I know, I know, it’s digital blasphemy to say that using Internet data is a terrible way to study social movements. What about all of those Twitter and Facebook revolutions of the Arab Spring? And Occupy Wall Street? #Ferguson and #BlackLivesMatter spread like wildfire, for God’s sake. You may think that I’m a luddite who […]
Tag Archives | Big Data
From French Resistance to hashtag activism: How our obsession with the extraordinary masks the power of the ordinary
I’ve become obsessed with “Un village français.” No, it’s not an idyllic town in Provence. It’s a French television series set during World War II. The show follows the residents of one French town as they navigate the German occupation. I tell myself that I am already into the 6th season (thank you, Netflix) because […]
Big Data is Too Small: How the Digital Divide Leaves People Out
In my post on PBS.org’s MediaShift, I contend that Big Data is Too Small. I will also be giving a talk on the topic at the American Sociological Association’s Annual Meeting on August 13 in New York. Here’s the lede: “The utopian hype over Big Data is being critiqued on many fronts. After all, it isn’t that new. […]
