About the chair

Before the start of the corona crisis, there was also a growing technological fatalism – not wanting to go along with the ubiquitous use of digital technologies because it is too much, too difficult, too complicated – including among young people. At the same time, there is also the suspicion that technostress – the experience of stress, frustration and the so-called fear of buttons – and digipressure – the societal pressure that is imposed to use digital and online tools – have a decisive impact on whether or not engaging with digital technologies. The question that arises is whether the corona crisis, and the immediate switch to digital-only, has strengthened or reduced these mechanisms of resistance against the use of digital technology, and if so, in which profiles in the population this manifests itself?

In other words, the research focuses on two issues:

  1. How digital is the social norm that is applied in Belgium in the various life domains and what is the impact of this on the fundamental rights of citizens?
  2. How digital is the personal norm of Belgians, how has the covid-19 crisis affected it, positively and negatively and what is the impact of this on the use of digital technologies?

This VUB Chair is financed by BNP Paribas Fortis.

Chairholder

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Prof. dr. Ilse Mariën

Researching the societal impact of digitization processes and studying who’s subject to digital exclusion, and moreover what policies, actions and initiatives are needed to make sure every citizen can participate in today’s digital society. A true believer of bottom-up participatory action research as a way of developing sustainable innovation and inclusion policies and strategies. A teamwork-driven Robocup Junior coach on the side. I absolutely love to get girls, boys and their parents (over)excited about Lego Mindstorms, MakeyMakey’s and other S.T.E.A.M. technologies. Ilse joined SMIT in 2007 where she has worked on several research projects related to social implications and policy aspects of digital media. 

Academic Coordinator

Prof. dr. Leo Van Audenhove

Professor and head of department at the Department of Communication Studies and researcher at iMEC-SMIT – Studies on Media, Innovation and Technology. At this point, I am also extra-ordinary professor at the University of the Western Cape. In 2013, he was instrumental in setting up the Knowledge Centre for Media Literacy in Flanders, of which he subsequently became the director. The centre was established by government as an independent centre to promote media literacy in Flanders. His research focuses on internet governance, media literacy, e-inclusion and ICT for development.

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Academic chair details

Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences and Solvay Business School
Type of chair: Research
Foundation year: 2021