IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - December 2016 - 88

Last Word
Christine Perakslis

n science, half-life is
the average amount
of time required for
the initial concentration of an element
to decay by half. Lifespans may be
random and unpredictable, therefore scientists apply half-life to
understand the probability of decay.
The biological half-life of caffeine
is estimated to be 4-5 hours for a
healthy adult. By lunchtime, an adult
will metabolize one-half of the caffeine consumed during breakfast.
Transmutation occurs through the
liver; the caffeine breaks down into
three elements.
Researchers propose quantifiable social media half-life relative
to tweets, posts, and hashtag trending. Engagement of a typical tweet
is believed to halve within 16 minutes, a decrease from 24 minutes
in 2014 [1]. When reviewing hashtag
trending in the wake of tragedies,
researchers describe what appears
to be more rapid decay of expressions of solidarity globally [2].
Social psychologists help to
broaden this concept. One could be
living a half-life. The "looking-glass
self" is a state in which we define
ourselves by how others perceive
us, rather than by who we really are.
Selfies may be a method to manufacture what one perceives as a socially-acceptable identity. Technology
allows individuals to eliminate large

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MTS.2016.2632980
Date of publication: 12 December 2016

Half-Life: Decay,
Discernment and
Human Agency
chunks of reality; individuals can
post selfies to manipulate how he
or she is perceived. Studies suggest,
as more and more selfies of the selfpropagated identity are posted, others are more likely to endorse the
identity [3]. Self-identity can suffer
decay if an individual is preoccupied
with perceptions.
The authors of this issue elicit
our reflection. Is society encountering more rapid empathy decay
due to technological pace, content,
and practices? Will human capacity for empathy transmute into such
undesirable elements as apathy or
self-absorption? If we are insulated
from what we do not like or understand through social partitioning
and excessive filters, could human
capacity for unity, or diversity,
undergo insidious decay? Would virtues and values erode?
The authors raised our awareness. Awareness is an essential element for sagacity. Decay processes
can often be altered by external
influences. Broccoli may increase
the metabolism of caffeine [4]; certain social media behaviors positively impact empathic concern [5].
IEEE Technology and Society Magazine

With awareness and intentionality,
we humans can learn to discern and
choose more advantageous behaviors well, to slow down or speed up
the pace of decay.

Author Information
Christine Perakslis is Associate Professor in the MBA Program, College
of Management, Johnson & Wales
University, Providence, RI. Email:
christine.perakslis@jwu.edu.

References
[1] "Your tweet half-life is 1 billion times
shorter than Carbon-14's,". http://www
.wiselytics.com/blog/category/social-mediametrics-reports/, accessed Oct. 1, 2016.
[2] C. Dewey, "The tragically short half life
of online empathy," Washington Post,
Nov. 17, 2015; https://www.washingtonpost.
com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/11/17/
the-tragicallyshort-half-life-of-online-empathy/.
[3] P. Kaufman, "A sociological snapshot of
selfies," Everyday Sociology Blog, Jan. 13,
2014; https://faculty.newpaltz.edu/peterkaufman/index.php/everyday-sociology-blog/.
[4] N. Hakooz and I. Hamdan, "Effects of
dietary broccoli on human in vivo caffeine
metabolism: A pilot study on a group of
Jordanian volunteers," Carcinogenesis,
vol. 17, no. 4, pp 793-799, 2007.
[5] F. Collins, The Relationship between Social
Media and Empathy (thesis), 2014; http://
digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cgi/
viewcontent.cgi?article=2189&context=etd.

∕

DECEmber 2016

http://www http://www.wiselytics.com/blog/category/social-media https://www.washingtonpost https://faculty.newpaltz.edu/peter http://http:// http://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cgi/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - December 2016