By Eirini Malliaraki
This is the first of a series of designathons on the theme of Technology for Wholesomeness. Future topics will include tech ∩ [altruism, awe, compassion, empathy, mindfulness and purpose]
Religious leaders and philosophers have extolled the virtue of gratitude throughout history and around the world. In many ways, research supports this sentiment. Gratitude encourages us to appreciate what is good in our lives and compels us to pass this goodness on. People who are more grateful report feeling happier and more satisfied with their lives. Gratitude has even been described as a "social glue" that strengthens relationships between friends, family, romantic partners, and colleagues.
Social contagion offers a compelling theoretical explanation for the emergence and spread of generous behaviour. In large networks of cooperation and exchange, expressions of gratitude are caused when people receive benefits from others and communicate their feelings and sense of obligation.
Nowadays, we see compelling examples of gratitude in online communities. In 2020, for example, 16k Wikipedia random editors were sent a single message of appreciation from another user. As a result, organizing volunteers to thank others:
So...what is the role of gratitude in our increasingly digital lives, and how do expressions of gratitude spread through online social groups?
In this workshop/designathon we invite philosophers, computer scientists, Buddhist monks, artists, physicists, designers, information scientists, community organisers, and psychologists to contribute to a larger cultural conversation about the meaning and significance of gratitude in the digital realm. Through a series of lightning talks, discussions and collaborative prototyping sessions, we want to explore the affordances of digital communication tools and social media in scaling gratitude up, out and deep in new imaginative ways. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: