Platforms, Perception, and the Fight for Freedom

This talk was delivered at the Association for Psychoanalytic Medicine’s 2025 symposium, Attacks on Thinking: Dialogues on the Distortion of Reality in the Social Sphere, held on April 26 at Columbia University’s Lee C. Bollinger Forum. ​

In an era where digital platforms and algorithmic systems increasingly mediate our access to information, this talk examines how these technologies reshape public knowledge, perception, and memory. It explores the transition from human editorial gatekeeping to opaque algorithmic curation, highlighting how machine-driven optimization prioritizes engagement over accuracy, thereby marginalizing nuanced and dissenting narratives. Drawing on media theory, psychoanalysis, and critical pedagogy, the presentation delves into the concept of a "computational episteme"—a digitally engineered order of knowledge that commodifies attention and erodes critical thinking. Particular attention is given to the impact on youth, who navigate information ecosystems where personalization masquerades as freedom, and visibility is decoupled from legitimacy. The talk concludes with a call to action for educators, technologists, and policymakers to foster media literacy, promote algorithmic transparency, and design information systems that uphold democratic values and collective agency.​

Video and audio recordings can be found below.

Current stage: Complete

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