Enhanced Communication for ALS Patients; Social Media and Political Polarization

Being unable to communicate is terrifying and frustrating. The inability to say what you think or be heard for what you mean runs antithetical to human’s innate desires of sociability; in total sowing the seeds for social isolation.
I aim to explore this lack of communication on two fronts: an example in which communication is physically disallowed and an example in which it is psychologically disallowed. To begin, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that progressively affects motor neurons, eventually causing total bodily paralysis (NIH, 2024). Patients with ALS progressively lose their ability to advocate for themselves and communicate their thoughts, as their body physically prohibits them from doing so. This in turn lowers quality of life for the patients and their caregivers (Felgoise et al., 2016) (de Wit et al., 2018). Current technologies attempt to restore self-advocacy to these patients through blink detection algorithms, but these algorithms are not robust to everyday use and particularly have a difficult time accurately detecting blinks when the patient’s eye is occluded. This might happen when the patient is wearing a BiPAP mask, or an oxygen mask, during periods of rest. The work done by my team aims to develop an apparatus that utilizes current existing blink detection algorithms in tandem with a mountable camera set up to attach to a BiPAP mask. This design will enable a proxy language, via eye blinks, regardless of the occlusion of the eye and return a portion of the patients self-advocacy.
The discussion on the psychological limitations to communication manifests itself as the increasing polarization between Democrat and Republican voters within the United States. Polling data suggests that not only are Americans becoming increasingly more ideologically polarized (that is they think increasingly different things), but they are also becoming more affectively polarized (that is they think more negatively of people who think differently) (Nadeem, 2022) (Nadeem, 2024). These two facets of polarization are particularly of concern in tandem with an increasing reliance on social media as the presence of echo chambers is well documented and as the potential to further polarize Americans. This polarization drives people into distinct ‘chambers’ and it is within these chambers that people find the most comfort and frequent conversation (Cinelli et al., 2021). Everyone outside the chamber is thought of in a lesser light and inter-chamber communication tends to break down. Not because people cannot talk to each other, but because they do not want to. I go on to argue that this lack of desire to communicate presents a vulnerability for the exploitation of the American public at the hands of the Republican and Democratic parties via two case studies: migrant crime and third party candidates. Ultimately concluding that it is not possible to limit the effects that social media algorithms have on polarization with a technological fix without breaching fundamental personal freedoms. I bring forth the idea of dialectical materialism as the guiding ethos for a social solution to polarization because of its emphasis on how material conditions shape psychology and how class contradictions can engender unfair hegemony. By taking a dialectical approach to politics, an inherent contradiction can be found between the voters and the people they vote for, arguing for stronger solidarity to be formed between chambers rather than between chambers and their respective parties.
It is impossible to fully contend with the amount of communication that technology continually affords the world, and in more specific terms how its lack affects those who physically or psychologically do not participate. Novel blink detection algorithms can afford late-stage ALS patients self-advocacy and the opportunity to speak with their loved ones and caregivers. Just as a dialectical view of politics can encourage someone to be curious enough to look across the road and see a neighbor before they see a “Trump 2024” or “Kamala 2024” sign. However, both proposed solutions need work. Truly robust blink detection algorithms and communication-augmented medical equipment require a great deal of training and optimization; political polarization can receive an endless amount of research and theory, yet it will never truly end unless a strong and forgiving interconnecting community is built between people regardless of their political slant. That is an ongoing and conscious choice made by every person, every day.

None of these words would be written if it wasn't for the continued and supportive hand of Dr. Caitlin Wylie, Dr. Alec Bateman, Dr. Micheal DeVore, Deyan Saleem, Ishaan Shah, Ali Nilforoush, Ramneek Kaur & Coco Zhang. I thank them all.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering

Technical Advisor: Alec Bateman & Michael DeVore

STS Advisor: Caitlin Wylie

Technical Team Members: Ishaan Shah, Deyan Saleem, Ali Nilforoush