I'm Sukhnidh đđ˝ââď¸ Welcome to my space.
I'm currently a Research Fellow at Microsoft Research, India. I'm interested in the online experiences of marginalized user bases in India. My work aims to provide critical commentary on social media platforms. I have experience in digital community organisation, campaigning, and viral content creation, and have consulted non profits, research orgs, and big tech on the same. I graduated with a BA in Economics and Psychology from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai in 2020.
I spend my free time exploring creative art and love making music! I'm always down for new projects or a chat - find me at [email protected], twitter or instagram.
Work
Microsoft Research (2021): My interests are human computer interaction and feminist internet studies. I am working on qualitative HCI and mixed-methods CSS projects that explore social media use by marginalised users under Dr. Joyojeet Pal, Dr. Manohar Swaminathan, Dr. Kalika Bali, and Dr. Aditya Vashistha.
Read my blog post, The Interview Methodology â Centering the âHumanâ in âHuman-Computer Interactionâ
Internet Freedom Foundation (2021): I started and led IFF's digital literacy team, through which my colleagues and I created 200+ multimedia explainers on online surveillance, platform governance and digital rights in India. In order to break down each of these issues for a large audience, I had to first develop a deep understanding of them. This helped me acquire a fundamental understanding of how governments, courts, and big tech can better serve end usersâ interests through policy and legal interventions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJVLJtDxryc&t=3s
Bops (2021): Anmol and I created a tool that allows you to explore vintage rock n roll songs, and welcomed 12,000+ users within the first few days of launching. We curated 15 songs/year from 1950-2010 based on popularity and nostalgic value. When you select a year, Bops takes you to a randomly selected YouTube link. Check us out! [if the link is broken, weâre refreshing the domain!]
TikTok Product Policy (2020): I spent 6 months interning in TikTok Risk Analysis, analysing and creating research reports on the impact of geopolitics and socio-political events on the internet industry. I researched platform regulation, misinformation, hate speech, and more across events including the TikTok ban in India, 2020 US elections, Beirut blasts, COVID-19, and BLM protests. I learnt about how the socio-political dynamics of our physical lives evolve in online spheres, and gained insight into how social media platforms make strategic decisions surrounding high-risk situations.
J-PAL South Asia (2019-2020): I helped refine and administer Randomized Control Trials measuring the effectiveness of employability training in boosting labour force participation for a UC Berkeley based project in Mumbai, India. I learnt the value of carefully designed studies, and had the chance to gain experience with RCTs, impact evaluation surveys, and SurveyCTO.
GenWise (2019): I worked as a teaching assistant, helping instruct courses in Digital Literacy, Math and Science for gifted students.
Writing
Newsletter: **The Love, Pavemented Newsletter x Akademi Mag offers insights into the internet and world politics for 10,000 readers. Here are some pieces I've written: **Mass Incarceration of the Black Community | Making Sense of the Yemen Crisis | "You're Fake News" | Digitally Silencing Kashmir | Beirut Blasts and Lebanese Dissent | Cancel Culture | On Protest, Activism, and Big Tech
More notes on the internet
Instagram's Business of Algorithmic Transparency
Moderating "controversial" online mental health communities
To men or not to men? Safety in internet echo chambers
Engaging with social justice content on social media
Technology and the internet have not liberated Indian women
Long-form
A Guide on How to Play Piano Chords Using Patterns
A Game Theory Perspective on How Unrealistic Beauty Standards Hurt Women