We’ve covered a lot of really valuable information over the course of this semester ranging in a variety of topics but all centered around the theme of inclusion. In the beginning of the semester, we focused on the meaning of digital inclusion and learned what that looks like for different populations. One of our first required readings included an article called “Inclusive: what is it?” that gave us a great introduction to inclusivity and what tropes come up in spaces trying to perform rather than full inclusion. It is not enough to just say that everyone is welcome. True inclusivity includes acknowledging the history each person holds and allowing them to be themselves and also respected in spaces that historically have not always been accessible to them. It also means providing accommodations so that people have the same access to digital technologies as others whether that is through educational support, assistive technology tools, or affordable internet access.
While we have learned many ways in which things can be made more inclusive, my favorite to learn about was the changes in the video game industry. We spent a few weeks talking about and even playing video games that have options or stories aimed toward being more inclusive and adding representation. During these modules, I got to play a game that had been on my list for a long time, Sky: Children of the Light. It was the first game I’ve played that had in-game translation to help players communicate. I think that’s a great feature that more games should adopt. That game, as a whole, is so relaxing and wholesome to experience. If there was one game that could possibly “make the world a better place”, like Jane McGonigal mentions in her TEDTalk about gaming and World of Warcraft, I think Sky would be a great contender. I’ve played video games for roughly 25 years. A majority of the time, I play a lot of first person shooter type of games like Overwatch or Halo. I’ve found that in these types of games, you sometimes see the worst of humanity and have probably seen a lot more because I am a woman and just existing seems to be a magnet for discrimination. Because of that, I rarely talk in games and I’ve made sure to use neutral usernames so I see less hate from other players. It really is night and day, the type of treatment someone called “Bunny Mochi” will get versus “Nightraven”. Maybe a reflection of society? But that’s a topic for another time.
Another theme that weaved in and out of our course, and goes in hand with inclusion, was surveillance. We’ve learned about how discriminatory companies can be and how they use surveillance as a tool not only for their own profit but to fuel racially motivated agendas. Within these political powered plans, some have suggested a way to make it serve people in a more positive way. Zuckerman’s essay, The Case for Digital Public Infrastructure, shows us how the current way the internet works is as a surveillance tool for companies and how we shouldn’t accept that as the norm. This essay asks us to think about what we want out of digital media and what we can do to work towards achieving those dreams, a question we could apply to digital inclusion as a whole. What can we do to make our digital world a better and more inclusive place for everyone, not just those behind the surveillance machine?
References:
McGonigal, J. (2010, February). Gaming Can Make a Better World. Ted.com; TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world?language=en
Mitchell, J. (2020, February 4). Inclusive: what is it? Medium. https://jesshmitchell.medium.com/inclusive-what-is-it-55acfd8094dd
Zuckerman, E. (2020, January 17). The Case for Digital Public Infrastructure. Knightcolumbia.org. https://knightcolumbia.org/content/the-case-for-digital-public-infrastructure
Mahina Apuna 