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Aarushi Bhandari

Assistant Professor of Sociology, Davidson College
My current research trajectory focuses on the attention economy; the economies constructed for information and communication technologies (ICTs), especially the internet and social media. My book Attention and Alienation: Reflections on the Many promises of ICTs for Social Progress is under contract with Columbia University Press. This book presents quantitative data on internet and mobile penetration across the world from 1990-2020 to unpack the historical impacts these technologies have had on different elements of global change, including international development and social movements. Throughout the book, I weave narratives about my own experiences growing up as a young millennial girl during the Nepali Civil War. These narratives provide the contexts, positions and perspectives that inspire my analysis of the data.

Expanding on my interests in the phenomena of technology and attention, my newer projects focus on the study of meditation and mindfulness as radical tools to reclaim our attention from “big tech” firms and social media platforms. As a teacher, I am especially keen to uncover this line of inquiry to support my students for whom digital and social media are integral aspects of living. My next book project will be at the nexus of the study of attention, mindfulness and the future of technology.

Finally, I am also continuing my work on communication technologies and society through interdisciplinary collaborative projects on the social dimensions of rapidly evolving Artificial Intelligence (AI) and language models.

Taylor Swift and the end of the Hollywood writers strike – a tale of two media narratives

Sep 29, 2023 01:55 am UTC| Entertainment

This fall, Ive been starting my sociology classes by asking my students to share some uplifting news theyve come across. On Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, they were abuzz about Taylor Swifts appearance at the Kansas City...

Economy

Global Markets Slide as Tech Stocks Sink, Yields Rise, and AI Concerns Deepen

Global financial markets ended Friday on a weaker note as major stock indexes declined, led by a sharp selloff in technology shares amid renewed skepticism over artificial intelligence investments. Rising U.S. Treasury...

Fed Near Neutral Signals Caution Ahead, Shifting Focus to Fixed Income in 2026

The Federal Reserves latest policy signals suggest that interest rates are now close to neutral, raising the bar for additional rate cuts in 2025 and beyond. This shift implies restraint rather than rescue from the central...

S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally

U.S. stocks closed sharply lower on Friday as a selloff in technology shares, led by semiconductor companies, weighed heavily on broader markets and dampened enthusiasm around the artificial intelligence trade. The...

Fed Rate Cut Signals Balance Between Inflation and Jobs, Says Mary Daly

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President Mary Daly said she supported cutting interest rates at this weeks Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, highlighting the central banks effort to carefully balance...

Ireland Limits Planned Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements to Goods Only

Ireland has clarified that its proposed legislation to curb trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank will apply strictly to goods, not services, according to a senior minister speaking to Reuters. The...

Politics

Trump Signals Two Final Candidates for Fed Chair, Calls for Presidential Input on Interest Rates

U.S. President Donald Trump said he has narrowed his search for the next Federal Reserve chair to two leading candidates and suggested that the White House should be consulted on future interest rate decisions, a stance...

New Epstein Photos Surface Showing Trump as Lawmakers Near Document Release Deadline

Congressional Democrats have released 19 new photographs from the estate of the late Jeffrey Epstein, reigniting political debate as a deadline approaches for the release of thousands of documents related to the disgraced...

Air Force One Delivery Delayed to 2028 as Boeing Faces Rising Costs

The U.S. Air Force has confirmed another delay in the delivery of the next-generation Air Force One aircraft, pushing the expected arrival of the first jet to mid-2028. This marks an additional one-year setback in a...

California, 18 States Sue to Block Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee

California and 18 other U.S. states are preparing to file a lawsuit in federal court to block President Donald Trumps proposed $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers. The lawsuit, to be filed in...

Preservation Group Sues Trump Administration to Halt $300 Million White House Ballroom Project

A leading historic preservation group has filed a lawsuit against U.S. President Donald Trump and several federal agencies in an effort to block construction of a proposed $300 million ballroom at the White House site,...

Science

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Trump and Merck KGaA Partner to Slash IVF Drug Costs and Expand Fertility Coverage

U.S. President Donald Trump and German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA have announced a groundbreaking deal aimed at lowering the cost of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments while boosting access to fertility care in...

Technology

SpaceX Insider Share Sale Values Company Near $800 Billion Amid IPO Speculation

SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, has reportedly authorized an insider share sale that places its valuation at approximately $800 billion, according to a Bloomberg News report published Friday. The move...

Mizuho Raises Broadcom Price Target to $450 on Surging AI Chip Demand

Mizuho Securities has raised its price target on Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO), highlighting accelerating momentum in the companys artificial intelligence business and a rapidly expanding long-term backlog. The brokerage...

Trello Outage Disrupts Users as Access Issues Hit Atlassian’s Work Management Platform

Atlassian Corps popular work management software Trello experienced a service disruption on Friday, leaving a number of users unable to access the platform. The outage was flagged by internet monitoring service...

Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools Raises U.S. National Security Concerns

Intel has tested advanced chipmaking equipment this year from ACM Research, a semiconductor toolmaker with deep operational ties to China, according to sources familiar with the matter. The move has drawn scrutiny because...

Moore Threads Stock Slides After Risk Warning Despite 600% Surge Since IPO

Moore Threads Technology Co Ltd (SS:688795), a Chinese graphics chipmaker often described as Chinas potential rival to NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), saw its share price fall sharply on Friday after the company issued a...