{"681380":{"#nid":"681380","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Pooja Casula ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EName:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Pooja Casula\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETitle:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp; The Manipulation of Free Speech: An Exploration of How Online Platforms Engage \u0027Free Speech\u0027 to Silence Free Speech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDate:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp; 10:00 AM ET - 12:30 PM ET, April 11th, 2025\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELocation:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp; IMAC\/Skiles 349\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeeting Link: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/j\/99428878125?pwd=bopMc1n4zu1lALuQcv6JG9pGKy29YR.1\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/j\/99428878125?pwd=bopMc1n4zu1lALuQcv6JG9pGKy29YR.1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ehttps:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/j\/99428878125?pwd=bopMc1n4zu1lALuQcv6JG9pGKy29YR.1\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee Chair:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Richmond Wong\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Literature, Media, and Communication\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Andr\u00e9 Brock\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Literature, Media, and Communication\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Carol Colatrella\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Literature, Media, and Communication\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Anne Sullivan\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of the Arts, Media, Performance, and Design\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYork University\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Dhanaraj Thakur\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECenter for Democracy \u0026amp; Technology\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this dissertation, I explore how underlying interpretations of \u2018free speech\u2019 in platform moderation practices may broadly shape user perspectives of social media public discourse. I aim to understand what content social media users perceive should be \u2018free\u2019, how their perspectives of \u2018free speech\u2019 shape their patterns of engagement on the platform, and how introducing an alternative interpretation of \u2018free speech\u2019 underlying platform practices may affect their perspective of engaging in public political discourse online. Specifically, I examine these questions through the experiential lens of young adult Gen Z women. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough this work, I find that social media platforms engage the pervasive US-interpretation of \u0027free speech\u0027 to justify the implementation of moderation policies that excuse toxic behaviors. The continued existence of toxic behaviors online negatively affects how young adult Gen Z women engage in these public discourse spaces, deterring them from publicly engaging and leading them to self-censor. I raise the question, should platforms be employing the US-interpretation of free speech? If our online spaces of discourse, which do not need to be beholden to the US-interpretation of free speech, cannot provide us the space to freely express our opinions, what might we do? How might we challenge the interpretation of what is \u2018free speech\u2019 in these spaces? Positioning myself as a scholar in the social computing\/CSCW space, I draw on legal, political science, and CMC theories and scholarship to inform my exploration of these questions. I investigate the potential of engaging an alternative, relational theory of free speech in platform policies and how this may alter young adult Gen Z women\u2019s forms of engagement in online political discourse. I draw on design fiction to re-conceptualize moderation practices rooted in a relational interpretation of free speech and ideate on how this underlying change may affect engagement in public spaces of discourse. Through this work, I hope to encourage researchers and scholars to question and challenge how the culturally pervasive US-interpretation of free speech is being engaged by social media platforms. Specifically, to question whether it is being used to silence rather than to enable free speech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Manipulation of Free Speech: An Exploration of How Online Platforms Engage \u0027Free Speech\u0027 to Silence Free Speech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Manipulation of Free Speech: An Exploration of How Online Platforms Engage \u0027Free Speech\u0027 to Silence Free Speech"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2025-03-26 18:16:12","changed_gmt":"2025-03-26 18:16:42","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2025-04-11T10:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2025-04-11T12:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2025-04-11T12:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2025-04-11 14:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2025-04-11 16:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2025-04-11 16:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"IMAC\/Skiles 349","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}