Town Square

What is the impact – and future – of Facebook and other digital technologies?

Today, experts discuss the impact of social media, new digital technologies and digital activism. Plus, what do we know so far about the new omicron variant of the coronavirus?

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FILE- In this May 1, 2018, file photo, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg makes the keynote speech at F8, Facebook's developer conference in San Jose, Calif. Facebook says it recently discovered a security breach affecting nearly 50 million user accounts. In a blog post, Friday, Sept. 28, the company says hackers exploited its "View As" feature, which lets people see what their profiles look like to someone else. Facebook says it has taken steps to fix the security problem and alerted law enforcement. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
FILE- In this May 1, 2018, file photo, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg makes the keynote speech at F8, Facebook’s developer conference in San Jose, Calif. Facebook says it recently discovered a security breach affecting nearly 50 million user accounts. In a blog post, Friday, Sept. 28, the company says hackers exploited its “View As” feature, which lets people see what their profiles look like to someone else. Facebook says it has taken steps to fix the security problem and alerted law enforcement. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

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Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, questions@townsquaretalk.org or @townsquaretalk.

Do you use Facebook?

Have you encountered misinformation or harassment?

The company's rise to prominence has been linked to problems addressing misinformation, the spreading of hate speech and violent acts.

Today, we explore the impact – and future – of Facebook.

Experts will discuss, and they'll also talk about rising digital technologies that can seem, well, science fiction.

Is wearable technology the way of the future?

How about plugging technology directly into the brain?

And how will all of that impact society, policy, and activism?

Plus, a medical expert will also join us to explain what we know so far about omicron, the new variant of concern.

Guests:

Dr. Catherine Troisi

  • An infectious disease epidemiologist and faculty member at UTHealth School of Public Health

Karen Hao

  • Senior AI editor at MIT Technology Review
  • Former writer of the Webby Awards-nominated newsletter "The Algorithm"

Dr. Shiv Ganesh

  • A professor at The University of Texas and a global scholar focusing on activism and communication in the context of digital technologies

Dr. Chris Bronk

  • Associate Professor of Computer and Information Systems at the University of Houston
  • Director of the Cybersecurity Graduate Program

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

Audio from today’s show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps.

Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
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Catherine Lu

Catherine Lu

Senior Content Producer & Announcer

While growing up in Chicago and Houston, Catherine’s love for art, music and creative writing was influenced by her teachers and parents. She was once concertmaster of the Clear Lake High School Orchestra and a four-time violinist of the Texas All-State Symphony. A graduate of the University of Chicago, Catherine...

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