Last weekend, I culled my home library, allowing myself to let go of copies of “great books” I diligently studied and carried around with me both physically and mentally for years. Though I’ve been an avid learner my whole life, it wasn’t until I accessed the experiences and thoughts of myriad voices on social networks, that I began to realize how many perspectives had been omitted from the ideas I was exposed to through my education and my every day life.1
Formal education has traditionally focused heavily on the humanities because, in the words of Harvard University Past-President Drew Faust, they “enable us to see through a new lens, to look at the world through others’ eyes.” Philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, history, and language are all ways we express our humanity and help us see past who we are and where we come from – beyond the world we were born into and beyond the world we encounter every day – to appreciate the breadth of humanity. “We come to understand,” says Faust, “that the world has been different and could and will be different again.”
The problem, with formal education and the traditional understanding of the humanities is the eyes have been limited by a select few people who’ve had the power and influence to decide – based on their own experiences, preferences, education, and interests – which stories are worthy of being shared, which ideas are worthy of spreading, and which cultures are worthy of being explored. Far too many voices have been overlooked, silenced, ignored, or deemed unimportant. “Our heavily redacted history has meant the loss of many options,” writes Marilynne Robinson in Which Way to the City on a Hill?
But digital media is sweeping the redactors and gatekeepers aside, giving anyone with a computer or smartphone the power to put their stories, ideas, and creations in the hands of people all around the world. “If there is a common experience of living today on the planet, it might best be characterized not by political, religious, or social viewpoint, but by the simple act of creating for expressive purpose,” says David Edwards in Creating Things that Matter: The Art and Science of Innovations that Last. “For the first time ever, a significant swath of the general public is expressing itself in ways that endure.”
When I’m asked to explain why I’m so optimistic about our digital world — despite all the studies about how bad social media is and the negative press regarding various social networks — time and again, I return to the concept of seeing the world through different eyes. Many, many more eyes than we have ever had access to before. Anyone can share with the world whatever they are living, witnessing, and thinking. And anyone with a computer or a smartphone can experience the world alongside them.
I find this exciting, inspiring, and absolutely thrilling! I believe digital connections and the human flourishing they fuel are so much bigger than the downsides of specific social networks. Digital media gives us unprecedented ability to learn about and connect directly with our fellow human beings, instead of seeing them through the lenses and perspectives of gatekeepers, editors, and taste-makers.
We intuitively make room for the experiences and perspectives of fellow humans we truly see. The more people we connect with, the more we shed our fear, bias, and prejudice — and the more ideas we have at hand to help us envision and co-create a world where everyone has a voice and is treated with dignity and respect. I’m consciously making room for new stories and new ways of thinking to understand where my perspective has been limited and to find ways forward together that include and benefit all.
That’s why I’m launching Digital Hope: to reflect, inspire, and convene people interested in exploring new options for a more abundant, inclusive future by seeing the world through new eyes. Will you join me?
Also from Lauren M. Hug — Digital Kindness: Being Human in a Hyper-Connected World and COMING SOON Digital Grace: Embracing Benevolence in an Outraged World.
Example: I never learned anything about Pauli Murray, despite studying civil rights and feminist legal theory in both law school and master of laws courses. I highly recommend watching My Name is Pauli Murray on Amazon Prime to understand how this ahead-of-the-times legal theorist massively impacted major social justice movements of the twentieth century.
What a brilliant opening posts Lauren. This is the key phrase for me: "the concept of seeing the world through different eyes. Many, many more eyes than we have ever had access to before." My go-to document when discussing anything to do with digital communication is The ClueTrain Manifesto (95 theses written in 1999 for businesses and a fascinating predictor of human behaviour). Thesis 29 says "Elvis said it best: "We can't go on together with suspicious minds."" I'm really looking forward to future posts!