Digital Culture
Course Description
The wide array of digital tools and social networks have enabled the creation and dissemination of information at an exponential pace. Yet as these tools and networks become increasingly pervasive and embedded parts of our lives, it’s easy to overlook their impact on us, as well as our families, friends and civic institutions. In this class, we set aside time to explore how various digital technologies impact and shape these different parts of our lives. More specifically, we examine how digital technologies have shaped and changed political participation, notions of privacy, economic impact on industries such as media and journalism. We’ll also look at how social media technologies have influenced conceptions of “community” (e.g., What is a “Networked Society”?) and explore specific types of rapid-growth communities such as gaming. We’ll engage these topics and questions through readings and class discussions. Creative work (assignments) will include a regular research journal, three short analysis papers (“Deep Dive”) and a video.
