DISCO Network

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What does #accessibility look like across higher education right now?

In our latest blog post, Jennifer Saville explores how public colleges and universities are preparing for ADA Title II and embedding accessibility into everyday digital workflows.

Read the full post: https://bit.ly/4sMPmO7

Call for International Doctoral Students: Short-Term Research Visit at the Social Media Lab - Social Media Lab The Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University welcomes expressions of interest from international PhD students interested in applying for a short-term research visit to conduct joint researc...

Call for International Doctoral Students: Short-Term Research Visit at the Social Media Lab socialmedialab.ca/2026/02/24/c...

Join Our Research Team! @SMLabTO is Hiring a Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Social Media Lab The Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. The successful candidate will join a vibrant and interdisciplinary research lab l...

"Join Our Research Team! @SMLabTO is Hiring a Postdoctoral Research Fellow" socialmedialab.ca/2026/03/04/p...

Sad you couldn't make it to this event? Wish you could hear specific quotes again? 🔥💫 The full recording will be posted on our YouTube channel (DISCONetwork) on Thursday, March 12th at 11:00 AM [ET]!

Graphic for "Content Creation & the End of Social Media," each half of the title is in bolded white text in the upper righthand and lower lefthand corners. Four video call participants' windows are in a staggered formation against abstract gold starburst shapes and a dark blue gradient background. Clockwise from top left: a person with long black hair and hoop earrings appears thoughtful, listening while cupping their chin; a person with long brown hair sits in front of shelves arranged with rainbow-colored books; a person smiles widely with their tattooed hand resting under their chin, seated in front of a floating bookshelf; and a person with dark hair in a bun speaks in front of a wall filled with colorful, decorative garlands.

To all who attended "Content Creation & the End of Social Media" last week, ty for such an insightful afternoon w/ Crystal Abidin, @brookeerinduffy.bsky.social @kelechnekoff.bsky.social & @steelecat717.bsky.social!!

We felt connected, learned so much, & sincerely appreciated everyone who joined 🌐🌌

Filtered Latinidad: ethnoracial abstraction and everyday resistance in TikTok beauty filters On TikTok, ‘Latina makeup’ filters apply stylized features – such as bushy eyebrows, contoured cheekbones, and overdrawn lips – drawn from long-standing, commodified representations of gendered Lat...

#OutNow in #iCS

In this article, Catalina Farías analyses TikTok beauty filters as part of platformed racism, tracing how Latinidad is stylised, normalised, and contested in algorithmic environments.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Of course! More than happy to help 🪩🌟

Our Critical Data Studies group at @edfuturesinstitute.bsky.social has a few talks this semester:

March 27th: Jonathan Gray: Public Data Cultures

April 1st: Amelia Acker: Archiving Machines: A Material History of Data Storage

April 29th: Sophie Bishop: Influencer Creep

See eventbrites below

Voices in Protest | Panel Series - YouTube Our latest programming series, VIP (Voices in Protest), brings a new perspective to academic scholarship by facilitating community conversations on pressing ...

Yes indeed they are!

All of our panels in this series (Voices in Protest, full playlist linked below) are edited and posted to YouTube with captions

"Content Creation and the End of Social Media" will premiere on our channel on Thursday, March 12th

youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Voices in Protest | Panel Series - YouTube Our latest programming series, VIP (Voices in Protest), brings a new perspective to academic scholarship by facilitating community conversations on pressing ...

Yes indeed they are!

All of our panels in this series (Voices in Protest, full playlist linked below) are edited and posted to YouTube with captions

"Content Creation and the End of Social Media" will premiere on our channel on Thursday, March 12th

youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Last call everyone-- register and join us on Zoom for a conversation about "Content Creation and the End of Social Media" later this afternoon at 4:00 PM [ET]

🌟🎤 moderated by DISCO's own @steelecat717.bsky.social (Director, @bcatlab.bsky.social)
🔗💻 myumi.ch/g3Xxq

Join us online TODAY at 12 pm ET! (Please note corrected time)

Digital X Climates network launches at King's | King's College London Academics from the Department of Digital Humanities lead the new network examining digital infrastructures and climate realities.

🌿 The Digital X Climates network has officially launched 🌎

Led by colleagues in the Department of Digital Humanities, the network advances research and public engagement on the entanglements of digital technologies with environmental, social and political ecologies.

www.kcl.ac.uk/news/digital...

As always:
This event is open to the public; we encourage all interested faculty & under/graduate students to attend!!

We strive to make our events accessible to all participants. CART live-captioning services will be provided. If you anticipate needing assistance, please email chericec@umich.edu 📩

☀️🪟 Happening Tomorrow! 🪟☀️
Is social media still social? Where is the space for sociality in social media?

Is content creation a business, political strategy, pastime, or somehow all of the above at once?

Explore these questions w/ us tmrw on Zoom at 4:00 PM ET

Register/info: myumi.ch/g3Xxq

Can you believe it? Our upcoming community panel "Against Surveillance & Spectacle" is just TWO WEEKS AWAY! ❤️‍🔥🌟

We're very much looking forward to hearing this remarkable group's insights on building resistance to tech-mediated oppression-- join the conversation on Zoom 🖥️

More info: myumi.ch/R35pz

A New Global Grant Program Supporting Cybersecurity Nonprofits | Internet Society Foundation The Common Good Cyber Fund focuses on building a resilient, sustainable ecosystem of global nonprofit organizations working in cybersecurity.

Following a successful pilot cycle in 2025, the open call for applications will launch in June 2026.

🔗Learn what the CGCF grant program supports, who can apply, and how to prepare for the open call: ow.ly/VFBq50Yl9gV

#CommonGoodCyberFund #Cybersecurity #DigitalSecurity

Update: so sorry folks, but we've received word this event is no longer happening this afternoon!! ❌🗓️ We apologize for the short notice & will provide updates as we receive them, thank you for your grace & @michacard.bsky.social for working w/ us

At the top, a dark blue banner with bold white text reads "meet the speakers." Below that is the main section, featuring a photo of Crystal Abidin, a person with long, straight hair smiling and standing against a white background. Three paragraphs to the right of her photo detail Abidin's professional background. At the bottom, another dark blue banner reads, "Crystal Abidin is Professor of Internet Studies at Curtin University and Director of the Influencer Ethnography Research Lab." The background consists of subtle grid lines and small dots overlaying a mustard yellow box with the text. Transcribed text: Abidin is a digital anthropologist and ethnographer of vernacular internet cultures, researching influencer cultures, attention economies, and social media pop cultures especially in the Asia Pacific region. She has published over 250 articles/chapters, 16 special issues, 5 authored books, and 4 edited books, including Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame Online (2018, Emerald Publishing), Instagram: Visual Social Media Cultures (co-authors Leaver & Highfield, 2020, Polity), and tumblr: Curation, Creativity and Community (co-authors Tiidenberg & Hendry, 2022, Polity). Her newest books are TikTok and Youth Cultures (2025, Emerald Publishing) and Child Influencers: How Children Become Entangled with Social Media Fame (2025, Polity).

At the top, a dark blue banner with bold white text reads "meet the speakers." Below that is the main section, featuring a photo of Brooke Erin Duffy, a person with dark brown hair smiling, facing the camera at a three-quarters angle against a gray background. To the right of her photo, four paragraphs detail Duffy's professional background. At the bottom, another dark blue banner reads, "Brooke Erin Duffy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University." The background consists of subtle grid lines and small dots overlaying a mustard yellow box with the text. Transcribed text: Duffy is a member of the Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies faculty. Her research interests include digital and social media industries; gender, identity, and inequality; and the impact of new technologies on creative work and labor. She's the author of two monographs on gender and cultural production, including (Not) Getting Paid to Do What You Love: Gender, Social Media, and Aspirational Work (Yale UP, 2017), which draws upon research with fashion bloggers, YouTubers, and Instagrammers to explore the culture and politics of digital labor. In addition, she is co-author of the newly released book Platforms & Cultural Production (Polity, 2021).

At the top, a dark blue banner with bold white text reads "meet the speakers." Below that is the main section, featuring a close-up photo of Kelechi Okafor, a person with short dark brown hair and gold hoops. To the right of her photo, five paragraphs detail Kelechi's professional background. At the bottom, another dark blue banner reads, "Kelechi Okafor is a British-Nigerian multidisciplinary artist, writer, presenter, actor, and political commentator." The background consists of subtle grid lines and small dots overlaying a mustard yellow box with the text. Transcribed text: Kelechi is the creator and host of the podcast Say Your Mind, with more than 280 episodes exploring self-reclamation through an unflinching critique of society. Kelechi has written books for children, young adults, and adults, often engaging themes of Black identity, power, surveillance, and systemic injustice. Her work extends beyond literature and media into political commentary and social advocacy, with a particular focus on issues affecting Black women. She is known for her sharp critiques of institutional racism and performative activism, consistently calling for material change and accountability. In 2025, she released her speculative novel Awakened. Her upcoming young adult novel, Are You Still Watching?, will be published on 10 September 2026. Through her artistic and social practice, Kelechi continues to create transformative spaces, challenge dominant narratives, and amplify marginalised voices.

At the top, a dark blue banner with bold white text reads "meet the moderator." Below that is the main section, featuring a close-up photo of Catherine Knight Steele, a person with short curls wearing a black turtleneck and smiling widely up at the camera. To the right of her photo, three paragraphs detail Steele's professional background. At the bottom, another dark blue banner reads, "Catherine Knight Steele is an Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Maryland - College Park." The background consists of subtle grid lines and small dots overlaying a mustard yellow box with the text. Transcribed text: Steele was the Founding Director of the Andrew W. Mellon funded African American Digital Humanities Initiative (AADHum). Her research focuses on race, gender, and media, with a specific emphasis on African American culture and discourse in traditional and new media. She examines representations of marginalized communities in the media and how groups resist oppression and utilize online technology to create spaces of community.

More about our talented group of panelists below, we're looking forward to connecting virtually & hearing all of their insightful commentary about the end of social media 🪩🌐

@brookeerinduffy.bsky.social @kelechnekoff.bsky.social @steelecat717.bsky.social @bcatlab.bsky.social

Promotional graphic for DISCO's event "Content Creation and the End of Social Media" on Thursday, February 26, 2026, 4:00 - 5:30 PM EST on Zoom. The background consists of subtle grid lines and small dots overlaying a nighttime highway scene. A starburst shape in the bottom right includes text announcing the featured speakers: Crystal Abidin, Brooke Erin Duffy, and Kelechi Okafor in conversation with Catherine Knight Steele. Dominating the center of the poster is the event title in bold white text. Two logos for the DISCO Network and BCaT Lab feature in the upper righthand corner.

At the top, a dark blue banner features bold white text reads "about the event." Below that, the main body of text includes the full description centered in white. At the bottom, another dark blue banner states, "This event is virtual only." The background consists of subtle grid lines and small dots overlaying a mustard yellow box with the event description. Transcribed text: Is social media still social? With the spread of content creation as a business, political strategy, and pastime across platforms, where is the space for sociality in social media? This panel examines the role of engagement farming, influencer culture, misinformation, disinformation, and AI in reshaping social media as a creator economy. In a digital landscape where we all serve as content creators and/or unwitting sources of valuable data, we explore whether social media is still a desirable avenue for forming and cultivating community, engaging in organizing strategies, or simply being social. This event is open to the public, and we encourage all interested faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students to attend.

IN ONE WEEK:
Join us via Zoom for "Content Creation and the End of Social Media" next Thursday, February 24th from 4:00 - 5:30 PM [ET]
🌟🎤 Ft. Crystal Abidin, Brooke Erin Duffy, & Kelechi Okafor in conversation w/ Catherine Knight Steele
💻🔗 Learn more by visiting the link in our bio or myumi.ch/g3Xxq

Interpersonal Security and Privacy: Emerging Threats and Sociotechnical Defenses Feb 19, 2026, 2:15 pm - Many of today’s most pervasive digital security and privacy threats come not from distant hackers, but from the individuals around us.

🚨 Lecture TODAY! 🚨

Join us for a lecture w/ @sophiestephenson.me, who will discuss interpersonal security and privacy, as interpersonal digital threats become more pervasive. #academicsky

📅 TODAY, 2:15 pm - 3:25 pm
📍 210 South Hall & Online

One week from today! 📅 Don't miss this DSI Lecture Series event with @michacard.bsky.social as we explore trans ecologies, art, and digital worlds.

Join us online Tuesday the 24th at 3:00PM ET

starting soon!! (12 pm ET) with not one but TWO of our beloved 2025 DISCO Affiliates 🌐🔔

an incredibly timely and important conversation about AI's impact on workers and how govt/industry priorities shape access to opportunity datasociety.net/events/404-j...

Valentine's Day: Love in Autistic Spaces ♥️ - Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN) Valentine’s Day has cemented itself as a day to convey romantic love. However, we want to reframe Valentine’s Day to embrace our community and express the boundless love we have for all of you. For so...

AWN's latest newsletter from Kyara Bellamy:

awnnetwork.org/valentines-d...

Faculty on the Front Lines: Mounting Your Defense with Sang Kil, Rupa Marya and Hank Reichman YouTube video by The AAUP

This is an excerpt of "Mounting Your Defense," an installment part of the "Faculty on the Front Lines" initiative in the AAUP's Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom. This installment features a conversation among Dr. Sang Hea Kil, Dr. Rupa Marya, and Dr. Henry Reichman. Full episode here👇

Headshots of Lisa Nakamura's Cohort: Alexis Carlota-Cochrane, Catalina Farías, Tim Newman, and Michelle Lee

Headshots of Rayvon Fouché's Cohort: Sara Abdulla, Nina-Simone Edwards, Ngozi Harrison, Mourary Hutchinson, and Stephanie "DJ" Jones

Headshots of M. Remi Yergeau's Cohort: Victoria Copeland, Megan Fereday, Kim Fernandes, Beza Merid, Wells Lucas Santo, Cheng-Hsiu "Shin" Yang

Headshots of Catherine Knight Steele's Cohort: Larisa Anderson-Horne, Dez Brown, Cienna Davis, Tèmí Lasade-Anderson, Serena Oduro, and Chris Wiley

We’re honored to have them as part of our community and look forward to continuing to support their amazing work!

21 headshots of program participants arranged in the center of a colorful gradient background with the text "DISCO Network Affiliates" and "2025 Cohorts."

We’re proud to celebrate our 2025 DISCO Network Affiliates! 🎉🪩

21 affiliates from a diverse range of disciplines participated this past year, engaging in work-sharing, collaborative writing, and mentorship through monthly small-group meetings and workshops with our DISCO Network PIs.

*Worth repeating: We strive to make our events accessible to all participants. CART live-captioning services will be provided. If you anticipate needing accommodations to participate or would like help filling out the RSVP form, please reach out to chericec@umich.edu ✉

REMINDER:

Two weeks from today we will be hosting our VIRTUAL panel conversation "Content Creation and the End of Social Media" 📅 We're beyond excited for this one, 4:00 PM ET on Thursday, February 26th cannot come soon enough!

We're honored to have hosted this conversation and are looking forward to future collaborations with all of the folks involved with this event-- including those in the audience!

Thank you everyone for attending, watching, and engaging 🪩🌐 We appreciate you being in our Network