Reading Response #7: Artful Design Chapter 6: “Social Design”

Alanna Sun

November 7, 2021

CS 476A, Stanford University

Reading Response: A Little Anonymity Can Go A Long Way

This week’s reading dives into the design of social systems meant for human connection. It felt especially relevant given our current age of social media and increasing worries about the impact of these systems on mental health, happiness, and meaningful connections. I found the idea of designing for strangers really interesting--in particular, the notion that anonymity is what allows for a sense of authentic connection. At first, it seems a bit counterintuitive that the fact that not knowing a person is what lets us feel close to them. But, then, I guess it’s not really the person that we feel connected to, but rather the experience of being human. Without any expectations or double consciousnesses, we are more free to act however makes us most comfortable. Feeling like we are all part of this common denominator of humanity enables us to empathize with a much broader range of people. Exactly as Principle 7.7: A Little Anonymity Can Go A Long Way explains, when designed well, anonymity can help us balance privacy and connection, thereby navigating for ourselves which aspects of each are most meaningful.

Yet, at the same time, we see in many of our current socio-technical systems, anonymity can be a double-edged sword. For example, with Reddit, administrators face the persistent problem of trolls as well as users who violate community norms and make others feel unwelcomed. How can we make sure that people don’t take advantage of the lack of accountability that anonymity offers? It’s definitely a question that has many answers, but a big factor is probably the subject matter and context. When the context involves aspects of one’s identity rather than a particular game, task, or interest (like Ocarina), then we might need more of a personal foundation to build trust and respect among users.

Furthermore, balancing privacy and connection is definitely a design challenge. How do we achieve the proper level of social translucence? For example, with Spotify, I find the friend activity feature, where you can see what your friends are listening to at the moment, a bit too revealing. To me, listening to music without anyone physically around me is a private activity that can be very personal. It’s often indicative of my current mood and activity, so it feels weird that the default on Spotify is to broadcast your music to others. That being said, I also have friends who enjoy this feature, so I’m not sure if the solution is to get rid of it. I do think, though, it is interesting to consider alternatives like creating joint playlists or sending songs to friends/strangers, both of which feel a lot more intentional.