Introducing Untangled
A newsletter about technology, people, and power.
Hi, I’m Charley. This is Untangled, a newsletter about technology, people, and power.
I decided to start Untangled because:
The prevalent narrative is that tech is ‘happening to us.’ I want to challenge this idea by untangling the stories we tell about technology — so that we can write new ones.
I want to reimagine how we use technology, and that starts with how we understand our relationship to it. Get hyped — each issue will be chock-full of research!
I'm tired of the predictable conversation where [insert tech company here] does something bad, and little changes. Want to dive into solutions? Me too.
I thoroughly dislike how few Twitter followers I have. (I kid. I’ve avoided social media for the last decade. But I want more people than just my immediate family to read Untangled. Help?)
But basically, it all comes down to this: we assume that technology impacts society — it doesn't. Technology is entangled with society. If we don’t understand this distinction, bad things happen. Let's untangle it, shall we?
🤔 What do you get if you subscribe to Untangled?
On the first Sunday of the month, you'll receive a post where I embark on a deep exploration of a particular topic or concept.
A week or two after publishing, I will share an interview with a relevant field expert, where we discuss potential solutions relating to the topic. I'll also send along some reflections on what I've learned, and questions I still have.
With every issue of Untangled, I will always open up the floor: you are invited to hit reply, tell me what you think, and even submit questions that I will use in my interviews.
So, if you want to make your next conversation more interesting, you should just subscribe now 👇
More about me
Once upon a time, I wrote about my feelings online.
But perhaps more to the point, I lead the Disinformation Action Lab at Data & Society, which supports civil society, news media, and policymakers in understanding and countering the problem of disinformation. We recently won an award for excellence. Cool, huh?
I also lecture on topics at the intersection of technology and society at George Washington University. Previously, I co-founded USAID’s Center for Digital Development, led its strategy and research on emerging technologies, and served as its director.
Most importantly, I’m an obnoxiously proud uncle, and I dance harder than you do.