THIS year\u2019s Pivot Summit took a closer look at the collision between technology and humanity and its consequences.<\/p>\n
Held for the first time in a two-day format, the annual business, entrepreneurship and tech conference featured a broad range of speakers, who shared their views at Deakin University\u2019s Costa Hall on Friday and Saturday.<\/p>\n
One of the highlights was Friday\u2019s humanity panel, which explored the impacts of technology on our mental health and personal safety.<\/p>\n
Chaired by SANE Australia\u2019s Michelle Blanchard, it featured beyondblue chief executive officer Georgie Harman, Professor Michael Berk from Deakin University, Project Rockit co-founder and chief executive offer Rosie Thomas and Dr Julia Fossi from the Australian eSafety Commissioner\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
Ms Thomas said apathy was one of the biggest challenges for online users.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we take the issues of hate or prejudice, we know that apathy is a breeding ground for that sort of thing. We also know that when we\u2019re online, and we have the ability to be anonymous, that\u2019s often when we can see apathy playing out.<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of what we want to do is address that by bringing the offline world, if you like, in more contact with the online world.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it comes to building empathy in people, it\u2019s not just in young people. I think we hear a lot of criticism of young people in how they\u2019re using technology to spread hurt and humiliation, but it\u2019s not limited to young people, it\u2019s actually part of human nature.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Harman agreed. \u201cI\u2019m a great believer in humanity and I think we\u2019ve got to stop seeing technology as evil \u2013 because it\u2019s here, it\u2019s not going to go away, it\u2019s increasingly what we use in our daily lives,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to respond to it, we\u2019ve got to see it as something we can take control of, whether that\u2019s through policy, funding investments or our own individual behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professor Berk said de-anonymising the internet \u201cwould be a very useful step\u201d on a structural level.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THIS year\u2019s Pivot Summit took a closer look at the collision between technology and humanity and its consequences. Held for the first time in a two-day format, the annual business, entrepreneurship and tech conference featured a broad range of speakers, who shared their views at Deakin University\u2019s Costa Hall on Friday and Saturday. One of […]<\/p>\n