<p>Bengaluru: A week-long event focusing on the future of digital India and the impact of technology kicked off on Saturday, with a public lecture on screen addiction and the impact of the same on youth, at the Bangalore International Centre in Domlur, on Saturday. </p><p>Titled, 'Our Digital Futures Fest' and organised by IT for Change, a Bengaluru-based non-profit organisation working on research and advocacy in the field of digital justice, it is being held as a part of the organisation's 25-year celebration. </p><p>The fest opened with a lecture by Dr Shekhar Seshadri, popular child and adolescent psychiatrist, currently a Professor (Health) at the Azim Premji Foundation. The talk focused on the relation between the self and the algorithm. </p><p>Dr Sheshadri questioned what it truly means to develop a sense of self in today's world that is characterised by the use of social media and streaming platforms.</p><p>Speaking about how the viewer isn't in control of what is being presented to them, he said, "We now have a phenomenon where OTT platforms are deliberately dumbing down content to be served in the form of second-screen viewing. This basically acknowledges that people no longer possess the ability to watch a movie without using their phones," he elaborated, adding that “the digital screen is no longer a passive window but an active participant in the construction of ourselves."</p><p>Underlining the significance of 'Our Digital Futures Fest' in the context of digital India’s growth, Anita Gurumurthy, Executive Director, IT For Change, said, “Digital is central to the very imagination of 21st century India. A People’s Digital India hinges on how our institutions respond to emerging challenges and developments in our collective digital existence towards a social fabric of belonging and care.”</p><p>For details about the fest, visit <a href="https://itforchange.net/">itforchange.net</a></p>
<p>Bengaluru: A week-long event focusing on the future of digital India and the impact of technology kicked off on Saturday, with a public lecture on screen addiction and the impact of the same on youth, at the Bangalore International Centre in Domlur, on Saturday. </p><p>Titled, 'Our Digital Futures Fest' and organised by IT for Change, a Bengaluru-based non-profit organisation working on research and advocacy in the field of digital justice, it is being held as a part of the organisation's 25-year celebration. </p><p>The fest opened with a lecture by Dr Shekhar Seshadri, popular child and adolescent psychiatrist, currently a Professor (Health) at the Azim Premji Foundation. The talk focused on the relation between the self and the algorithm. </p><p>Dr Sheshadri questioned what it truly means to develop a sense of self in today's world that is characterised by the use of social media and streaming platforms.</p><p>Speaking about how the viewer isn't in control of what is being presented to them, he said, "We now have a phenomenon where OTT platforms are deliberately dumbing down content to be served in the form of second-screen viewing. This basically acknowledges that people no longer possess the ability to watch a movie without using their phones," he elaborated, adding that “the digital screen is no longer a passive window but an active participant in the construction of ourselves."</p><p>Underlining the significance of 'Our Digital Futures Fest' in the context of digital India’s growth, Anita Gurumurthy, Executive Director, IT For Change, said, “Digital is central to the very imagination of 21st century India. A People’s Digital India hinges on how our institutions respond to emerging challenges and developments in our collective digital existence towards a social fabric of belonging and care.”</p><p>For details about the fest, visit <a href="https://itforchange.net/">itforchange.net</a></p>
