Abstract:

Concerned about privacy in the EdTech industry? Not sure how to safely choose apps for students, or your school or district needs? We’ll explore whether the unintended consequences of Edtech are leading us behind a black mirror. This paper will cover what companies are doing right and wrong when it comes to privacy. We will also illustrate year-over-year positive and negative trends in privacy practices. It’s not a coincidence that the popularity of alternative timeline dystopian fiction has taken over American television since the last election. Black Mirror, Electric Dreams, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Man in the High Castle, and Star Trek: Discovery acknowledge the possibility that the U.S. could have, and indeed may, devolve into a totalitarian government. These shows are a constellation of data points plotted beyond conventional parameters for dramatic media in the United States, in fact, they offer obvious points to discuss Edtech options going forward.

Several case studies will be covered in turn, illustrating the possibilities both negative and positive for classroom technology. Section I Case Study is the Black Mirror social value episode, season 3, episode 3, value of identity in education. The risk of online identity becoming a student’s entire identity. Further there is the pressure to create ideal online presences. A second Case Study is the Electric Dreams episode on school surveillance and discusses the value of privacy in education. Why can’t students just use pen and paper? There is a pervasiveness of edtech use in school and some difficulty functioning as a student without it. Almost all Edtech collects some personal information, which is not always used for educational purposes, from the 2019 State of Edtech Report. From the Privacy Risks & Harm Report, there are content risks, where a child is exposed to unwelcome and inappropriate content. This can include sexual, pornographic, and violent images; some forms of advertising; racist, discriminatory, or hate speech material; and websites advocating unhealthy or dangerous behaviors, such as self-harm, suicide, and anorexia. There are also contact risks, where a child participates in risky communication, such as with an adult seeking inappropriate contact or soliciting a child for sexual purposes, or with individuals attempting to radicalize a child or persuade him or her to take part in unhealthy or dangerous behaviors. Finally, there are conduct risks: Where a child behaves in a way that contributes to risky content or contact. This may include children writing or creating hateful materials about other children, inciting racism, or posting or distributing sexual images, including material they have produced themselves. As a more abstract concern, there is the loss of individualized self as well, see identity section above. In the third and final Case Study, this paper will examine The Handmaid’s Tale, The Word episode. There is a value of primary sources/direct access to information, versus mediated, summarized, and interpreted information, in education. Marginalized groups have limited access to information. Privacy is often bestowed upon the privileged, and there is an association of physical and mental subjugation with limited privacy. In the conclusion of this paper, we will examine the methodologies and pedagogies available to counteract these negative trends, and to offer educators better Edtech transparency.

Keywords:

Edtech, Apps, Privacy, Media, Safety.