Social Computing

Computing is a social activity. Networks link individuals for research, education, business, and entertainment. Today, a computer without a network connection seems broken. Connections among people pervade most computing activity.

Online social networks are complex, sociotechnical systems. How do we design them? In what ways do social networks make new kinds of activities possible? Social Computing research at Georgia Tech focuses on:

Health Applications. Can community-based conversations encourage healthy lifestyles and compliance with medical regimes? How can we understand existing culture and leverage that knowledge to reshape individual and shared beliefs and social practices to promote healthy choices?

Content Moderation. How do we balance freedom of speech and freedom from harassment? How can content-moderation systems be improved, and make best use of both human and machine labor?

Misinformation. What is “true”? How is knowledge socially constructed online? How can we support people in making informed decisions about what to believe?

Computational Journalism. How do computer networks change the fundamental nature of news as well as how (and by whom) it is created and consumed?

Social Movements. How can groups of people use the internet to advocate for change?

Privacy. How do social networks affect personal privacy and boundaries between public and private life?