Public Affairs Conference 2023 - Walking the Line Between Technology, Creativity and Mental Wellness

Two powerful forces impacting the current moment may seem unconnected except for the fact that they are both available through the ever-present cell phone. On the one hand, phone technology and media platforms make available a world of creativity unbounded by formal training, editorial gatekeeping, or the vagaries of the consumer marketplace. However, they also perpetuate the visibility of traumatic events through the production and endless reproduction of videos, images, and stories. How does one process the juxtaposition of painful, unjust events, and pet cats wearing sandwich bread as hats? Is society becoming hopelessly desensitized to the struggles around us, or can the creativity afforded by new technologies be utilized to ethically navigate the negative. How can we use technology to lean into the beauty of our own and others’ lives?  

Free