Decoding Language of Grief and Joy in Digital Life
From No Such Thing: Education in the Digital Age by Marc Lesser
February 6, 2026 · 56 min · Episode 148
About this episode
Desmond Patton discusses the impact of social media on grief and joy, particularly among Black and Hispanic youth.
Desmond Patton is the 31st PIK University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, with joint appointments in the School of Social Policy & Practice and the Annenberg School for Communication, where he is the Waldo E Johnson Jr. Professor of Communication. He also holds secondary appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia & Perelman School of Medicine. He is founding director of SAFElab, founding faculty director of the Penn Center for Inclusive Innovation & Technology, and Chief Strategy Officer for the School of Social Policy & Practice. Professor Patton’s groundbreaking research examines the relationship between social media and gun violence, grief, and loss, focusing on how online communities influence offline behavior. His work has made him the most cited and widely recognized scholar in this critical area of social science. Early research focused on detecting trauma and preventing violence on social media has evolved into broader investigations of language analysis and algorithmic bias in artificial intelligence. He currently serves as a member of Spotify’s Safety Advisory Council, the Ethics and Equity Advisory…
People in this episode
Host: Marc Lesser
Guest: Desmond Patton
Topics covered
- grief
- joy
- digital life
- social media
- gun violence
- algorithmic bias
- cultural nuances
Keywords
- grief
- joy
- social media
- gun violence
- algorithmic bias
- cultural nuances
- youth
- trauma
- AI
- communication
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, SAFElab, Penn Center for Inclusive Innovation & Technology, Spotify, Axon, TikTok
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