{"id":163491,"date":"2024-01-25T11:46:15","date_gmt":"2024-01-25T10:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=163491"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:08","slug":"digital-technology-is-invisible-but-it-has-a-major-impact-on-our-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/01\/25\/digital-technology-is-invisible-but-it-has-a-major-impact-on-our-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Digital technology is invisible \u2013 but it has a major impact on our lives’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vivien Butot was doing research into citizens\u2019 opinions and observations about \u2018smart cities\u2019, but he first had to make them aware of the issue. For his thesis, entitled \u2018Ideas, experiences and controversies: Repositioning civic engagement in relation to smart and safe cities\u2019, he had people walk around and try to identify surveillance.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLevien Willemse<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Imagine being at the hairdresser \u2013 how would you explain what your research is about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI usually say that I do research into citizens\u2019 experiences of safety in the smart city. To which they often respond: what is a smart city? Well, it\u2019s a city in which digital technology and data are used to tackle a whole range of urban issues, such as mobility, sustainability, as well as safety, like using CCTV. These days, CCTV not only records images but is equipped with motion sensors, audio sensors and software to recognise activity patterns. The question is how people feel about that and whether they are aware of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why is how people feel about it important?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause it\u2019s something that gets experimented with, and it\u2019s something that goes beyond safety alone. When something breaks down in the city and builders repair it, that\u2019s immediately visible. Digital technology, on the other hand, is invisible \u2013 but it has a major impact on our lives. Are you aware that walking behaviour and sound are being used to identify suspicious behaviour? Do you realise that an increase in police or enforcement officers in your neighbourhood might be the result of these types of measurements and analyses? If not, then you won\u2019t be able to make your voice heard about these issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

So by asking about it, you\u2019re creating awareness?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMy research accomplishes two things, which almost makes it a type of action research: I have to find or create opportunities to discuss the issue, which is how I encourage awareness \u2013 and that allows me to elicit responses. I can\u2019t just go out onto the street to ask people what they think of smart cities if people don\u2019t know what that means and if many aspects are invisible to them \u2013 which is why I organised a series of walks and interview sessions.\u201d<\/p>\n

What were the main conclusions?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause my research deliberately goes beyond a simple a cost-benefit assessment, I\u2019d get appropriate responses, such as: \u201cI don\u2019t really know what\u2019s happening or what these types of technology actually do, but I do see them around.\u201d And in order to form an idea about the issue, people start speculating, which is when they start citing metaphors like Big Brother. And some people suggested that a lamppost could also be used for data collection.\u201d<\/p>\n

So you were actually making people paranoid?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have at times accused me of doing that \u2013 but I really only focus on what\u2019s actually there. And, in fact, these people don\u2019t just step into the study without any prior knowledge, since they have experiences that they project onto the technology. So I\u2019ve also observed that, where there is no transparency about technology, people rely on their own frame of reference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Any other interesting conclusions?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI was struck by the fact that a lot of people have vicarious experiences with the surveillance society, which is when they start worrying: not about themselves, but about other people \u2013 vulnerable people. Their reasoning is: I\u2019ll be fine if they introduce more \u2018smart\u2019 surveillance. However, for minority groups and residents of districts with a lot of cultural and ethnic diversity, this is a greater risk because they are often the target of surveillance monitoring. A lot of people have told me: just go and walk around in Rotterdam Zuid, that\u2019s where you\u2019ll hear more personal concerns about the surveillance society. But I did that in Rotterdam West, and there too, I got to hear that participants were mainly concerned about others. Only in a few cases did participants project personal experiences with the surveillance society onto the technology they had seen or onto the scenarios I presented to them. Other responses I got were feelings of individual powerlessness and scepticism about whether safety could be improved using technology.\u201d<\/p>\n

From what you\u2019ve told me: making people more aware means making them more critical.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people speculate about the applications of technology, that can equally extend to the extremely positive end of the spectrum \u2013 although that group represented a minority of respondents. However, people would talk about things that were not legally and technically possible, but which they thought were a good idea \u2013 like surveillance extending to within the home. By contrast, I did notice during the walks that people were pretty dismayed about the surveillance tech they encountered, but by sharing their experiences, they were able to put their fears to rest afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n

How did you end up doing your PhD?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter my Bachelor\u2019s degree, I initially took a job, because it was 2012 and there was a financial crisis going on. A lot of people who graduated couldn\u2019t find a job, so I thought: why would I do a Master\u2019s? I did logistics and e-commerce at a small European head office for design radios. The economy shifted again after four years and I\u2019d saved up some money, so then I went and did a Master\u2019s degree. To an extent, I ended up doing my PhD simply because I got the opportunity to do so, because, as a more mature student, I was slightly more committed and a lecturer approached me for this position.\u201d<\/p>\n

And did you enjoy it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou get a lot of freedom to develop your own ideas and do research, but that also makes it a very individual endeavour. So I think I\u2019ve experienced all the tough aspects of getting a PhD \u2013 like loneliness and imposter syndrome. However, it was equally a good working environment that was extremely stimulating \u2013 and I had some great colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n

In your acknowledgement, somewhat contrary to tradition, you thank your best friend last instead of your girlfriend \u2013 was that a conscious choice?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHaha. Well, he designed the cover and the inside work of the thesis, and that was the final step in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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