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Centring joy

In this video the course contributors discuss the potential technologies have for creating joy.
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<v ->Designing technology for public use means</v> that we know people of all genders need to have equal opportunities to both, you know, shape it to make sure that they’re not harmed by participating in it. And that they, you know, they have equal chance to derive pleasure and creativity and, you know and all the good things that we get from, you know something solving a problem. So, you know we all should have the same access to those experiences. And I think joy is a big part of that. Creativity is a big part of that. Social connection is such a big part of that.
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These are all things that matter and, you know, women and non-binary people tend to be overlooked when technology is being discussed and are only discussed in the context of harm. Not, not, not just, you know, thinking about how they are as consumers and you know how am I as a young person flicking through Tiktok you know, what is, what are my experiences on that platform? It’s not just harm. It should be about their like liberty as well.
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<v ->What it means to centre trans joy</v> is to create possibilities and to create realities through technology that might be currently granted to cis gender people but don’t currently exist for trans people and to use technology to make these experiences exist. So for example, a technology that connects trans people to trans media might be an experience of joy for them. That is great, and is also already existing for cis people. You’re using utilising technology to create a reality that doesn’t currently exist that generates joy for this community.
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Yeah. I absolutely think it can work to counteract the narratives of trans people that exist in society. And I also think that the best way to centre trans people and trans joy is for trans people to be incorporated and have agency in the process of developing technology. And therefore, in this case in the example of trans media, it is not only a way to create alternative narratives to trans people but also to enable trans people to have agency over how their narratives are perceived and how trans people are essentially archived in society.

In this video, our course contributors discuss the cultural benefits of creating gender-inclusive technologies and how we might think of creating new technologies as an opportunity to also create joy.

So far we’ve learnt about the impact of gender inequality within the tech industry. While it’s important to understand the negative aspects of the industry, it’s also important that narratives about women, trans and non-binary people do not only focus on problems but also celebrate the successes and brilliance of these groups.

When designing technologies, it’s important to consider whether they meet a meaningful need and whether they are making a positive impact in the world. Beyond this, however, designers might also ask themselves whether what they are making promotes joy for people – as long as this joy isn’t at the expense of others.

What do you think about the points raised in this video, do you feel that technologies should promote joy?

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Gender-Inclusive Approaches in Technology

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