I Make Digital Issues Tangible

Through play we can challenge how we understand the complex.

Play, Disinformation, or Media Literacy Anyone?

After training to be a teacher I noticed that so many people form understanding beyond classrooms but on smartphones, social media, and digitally mediated lives. Yet, we have limited resources to help us navigate it. I want to change that through play. When we play we are asked to think about ourselves, challenge and discuss our surroundings, and explore possibilites, let's harness that to deal with big issues like fake news.

Today, I am studying these ideas as a Fulbright and FRQSC PhD candidate in Communications at Concordia University in Montréal. Simply, I look at where play and disinformation intersect. I ask who is playing with us by manipulating what we say, and how we can play to understand these spaces. I make, play, and analyze media literacy games. I look at the gaps in existing media literacy games, and compare that to disinformation networks, to design tools that can help inform and simulate these highly networked environments.

My work has led to the creation of a board game (Lizards and Lies) as well as a series of talks and articles (Academic and Public). As someone studying disinformation, I will be as public as I can about my work, so follow along, reach out, and ask questions. Don't be shy, because curiousity is the first step to understanding.