Technology Books

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I have a few topics to which I regularly gravitate, and one of them is technology and its impact on society. It is hard to overstate the presence of technology in our lives--particularly the Internet and social media. While many claim that technology has positive impacts, there is plenty of evidence to calls into question what exactly tech's role is. I’m recommending some books that have helped me learn about the role of technology in our lives.

Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, and Other Threats of Toxic Tech(Wachter-Boettcher): Technically Wrong highlights the toxic and biased aspects of the technology industry. From rampant sexism in the industry, app actions that are harmful without recourse, and biased algorithms, Sara Wachter-Boettcher uncovers the darker sides of the technology in a accessible narrative that gives one pause about whether it’s wise to support businesses with practices that have questionable results. This would be a good read if you are interested on topics such as Uber’s business practices.

Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism (Noble): Algorithms of Oppression addresses the inherent racism in most search engine algorithms. Safiya Umoja Noble presents her own research project where she conducts searches that show how the algorithms enforce certain racist stereotypes. This is probably the most academic of all the works on this list, but it’s definitely worth a read. I particularly recommend it if you're an information professional or have an interest in research or information science or programming.

Virtually You: The Dangerous Powers of the E-Personality (Aboujaoude

) Have you watched the people in your life transform into a horribly rude person on Facebook or indulged in the behavior yourself? This book covers how the Internet influence people’s behavior online and off. It’s been awhile since I read this one, but I found the book well-written and well-organized.

Winter of Our Disconnect (Maushart): After Susan Maushart realizes she and her children are seriously addicted to their devices, she enforces a sabbatical from all technology and documents their experiences in Winter of Our Disconnect. Maushart describes technology’s influence on her family and the changes that occurred when they cut out technology. It definitely got me thinking about how my devices influence how I spend my time. Read with Digital Minimalism (see below) to get a sense of how to break free of your social media habit.

Crash Override (Quinn): Game programmer Zoe Quinn describes her experience in the hands of a hate mob on social media and her experiences as an activist. Quinn’s writing is accessible and engaging, and she has some good tips to keep yourself safe online and handle your own harassment incidents.

Perfect Weapon (Sanger): David Sanger describes several incidents that highlight the cybersecurity issues facing the United States (among the stories is the Russian interference in the 2016 election). He points toward the need to establish rules of engagement for cyberwarfare and address how to handle this growing issue. This is an interesting read if you are curious about the Russians’ interference in the 2016 election and want to know more about cybersecurity issues and the U.S’s readiness. I confess this one doesn't perfectly fit with the others, but it's so interesting that I needed to include it!

Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World (Newport): Do you feel like social media is taking over your life? Are you trying to figure out a way to break your social media addiction? In Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport explains the mechanics behind the addictive aspects of certain aspects of social media (namely the “like”) and provides a plan to get yourself off technology and back in control of a life you want to live. I found the discussion of the social media mechanics well-done, and the advice well laid out. I’m recommending this one because the steps are useful, and the tech talk is accessible and fascinating.