarot, numerology, or spirituality have to this date, I do know that in this chaotic, confusing, contradictory world, we should embrace little bits of magic wherever we can.
Look at a high-res picture from NASA. Think about how our bodies do so much without us being consciously aware. Wonder how something so tiny as an atom can have such an impact. Or just check the calendar and think how wonderful it is that you’re here on 2/22/22.
(Sorry to my peeps in The Republic of Kiribati's Line Islands. Your timezone of +14 hours UTC means you’re getting this late but maybe you can catch 3/3/33? haha)
ACCESSIBILITY
Smart Caption Glasses
As the Global North lifts COVID-19 restrictions for entertainment venues like movie theaters and people shift from having accessible movie content at home to lacking it in public spaces, I’m yet again thinking about assistive tech that can help alleviate this. This Twitter thread calls out the problem with smart caption glasses, which on the surface seem like a quick fix. Although I’m interested in the technology, I think the application of them is problematic. Devices like these place the burden on the people with hearing loss to manage accommodations that should be provided to them.
I’m a fan of constructive criticism: point out some problems but also offer solutions. While Adam calls out the bad practices, he also offers tangible, possible solutions that would actually be easy and financially beneficial for theaters to implement. Now let’s see if any theaters actually listen because I’m pretty sure they can hear this…
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
How To Argue Better?
As a social justice advocate, I often have to have “hard conversations”. Sometimes this involves someone simply learning something new and discovering their internal bias. Sometimes it’s ‘debating’ with someone that just straight up doesn’t see me as a human or as valuable as them. The latter is hard as fuck to talk about without wanting to scream and drop-kick the other person in the face. Assuming the person you’re talking to is genuinely wanting to learn and to change, it can be a difficult but worthwhile talk.
I’m always wondering how I can have these talks without letting out pure rage or breaking down in tears. It’s not just a presentation where I’m showing my logos and can defend my design choices. It’s not just trying to convince a boss I’m worth a pay raise. Just yelling at people rarely gets them to be receptive to your point - let alone change their mind or behavior.
This Psyche article “Argue better by signalling your receptiveness with these words” is one I’ll come back to for guidance on trying to be heard. It claims that “there are word choices you can make that will help maintain the relationship, increase your own persuasiveness, and learn more about the other person’s point of view.”
TLDR; Their ‘receptiveness recipe’ breaks down to:
Actively acknowledge the other’s perspective
Affirm the other person’s views by highlighting areas of agreement
Hedge your claims
Phrase your arguments in positive rather than negative terms
Share your personal experiences
The full article also has some examples of usage.
ART & DESIGN
Mona Lisa Vibes
You can now turn your selfies into da Vinci paintings with a tool called DaVinciFace. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms, the app turns images into the Renaissance painting style Leonardo Da Vinci was famous for.
Chiaroscuro is a technique that captured me the moment I first saw it in art classes. The extreme contrast between light and dark is captivating but also very hard to emulate through AI. Here is where I rain on your parade… Getting over the ooh-and-ahh phase of the tech, I was concerned with the fact they ask for your email to use it as well as wondering what they do with the tons of photos uploaded to the site. As a Black person, I’m averse to facial recognition software based on how government and police have used it in the U.S. As a privacy-concerned person, this also raises red surveillance capitalism flags to me. So, while these art apps seem fun, the potential hidden harms make me stick to museums to see the Renaissance masters.
Signing off from the Starship SBLTN,
Laneen (Pronouns: she/they)
🎧 Listening: "Emily McDowell Quits Being a Human Brand" podcast episode
👀 Watching: The Daily Moth - News videos using American Sign Language
🖊️ Word of the Day: Numerology - the pseudo-scientific belief in a divine or mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events
Last week I shared a sustainability newsletter that’s been helping me with my doom and gloom outlook regarding the climate crisis. This week it’s The Soapbox Project. It focuses on just one sustainability topic a month and breaks it down for you in 3 minutes every week. The bite-sized action plans are spread out through:
Week 1 - “Read" (a few facts and the most important takeaways)
Week 2 - “Listen” (a short podcast or a video)
Week 3 - “Act” (at least 3 actions you can take)
Week 4 - “Reflect” (answering questions from readers, expert interviews, and additional resources)
“We do the homework so you can fight climate change from the comfort of your inbox!” - The Soapbox Project Instagram @soapboxproject