Home Blog Page 61

Simulating poverty is not advocacy

By
Peak Web
-
0
this is an illustration of a really old, breaking-down converse shoe.
ILLUSTRATION: Victoria Xi / The Peak

By: C Icart, Humour Editor

Have you ever been told not to judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes? The Making Ends Meet Poverty Simulation (MEM) that will be held at 312 Main St. on February 11 is seemingly designed to let participants do just that. According to their event page 50–80 participants will spend one hour trying to “‘make ends meet’ for a simulated month.”

This description reminded me of the virtual reality (VR) simulations academic Lisa Nakamura criticizes in her article, “Feeling good about feeling bad: virtuous virtual reality and the automation of racial empathy.” Nakamura is a leading scholar whose work centers around race and digital media. She noticed that VR was being marketed as an “empathy machine” because it claims to allow users to experience marginalization. Users just need to put on a headset and they are suddenly transported to a refugee camp or a prison, for example. She argues that this encourages a toxic embodiment that makes users erroneously believe they have experienced authentic empathy for marginalized others. 

“One of the key differences between a simulation of marginalization and the reality of it is control.”

I don’t see how the MEM Poverty Simulation can do anything other than reproduce that problematic dynamic. Participants will be “sorted into one of twenty-six diverse families with their own unique economic challenges [ . . . ] and navigate various [. . . ] systems and procedures designed to represent the daily experiences of those who live in poverty.” Not unlike VR simulations, this gamifies the issue of poverty by turning into a novel activity people can choose to participate in. It is in no way similar to the experience of living in poverty. 

In his criticism of VR as empathy machines, Paul Bloom states one of the key differences between a simulation of marginalization and the reality of it is control. Participants get to choose to be a part of the simulation. It has a set start and end time, and presumably they can stop participating when they want. This is not the case for living in poverty. Pretending to have been evicted for one hour simply doesn’t feel the same when you know you’re heading home later, and instinctively we know this. Think of a time someone responded, “I know how you feel” when you were telling them about a struggle you know they don’t have. Instant eye roll, right? 

Walking a mile in someone else’s shoes may not be possible, but that does not mean that we can’t be empathetic. It is possible to discuss the “potential causes, consequences, and solutions for poverty”without feeding into the illusion that simulations affect us the same as lived experience or give us the authority to speak about living in poverty.

The CFL’s first trans alum, Maven Maurer

By
Peak Web
-
0
A group of people posing for a photo with the Grey Cup, including a woman with brown hair directly to the trophy’s right.
PHOTO: Courtesy of @pipeline4change / Instagram

By: Kaja Antic, Sports Writer

On September 13, the BC Lions hosted the Toronto Argonauts and honoured some of their alumni for their Wall of Fame night. The 2000 Grey Cup-winning team were the special guests that night, with the team reuniting 24 years after taking their sub-.500 winning percentage team to the top of the Canadian Football League (CFL) — the first team to do so.

It was also the first time Maven Maurer heard her chosen name over the loud speaker at BC Place, 15 years after retiring from the CFL.

Maurer played 13 seasons in the CFL, including two with the BC Lions in 2000 and 2001. She won a Grey Cup with the Lions in 2000 and the Edmonton Elks in 2005. A legend in her own right for Edmonton’s special teams, Maurer was named to the Elks’ 2000s All-Decade Team.

Maurer first came out publicly on Instagram in 2023, and this was her first time facing her former Lions teammates since her transition. She later told Canadian football news site 3DownNation she found “near-complete acceptance” from her former colleagues when she appeared on the turf field in downtown Vancouver. 

“Sports like football that notoriously carry hypermasculine stereotypes can be slow to accept change, though Maurer’s acceptance from her former CFL compatriots is proof that these harmful cultures can be shifted.”

“So many said, ‘You know what, we’re proud of you. We’re family. We bled together, we sweated together, and achieved,” Maurer told CBC of her experience reuniting with the 2000 Lions squad.

Sports cultures have been slowly accepting 2SLGBTQIA+ identities, though it is still an uphill battle in many communities. Maurer is the first former CFL player to come out as trans, and hopes to pave the way for more 2SLGBTQIA+ acceptance in Canadian football. Other than Maurer, the only publicly queer CFL alum is Michael Sam, former Montreal Alouettes defensive end and the first openly gay player drafted into the NFL. Sam now coaches American football in Europe. 

Maurer hopes to be a beacon of hope for past or present football players struggling with their identities by being open about her true self in the public eye. Sports like football that notoriously carry hypermasculine stereotypes can be slow to accept change, though Maurer’s acceptance from her former CFL compatriots is proof that these harmful cultures can be shifted.

“I want to try to reach more people. I want to be more visible. I want to use any voice that I have to raise awareness,” Maurer told 3DownNation. “Sometimes you don’t know that things are a possibility until you see someone else doing it.”

Maurer also hopes to use her status as a former professional football player to dissuade negative stereotypes about trans identities and combat transphobia in the modern age, especially as hate crimes against 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in Canada are on the rise. She looks to add a familiar face for those who may not be as knowledgeable about trans identities, in football spaces and beyond.

CONFESSIONALS: I wish my students were more creative

By
Peak Web
-
0
Student sitting in a lecture hall with their laptop open. The webpage they are looking at is titled “101 ways to cheat.”
ILLUSTRATION: Yan Ting Leung / The Peak

By: C Icart, Humour Editor

I’m a TA. Some might even say I’m the best TA (and they would be so unequivocally correct). So naturally, academic integrity (only second to graphic design) is my passion. I spend all my free time looking for new ways to instill “the values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage” into my students. AND YET! Once in a while someone tries to bamboozle me. 

This type of behaviour disappoints me. It makes me sad because I make all my students pinky swear they won’t cheat on day one. That way I have grounds to send them the “I was rooting for you” GIF if they betray me. It also makes me sad because the experience is never fun. It’s all ChatGPT and no creativity. 

It’s always, “Oops! I accidentally submitted the wrong file!” and never, “Tina Knowles’ hacker also hacked me and submitted the wrong assignment!” If you’re going to lie, COMMIT! Why would you choose an excuse that has its own WikiHow page? Booooooorinnngggggg! Do not submit corrupted files to Canvas in 2025. It’s so passé and you could do SO MUCH BETTER! 

Don’t send your TA a picture from a positive COVID-19 rapid test you got from Google Images in 2025. Instead, walk your (masked) butt to the damn pharmacy, get yourself an actual rapid test, and use it for real! I’ve seen how many of y’all are in the packed lecture halls unmasked, and I’ve seen the wastewater data. DENIAL IS A RIVER IN EGYPT! You are actually sick! 

Finally, let’s talk about the “Dead Grandmother Problem.” This one is old school. There’s a theory that students’ grandparents are more likely to die before exams than any other time of year. Some might think it’s because students are lying. Mike Adams theorized that it’s because “family members literally worry themselves to death over the outcome of their relatives’ performance on each exam.” Personally, I think students resort to killing their grandparents because you cannot be asked to take a final exam in jail. And while that’s absolutely evil behaviour, I cannot say it’s not commitment to the bit. 

BUT IT’S NOT CREATIVE (yes, I’m screaming again. Go cry to your mom about it)! Cheating is almost always more complicated and convoluted than just doing the assignment (which is so embarrassing for you unless you embrace being extra). Come up with an excuse I haven’t heard before! Gather all your friends to film an elaborate video of you getting abducted by aliens (no CGI, do all your own effects). Go to magician school so you can learn how to make everyone pass out in class like Elphaba. Innovate in the field of cheating. I’ll still catch you but at least I’ll get a good story out of it! 

Experiencing Oshougatsu

By
Peak Web
-
0
A pot of green tea decorated with pink cherry blossoms is poured into two ceramic cups. Two shogi pieces sit above the words “happy new year” written in black brushstrokes.
ILLUSTRATION: Victoria Xi / The Peak

By: Jin Song, Peak Associate

Oshougatsu, which is Japanese for New Year, is celebrated at the start of January. It is also known as shougatsu. Typical traditions include house cleaning to symbolize new beginnings, viewing the first sunrise, and the consumption of special dishes like herring roe, pickled lotus root, and candied chestnut. On the fourth day of 2025, I attended Oshōgatsu: Japanese New Year Celebrations at the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre with my brother.

It was a somewhat dreary morning with light rain, and I was grateful that the majority of this event took place indoors. At the entrance of the museum was a station for kakizome, also known as New Year calligraphy. There were references for characters associated with blessings, such as “happiness” and “fortune.” I, along with other participants, used traditional brushes and black ink to try replicating characters of our choice. My family is Chinese, and I have tried Chinese calligraphy in the past. Curious about the differences between Chinese and Japanese calligraphy, I asked volunteers at the station and learned that the art itself is very similar, but kakizome is calligraphy specifically done to celebrate the New Year. One volunteer told me that teachers often assign their pupils this type of homework over the break. 

“Curious about the differences between Chinese and Japanese calligraphy, I asked several of the volunteers at the station and learned that the art itself is very similar, but kakizome is calligraphy specifically done to celebrate the New Year.”

Next, I tried Igo. This classic board game is also known as Go, Weiqi, or Baduk, among other names, and originated in ancient China. The rules are simple: there are two sides, white and black. Players use stones according to their colour, and must try to capture as much territory as they can. There are no restrictions to how one can place stones and there is only one type of piece, unlike chess. However, this game has incredibly complex emergent strategies. The volunteer told me that in ancient times, games could go on for weeks, with students watching their teachers play against each other and discussing the game for long hours during breaks. 

Another board game I tried for the first time was Shogi. I had heard about this game in Naruto, an anime I watched as a child. Shogi is a lot more similar to chess; it also features different pieces with different abilities. I found it remarkably similar to Xiangqi, or Chinese chess, which I often play with my grandfather. Major differences include the shapes of the pieces (flat and rectangular-like plaques), the specific abilities, and how all pieces can “ascend,” or upgrade their abilities upon reaching the enemy’s last rows on the board. 

In all, I was glad to attend this event. Despite being a longtime appreciator of Japanese culture, I hadn’t participated in cultural events like this before. I was surprised by the similarities between Japanese culture and my own. Even with the unique aspects of both, I enjoyed making connections and seeing the familiar activities from a different lens.

Don’t give up on seasonal produce

By
Peak Web
-
0
A farmer holds their harvest: eggplant, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, beets, and more vegetables are pictured
PHOTO: yanadjan / Adobe Stock

By: Yasmin Hassan, Staff Writer

Seasonal eating entails consuming foods that are naturally grown and harvested during their peak season in a specific region. This approach to food emphasizes eating ripe, locally sourced produce, which is often better for the environment and for your appetite! While globalized farming has accustomed us to the convenience of accessing any produce year round, buying imported goods comes at the expense of nutrition, flavour, and environmental health. 

Imported produce emits large amounts of carbon emissions due to the long distance transportation and special care for storage that it most often needs. As Agriculture Canada reports, “In 2019, the top five agri-food and seafood suppliers to Canada represented $40.3 billion or 77.3% of total imports.” In Metro Vancouver, trucks usually are the preferred mode of transport, though Canada as a whole generally relies on cargo planes and container ships. Worldwide, 36% of carbon emissions come from transportation of fruits and vegetables alone. We are blessed to have a taste of imports from all over the world on the west coast, but we often take for granted what we already have growing right under our noses. Buying from local farmers right here in BC creates a sustainable food system by supporting them and, in turn, consuming the freshest produce.

“Locally sourced, seasonal produce is fresher, tastier, and more nutrient dense than imported goods.”

Locally sourced, seasonal produce is fresher, tastier, and more nutrient dense than imported goods. A meal that comes to mind is the Three Sisters soup, which combines squash, beans, and corn. It’s filled with everything you need during these colder months, tied directly to the land we inhabit, and it is so delicious! The “Three Sisters” originate from Indigenous cultures of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy composed of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora Nations, who used this companion planting method for centuries. Corn provides structure for beans to climb, beans enrich the soil with nitrogen, and squash covers the ground to retain moisture. As the seasons and weather changes, so do the needs of our body. There are so many ingredients that can provide essential nutrients to your body while still being kind to the land it comes from. 

Shopping locally isn’t without its challenges. Prices for some local products can be higher, and access to fresh, seasonal produce might be limited depending on where you live. It’s one thing to urge people to eat locally, but realistically it is a privilege that many don’t get. Regardless of its source, fresh produce is still an integral part of keeping good health. Dietary restrictions can add complexity, and many people feel unsure where to start due to a lack of knowledge or unfamiliarity with seasonal options. Groups like Embark Sustainability, an SFU-based student-led non-profit, rescue produce that would be discarded by grocers and redistribute it to students for free or by donation, providing an accessible option. They also have a free community kitchen to facilitate cooking meals “through the lens of justice, culture, and shared experience.” 

To embrace seasonal eating, start by identifying what’s in season in your area. In Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, look for produce like berries in the summer, apples and squash in the fall, and hardy greens in the winter. Farmers’ markets are a great place to find local produce with famous options like the Shaxshax-nmi (Trout Lake) and Kitsilano farmers’ markets, but also the North Shore and Fraser Valley locations. Right now, the Kitsilano and Riley Park locations are open for the winter season! To preserve your seasonal bounty, try freezing, canning, or dehydrating fruits and vegetables, or store them in cool, dark places to extend their freshness.

Brighter side: As time goes by

By
Peak Web
-
0
An old woman holds up a camera as she photographs herself in the mirror
PHOTO: Tiago Muraro / Unsplash

By: Sofia Chassomeris, Opinions Editor

As a girl, I feared the merciless spectre of age. I was taught it would tarnish me — crow’s feet, smile lines, stiff limbs and fingers all blemishes in contribution to decay. 

But when I am watching friends’ faces stretch into expressions I’m slow to place, my own lips beaming before I know I’m happy; when I notice the creases beneath my mother’s eyes as she greets me, or until I’m opening a jar her arthritis gave up on; I realize this is how the body remembers. 

There are things I cherish now that I know I won’t have forever. I’ll lose them to time like a river cuts through stone, and I need not worry. I’m not losing, only changing. I’m curious to see how my face will remember each year, or how my own hands will remember the turning of every jar lid. I wonder if my hair will become more white, grey, or silver, and when I’ll change my mind about styling it next. 

To age is to live, and so I refuse to be disappointed by it.

Winter weather worsens conditions for evicted CRAB Park residents

By
Peak Web
-
0
This is a photo of dark rain clouds in the sky.
PHOTO: Jonathan Young / Unsplash

By: Mason Mattu, News Writer

On November 7, 2024, “Vancouver’s only sanctioned [houseless] encampment” located at CRAB Park closed. The Vancouver Park Board previously sectioned off a designated area of the park for overnight sheltering. Evicted park residents who did not “transition to indoor arrangements” are permitted to temporarily shelter overnight. 

Throughout 2024, the Park Board conducted a “slow-moving decampment of the site,” in which over 30 residents of CRAB Park were forcibly removed, and essential supplies such as “blankets, clothing, [and] tarps” were destroyed or confiscated.

At the time of eviction, seven official residents were offered “shelter previously but declined those offers.” In a previous interview with The Peak, resident Ryan Exner said this was due to the lack of privacy and bug infestations at the offered single-room occupancy shelters. The Peak corresponded with Fiona York, an advocate for the residents of CRAB Park, to learn more. York said that “over 20 current and former residents were working as peer overdose response workers at the time of the eviction” and none of them were offered employment support after losing their jobs. She also said that “on the day of the eviction, there were also other residents present who were not considered ‘official’ [and] were not offered anything at all.”

Throughout the summer and fall, 100 other individuals attempted to stay at the encampment but “kept getting their tents and belongings removed by the [park] rangers” and were “told to leave.” York said these individuals were also not offered housing by the City of Vancouver. 

“It’s also so risky to be outside in cold weather, and the city’s current ‘extreme weather response’ system doesn’t factor into consideration issues like rain and damp conditions as well.” — Fiona York, CRAB Park advocate

Winter weather is expected to hit the province after a mild December. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, hypothermia and frostbite are some of the severe and life-threatening exposure-related conditions that unhoused people are at “a much higher risk than the general population of developing.” 

“It’s potentially so dangerous and harmful to force people out of their shelters every morning and seize their blankets and belongings,” York said, “It’s also so risky to be outside in cold weather, and the City’s current ‘extreme weather response’ system doesn’t factor into consideration issues like rain and damp conditions as well.” The City’s extreme weather response system “funds community-based services to provide extra emergency shelter spaces during periods of extreme winter weather.” The program does not provide shelter for unhoused people when the weather is mild.

In a statement to The Peak, the City of Vancouver stated their response to houselessness involves working “with senior government to create affordable housing, activate emergency shelters, and provide access to washrooms, showers, low-cost meals, and indoor spaces.” They also stated this involves advocating “for improvements in mental health services and supports.” The City also detailed their four-year capital plan which “includes an allocation of over $600 million to create and preserve affordable housing.” They plan to allocate $26 million to single-room occupancy programs.

Grassroots advocacy work continues for former residents of CRAB Park and other unhoused individuals. Friends of CRAB Park recently called for the City of Vancouver to instate a “winter moratorium during extreme weather events such as atmospheric rivers and bomb cyclones,” meaning “temporary suspension of an activity or law until future consideration.” Friends of CRAB Park is an advocacy group that helps “tackle the hardships of homelessness in Downtown Eastside Vancouver.” Their petition also highlights their demands to reopen “CRAB Park for daytime sheltering” until every resident is housed, “improve housing options to include full tenancy rights,” a kitchen, and washroom, and end “the seizure of belongings and street sweeps.” 

Through a December fundraiser, York and other volunteers also provided a Christmas dinner, gifts, and supplies for rain storms. Volunteers are still accepting donations to fund cold-weather supplies, at https://chuffed.org/project/119234

Quiz: Which broken SFU facility are you?

By
Peak Web
-
0
Illustration of several broken SFU facilities covered in caution tape. The image features broken glass, a fire alarm, and elevator buttons, indicating that the fifth floor of the Bennett Library is closed.
ILLUSTRATION: Yan Ting Leung / The Peak

By: Phone Min Thant, Staff Writer

Welcome to Simon Fraser University. You are yet another facility students pay dearly for, only to find out that you are still recovering from the damages of your first year. Take this quiz to find out which of such facilities you are.

Your professor assigned you a group project on the first day of class with a deadline set for the end of the semester. How would you prepare for the project?

  1. Tell your groupmates you’ll handle the most important parts of the project and put everything off until the last minute. Your procrastination screws everyone over.
  2. Take a relatively unimportant part of the project and . . . procrastinate. It’s still annoying that you aren’t pulling your weight, but hey, you’re busy on your quest to unlock the secret to immortality. It’s good not to do your schoolwork for the greater good, right?
  3. Annoy your groupmates every morning at 3:00 a.m., asking for updates on their work. Don’t let them go back to sleep until they give you an update (even if the update is an angry text telling you to go back to sleep). Panic at any minor inconvenience.
  4. Try your best, but at the end of the day, your brain will remain clogged.

Your sleepy 8:30 a.m. lecture is over. What are you having for early lunch before your 12:30 p.m. tutorial?

  1. Let’s have a large meal. You need energy for a long day! First, get a large latte from Blenz. Then, visit A&W for some burgers and fries. Hop onto Togo Sushi for some rolls. Finish off with dessert at Timmies. After you’re all done, your credit card is maxed out, and you’re late for your tutorial.
  2. Look for the meal that will aid in your search for the greater good. What does that even mean? Oops! You took too long to think about it and missed your tutorial.
  3. Nothing too smoky, please! Any strong smell or smoke makes me panic!
  4. You know your friends’ meal will make them run to the washroom later. You also know the washrooms are out of order. Skip lunch, but don’t do anything to inform your friends of what you know.

Let’s take a break from school and do some leisurely reading. Which book will you choose?

  1. War and Peace. Nothing will strengthen your ego and increase your personal satisfaction more than tackling a thousand pages of Napoleonic drama. You won’t get past the first chapter, though.
  2. Utilitarianism. Nothing reflects your viewpoints more than John Stuart Mill’s classic defence of the pursuit of all things good. Keep a dictionary beside you.
  3. Campbell Biology (Third Canadian Edition). No leisure in reading — you only read to study. Panic when you don’t understand a single word.
  4. Reading doesn’t matter as long as all the entertainment you need is being provided by your friends ranting about blocked toilets. Listen, but don’t ruin your peace by offering help.

It’s finally reading break!!! What are you planning to do?

  1. Sleep. Sleeping is the best. No studies, no hangouts, and a hundred missed calls because your phone is constantly on Do Not Disturb. 
  2. The greater good! No break will stop your pursuit of the greater good. You still refuse to study and do your assignments on time, though. How many days has it been since you last replied to your project team’s group chat?
  3. What reading break?? Everyone should also be on edge for their finals. What about the term papers? And the presentation? Wake up every morning at 3:00 a.m., panicking. Don’t go back to sleep until someone assures you your worries are false.
  4. Take a restful break and just chill. Your family seems to be agitated about something related to the washrooms but that’s not your matter.

The semester is nearly over and you want to do something physical. What are you doing?

  1. Anything but swimming!
  2. Cleaning and tidying the attic! This is for the greater good of society, by the way.
  3. Cooking — wait why am I panicking?!
  4. Sprint to the nearest working washroom!!!

Results:

If you chose mostly (1)’s . . . 

You are the renovations of the Lorne Davies Complex. We can tell you like to boast grand schemes and promises but take your time achieving them. Of course, your procrastination also annoys everyone else because your overconfidence creates false expectations. You also really hate swimming.

If you chose mostly (2)’s . . . 

You are the renovations of the W.A.C. Bennett Library (fifth floor). In the name of the greater good (in SFU’s case, clearing asbestos), you skip deadlines, irritate those who rely on you, and forget about your assignments. I’m not saying the pursuit of the greater good is bad, but speed it up, maybe.

If you chose mostly (3)’s . . .

My friend, you represent the collective of fire alarms in Residences. Sensitive, panicky, and extremely infuriating night or day, you are someone who does their work but perhaps you shouldn’t panic about it all the time. Please allow your friends to relax a bit or you will be the boy who cried wolf.

If you chose mostly (4)’s . . .

You are the unrepaired men’s washroom toilets of the Northeast tower of SFU Residences. You seem to forget you are an essential part of people’s lives and that fixing yourself will do a lot more good to others around you. But, do you fix yourself? No. It has nearly been a full term since you have been bad to your friends!

The PuSH for international arts

By
Peak Web
-
0
Four individuals pose with their backs to the camera, their figures illuminated by a light that shines from in front of them.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Christoffer Brekne - Csongor Szabo

By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer

The 2025 PuSh International Performing Arts Festival will be held from January 23 to February 9 across the Lower Mainland. This year is the 20th anniversary of the festival, and to celebrate, the program will feature dozens of performances from music, dance, film, theatre, culinary, visual arts, and more. With various artists to see and shows to experience over the two-week long event, there’s something in store for every arts appreciator whether this is your first time attending the festival, or you’re a seasoned PuSher. Without further ado, here’s a list of some must-see events that will be rolling across town.

Four individuals pose with their backs to the camera, their figures illuminated by a light that shines from in front of them.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Christoffer Brekne – Csongor Szabo

All That Remains
Location: SFU Vancouver – Goldcorp Centre for the Arts 
Dates: Thurs., Jan. 23 and Fri., Jan. 24
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $39, $20 for ages 16–24

Choreographed and directed by Mirko Guido, this dance piece explores physical movement and emotional feelings across planes of living soundscapes. The performance combines dance and experimental sound art, alongside visual graphics, while focusing on one’s environment. Step into the world of movement and fluidity, sense various elements among the environment, and sway to the rhythm of the music.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Emily Cooper

Lasa Ng Imperyo (A Taste of Empire)
Location: The Nest, Granville Island
Dates and times: Various dates from January 30 to February 8.
Cost: $39, $20 for ages 16–24

This culinary experience and live cooking demonstration will awaken your cultural tastebuds with some armchair travel to the Philippines. With Jovanni Sy having created the play, Carmela Sison is the chef of the show who will bring dishes to life while telling the stories of cultural traditions with mouthwatering ingredients. This event will be presented in Tagalog; English subtitles will be available.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Christophe Raynaud-Delage

L’addition
Location: Alliance Française Vancouver
Dates: Sat., Jan. 25 and Sun., Jan. 26
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $39, $20 for ages 16–24

This French-themed comedy will have you rolling in laughter as the duo Bert & Nasi — from France and the UK, respectively — contrast personalities in a restaurant scene. The comics focus on the “interplay of synergy and discord” as they shift seamlessly between the narrative of conflict and resolution. So, take a seat and order a side of restaurant comedy on a plate á la customer enlightenment.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Leontien Allemeersch

The History of Korean Western Theatre
Location: Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre
Dates: Thurs., Jan. 23 and Fri., Jan. 24
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $39, $20 for ages 16–24

Performed by Jaha Koo, this theatre performance incorporates elements of visuals alongside a documentary style, with a focus on the elements that have shaped Korean Theatre. Koo notes that Western assimilation is to blame, and he explores both past and present happenings that have led to Korean Theatre today. His performances include vibrant visuals of lights and graphics, materials from archives, and personal narratives alongside historical analyses. Be immersed in history, culture, and art all in this informative event. 

Be sure to also catch the free opening party on January 23 at the Fox Cabaret to kickoff the festivities! It will be hosted by DJ Dovecake, who’s known for combining Afro beats with Turkish funk and Bollywood disco. The night will surely get you in the groove and awaken your musical tastebuds for all that the festival has to offer.

A practical guide to combating internet echo chambers

By
Peak Web
-
0
Illustration of a person sitting inside a box holding a phone. Speech bubbles surround the person representing an echo chamber.
ILLUSTRATION: Angela Shen / The Peak

By: Phone Min Thant, Staff Writer

Social media is a wonderful place. It’s a convenient location where views that reflect your own converge; a little bubble of like-minded users, if you will. But, have you ever wondered why everyone seems so like-minded? Why do cat lovers keep getting memes of cats and American conservatives keep seeing TikToks that have already envisioned an annexed Canada? 

The answer lies in social media algorithms, which create the illusion of a like-minded world through “filter bubbles” — mechanisms that personalize online content based on users’ personal information and actions, such as commenting, sharing, or liking. The resulting phenomenon is commonly referred to as “social media echo chambers,” a secluded space of ever-reflecting and reinforcing views defined by the users. 

How exactly are echo chambers problematic? For one, social media users are often unaware they are caught in them. Echo chambers are both caused by and reinforce confirmation bias — a psychological fallacy that tends to interpret information that favours your views in a more positive light. Horoscopes are great examples of this. Despite often being written in vague, open-ended terms, people still go, “Oh, that’s so me.” Such cherry picking of data falls under the broad category of confirmation bias. In the case of social media, this means users interact more with information that resonates with their views, compounding their trust in those views and creating a feedback loop that ultimately creates an echo chamber around them.

It only gets worse when politics gets involved. While political polarization is not a novel issue, it’s intensified by social media. Studies have found that echo chambers have contributed to increased affective polarization in countries such as the US and the UK — democracies majorly-dominated by bipartisan (two party) politics. In this case, affective polarization means supporters of one party tend to view the opposition with skepticism and hostility, driven by psychological factors and political knowledge drawn from limited sources within their echo chamber. This corrodes democratic norms as it becomes difficult to establish a middle ground on important areas such as public policy and legislation. While popular examples mostly point to bipartisan politics, this phenomenon also takes place in multi-party systems. 

However, in some cases where there is no middle ground, echo chambers work to perpetuate divisions between facts and opinions. It also intensifies the spread of social media disinformation — the deliberate attempt by some users at swaying facts and objective data majorly through fake news. The Palestinian genocide is a good example of this. Western media continues to propagate the false “equivalence between the oppressor and the oppressed, between the executioner and the victim.” This is against the backdrop of over 47,000 Palestinian casualties against around 1,000 Israeli casualties. The propaganda and disinformation surrounding the genocide leads to the formation of echo chambers among western social media users, with one pro-Palestinian cartoonist finding it more effective to put pro-Israeli hashtags to their cartoons and engage with such users on their own playing field. This is alarming because it shows that there are echo chambers in western media being tailored to propagate certain ideologies, which, by the way, is not new; the US has created similar propaganda echo chambers in both wars it fought in Iraq. 

The case of the Palestinian genocide also shows a misleading belief that just because you engage in an echo chamber of pro-Palestinian voices, you are already taking action against those committing the genocide. In reality, this kind of an echo chamber takes away well-intentioned social media users from relevant and practical advocacy such as protests.

But we aren’t all software engineers who understand how algorithms work nor are we psychologists who can actively comprehend confirmation bias. So, how do we fight social media echo chambers as regular social media users?

In today’s world of increasing interconnectedness, we need to realize the transformative effects of social media and work towards using it for the good of society.

First, start seeking sources of information outside your usual channels. You can begin this process simply by visiting pages outside of your political spectrum. While controversies related to political bias that surround CNN and Fox News are probably no stranger to you, there are also many other outlets that represent a wide spectrum of views on the same issues. Your job is to actively look for alternatives from the ones usually seen on your Facebook feed or YouTube home. 

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should start believing everything you see on social media. Credibility plays a large part in determining which “opposing” information source you will expose yourself to and there are several ways of determining this factor. Start by analyzing the source’s overall reputation, followed by researching how it is financed and operated, and whether these sources admit to, and address past errors in reporting. You can also always use an online fact-checking website like PolitiFact (just make sure to do a quick search on their credibility too).

This stage also involves an outlook at who you interact with on social media — sort of a background check on your echo chamber’s residents. An instant alarm bell should sound when some of these contacts seem to repeatedly post the same views on different issues without a decent follower base. I am sure you have seen some accounts on TikTok or Facebook with very few followers that post similar issues over and over again. This is the perfect real-life exemplification of an echo chamber — they are surrounding themselves on social media with a tiny segment of yes-man for their views. Be mindful of such accounts because it’s not only a clear indication of your comfort with a particular view but also for the sake of disrupting algorithms playing favourites.

Perhaps all this might be new and unnerving for you — after all, actively searching for views you don’t agree with can be straining. The good news is that you don’t have to believe these views yet. Even if you still don’t like dogs or if you have negative views towards electric cars, just start liking or reacting to such posts (maybe even leave a snarky comment). Since algorithms look at your engagement with posts and other users, this random engagement with every possible view disturbs those algorithms and is a good first step to dismantling echo chambers.

The second stage is to better understand your own perspectives and biases. 

Comprehending your confirmation bias is critical, as it lies at the heart of echo chambers. Educating yourself on the causes of confirmation bias and real-life examples of it can be the first step. Practically, you need to start observing your reactions to information that go against your views (the disconfirming evidence). Running up your views against objective data and analyzing their validity is also helpful, so is identifying repetitions in such views. Additionally, challenge yourself to debates with your friends or family and allow them to represent “opposing views.”

Countering confirmation bias and echo chambers is not an easy task. However, the steps above are meant to provide an accessible run-down of the steps you can take to achieve that goal in an everyday setting, to not only disrupt social media algorithms that are at the core of echo chambers but also to understand psychological fallacies that prompt us to rely on them. 

In today’s world of increasing interconnectedness, we need to realize the transformative effects of social media and work towards using it for the good of society. We can start by getting out of our internet comfort zones.

1...606162...1,419Page 61 of 1,419

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024