Dr. Desmond Upton Patton

Dr. Desmond Upton Patton

@dupatton.bsky.social

31st PIK University Professor at UPenn| SAFElab and PCIIT Founding Director| Studying Gun violence, AI Ethics, Youth and Mental Health, Grief, Social Media and Joy.

3,431 Followers 608 Following 64 Posts Joined Nov 2024
2 weeks ago
YouTube
Are Cell Phones Bad For Your Kids? - Tired Parents Club YouTube video by Queen City News

Tired Parents Club spoke to Professor @dupatton.bsky.social about when you should give your child access to a cell phone and how teachers can utilize cell phones in their classrooms:

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2 weeks ago
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Decoding Language of Grief and Joy in Digital Life | No Such Thing Dr. Desmond Patton on youth, AI, and the stakes of misinterpretation

Decoding Language of Grief and Joy in Digital Life, a new #nosuchthingpod episode - come join @dupatton.bsky.social and I for a discussion of social media, AI, and interpretation #research #media #technology #youth Follow ☝️for info on release of his new new book. shows.acast.com/nosuchthing/...

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1 month ago
Large projected slide with a bright yellow-green background titled “Joy: What is it?” The slide lists bullet points defining joy as an emotional response to a perceived good, sometimes emerging after pain, grief, or collective struggle, and emphasizing that joy is not passive but cultivated through intentional practice. A tall black speaker stack partially blocks the right side of the slide, and a smaller teleprompter screen with partial text is visible below. Post image

"what does it mean to privilege JOY in AI development?" @dupatton.bsky.social sharing his insights at #SSWR2026
@pennsp2.bsky.social

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3 months ago
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“What if I told you social media isn’t just a platform but a neighborhood?"- @dupatton.bsky.social, keynote speaker at our symposium. A leading researcher on social media and community gun violence, his work is reshaping how we approach digital spaces in violence prevention. White paper coming soon!

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4 months ago
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A Road Map To Reduce Firearm Harms by 2040

Three Penn faculty members, including PIK Professor @dupatton.bsky.social, are among more than 40 experts to author a report addressing the persistent challenge of gun violence and proposing solutions stemming from a JAMA Summit convened last spring:

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7 months ago
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During his early fieldwork in Chicago, Dr. | Maria Bryan During his early fieldwork in Chicago, Dr. Desmond Patton noticed something unexpected: his students weren’t just using Twitter—they were navigating it like a neighborhood. What started as a study on...

www.linkedin.com/posts/mariab...

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7 months ago

health.usnews.com/wellness/min...

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8 months ago
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Through to Thriving: Journeying to Joy with Dr. Desmond Upton Patton | TechPolicy.Press Anika Collier Navaroli spoke to Dr. Patton about his personal and intellectual journey, and how the pursuit of joy could change the way we think of technology.

In the latest episode in her special podcast series, Through to Thriving, Tech Policy Press fellow @anikacolliernavaroli.com talks with @dupatton.bsky.social about his personal and intellectual engagement with the concept and practice of joy, and what it all has to do with technology and policy:

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9 months ago

thanks, Rachel!!

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9 months ago
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Through to Thriving: Journeying to Joy with Dr. Desmond Upton Patton | TechPolicy.Press Anika Collier Navaroli spoke to Dr. Patton about his personal and intellectual journey, and how the pursuit of joy could change the way we think of technology.

In the latest episode in her special podcast series, Through to Thriving, Tech Policy Press fellow Anika Collier Navaroli talks with Dr. Desmond Upton Patton about his personal and intellectual engagement with the concept and practice of joy, and what it has to do with technology and policy:

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9 months ago

I really enjoyed this conversation!

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9 months ago
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How are aggression and violence affecting youth in digital spaces? #ChildSafety

Gain critical insights for building a safer, more equitable digital landscape for children from @dupatton.bsky.social, @drmandyk.bsky.social, and others at #MediaAndMinds25.

Secure your spot today: bit.ly/3zOUbjH

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9 months ago
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“We are only slowly beginning to understand the impact that social media is having on violence. In the 21st century we really need to invest in this space.”

@upenn.edu professor and @nam.edu member Desmond Patton shares his perspective while attending #JAMASummit.

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9 months ago
YouTube
Desmond Patton at #JAMASummit #Shorts YouTube video by JAMA Network

youtube.com/shorts/8HszQ...

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10 months ago
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Your joy plan index card.

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10 months ago
CSSW 2025 Commencement Speaker | Columbia School of Social Work

socialwork.columbia.edu/news/cssw-20...

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10 months ago
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Saturday of ##SOBP2025 starts at 8am(!!) but we're here for exciting talks on AI. Dr. Desmond Patton presents important work on social media and gun violence. Highlights important interactions between virtual and physical neighborhoods and discussing CASM- with caution on potential misuse.

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10 months ago

thank you so much!!!

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10 months ago

An absolutely incredible talk by @dupatton.bsky.social! So many implications and tips for engaging with communities and the important of community expertise in our research!

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10 months ago

thank you so much!!! I cant wait to share it!

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10 months ago

📍The Book I’ve Been Holding in My Chest

I’ve been writing a book for years—one shaped by a single question:Who gets to be understood online?
It’s about grief, algorithms, and Gakirah Barnes.She was 17.She was brilliant.Her life—lived on Twitter—has something to teach us all.

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10 months ago
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To Curb Online Sexual Abuse of Children, Experts Look to AI Researchers in Norway and the U.S. are training artificial intelligence to address cybergrooming. Will it work?

To Curb #Online Sexual Abuse of #Children, Experts Look to #AI undark.org/2025/03/31/c... | Thanks to Dr @dupatton.bsky.social for chatting with me for @undark.org

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11 months ago

wonderful and thank you!

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11 months ago
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How can AI help us predict language and communication patterns that reveal how violence operates? How can it be used as a research tool? In this #PennAI video, @dupatton.bsky.social discusses how he uses AI in his research. Watch the full video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqki...

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11 months ago
YouTube
SSWR 2025: Opening Plenary YouTube video by Society For Social Work & Research (SSWR)

"Collaboration often means reconciling different ways of knowing--whether it's the lived experiences of community, or the technical precision of data science, or the structural perspectives of social work."

Check out @dupatton.bsky.social's keynote at SSWR this year!!!!

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11 months ago
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#joystacking #thejoyplan TikTok video by DUP

www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2GfpFcC/

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11 months ago

check in with PRIMR:https://primr.org/

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11 months ago
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Trump administration freezes $175 million in federal funding to Penn According to a White House tweet, Wednesday's decision is a result of Penn's

They are coming for every university, if you think you’re safe because it hasn’t been yours yet I don’t know what to tell you. Join AAUP, refuse to comply, organize your colleagues

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11 months ago
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I wrote a book about the life of Gakirah Barnes and her life on Twitter. Follow along to learn about how is used AI to analyze tweets, the mistakes i made and the potential of working with youth to re... TikTok video by DUP

www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2g8a4Q1/

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