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February 21st, 2025
On Thursday, February 20, Douglas Rushkoff, an author and documentarian who studies human autonomy, gave a talk titled “Program or Be Programmed: The Biases of Digital Media.” Melissa Chomintra, a Libraries faculty member, hosted the event co-sponsored by Purdue University’s Tech Justice Lab.
About the talk
Throughout the talk, Rushkoff referenced his book “Program or Be Programmed: Ten Commands for a Digital Age,” providing a blueprint for navigating the challenges of the modern digital era. The book presents guidelines for using technology to empower individuals rather than diminish their agency. Rushkoff’s “Ten Commands” serve as a framework for maintaining autonomy in an increasingly digital world.
Rushkoff began his talk by discussing the history and evolution of digital technology. Initially, digital tools seemed ready to open up a world of potential and promised to unlock creativity, novelty, and a sense of freedom for its users. But over time, the vision and focus changed.
“We turned the Internet from a space of infinite possibility into one of probability,” Rushkoff said, reflecting on how commercialization shifted the focus of the digital world. The Internet, once a place for exploration and experimentation, has increasingly been used to guide behavior and influence actions in specific, profit-driven ways.
He also addressed the darker side of digital technology. “If you analyze how technology is being used today, it’s largely about domination, subjugation, and control,” he explained, setting the tone for a deep dive into how our digital landscape shapes—and limits—our autonomy.
Rushkoff urged the audience to evaluate the technologies we use daily: “When you look at a new piece of technology—an app, a platform—ask yourself, ‘Is it creating new possibilities, or is it shepherding?’” He also discussed the often-overlooked issue of labor behind technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting how these systems rely on invisible, often exploitative work.
The central theme of Rushkoff’s talk was the growing acceptance of new technologies without a true understanding of how they work and impact us. He emphasized that while we eagerly adopt new devices, we often fail to learn how they are programmed or how they program us in return. Most people don’t know how to code their computers, and even fewer are concerned with the underlying systems that govern these tools. Instead, we spend our energy using these technologies to manipulate and influence each other.
Rushkoff cautioned that this lack of awareness could be a serious mistake. By blindly adopting digital technologies, we surrender control over our autonomy.
Just as the invention of written language reshaped society—detaching us from much of our traditional ways of life—Rushkoff believes that our shift to the digital realm requires a new framework to preserve our humanity. He argued that understanding the biases inherent in digital media is key to ensuring that we use these tools to support, rather than undermine, our collective well-being.
About Douglas Rushkoff
Douglas Rushkoff, named one of MIT’s “world’s ten most influential intellectuals,” is an author, documentarian, and expert on digital age autonomy. His twenty books include “Survival of the Richest” and “Team Human,” and he has produced PBS Frontline documentaries like “Generation Like” and “The Persuaders.” Rushkoff has coined terms such as “viral media” and “social currency” and advocates for using digital media for social justice. A professor at CUNY/Queens and research fellow at the Institute for the Future, he is also a columnist for Medium, with his novels and comics in development for film.Visit Rushkoff’s website to learn more about him and his work.
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