Mushon Zer Aviv—Outlier 2021—Data Viz, the UnEmpathetic Art

Data Viz, the UnEmpathetic Art “If I look at the mass I will never act. If I look at the one, I will.” —Mother Teresa Can dataviz evoke empathy? Should it even? And if so how? And would all these feelings lead to action? While public policy should be rooted in data, should advocacy do the same? And how can we account for the psychological phenomenons of statistical numbing and compassion fatigue that often lead us to disengage from human suffering when it is presented to us in large numbers? This talk would explore these contradictions and attempt to suggest possible ways for addressing them.