Data Hackathon

The internet is a vast place home to many different users and personas, however some of these users garner attention due to their strange and controversial content. Whether or not intentional, labels become attached to these users, sometimes self-proclaimed, in some cases satire created by those who see the user and content. For example in recent years online podcasts run by misogynistic men, discussing politics and human rights (as if that's a debatable topic); these men were labeled podcast bros by those who saw their content after it went viral. These labels were created in order to categorize certain users, their harmful behaviours and stereotypes.

The data we decided to hack was these labels in order to expose how truly ridiculous and menial they really are. The more these labeled users are interacted with, the more power they have to influence people in the internet sphere. When things are given a label or name on the internet it fits them into a perfect little box with no room to move, encouraging them to live up to the description of their labels. This is especially harmful when done to humans as it allows no room for change or nuance.

We made trading cards replicating battle cards used in the 2000s-2010s. The rules of these cards are that you play against another person in a fashion similar to the card game War, each placing a card down at the same time and seeing whose card has the stronger attack. These cards represent the simultaneous ridiculous and harmful effects of these labels; in the war-like rules of the game your attacks are over-the-top and specific, but there's no chance to change your health, persona, or weaknesses.