Critical Internet Studies (387-0-1)

Instructors

Sulafa Zidani

Meeting Info

TBA: TBA

Overview of class

This course focuses on the economic, political, cultural aspects of the internet. We will touch on current debates in the field of Critical Internet Studies, employing a critical lens that moves beyond celebratory views of technology. Students will learn to analyze the internet as a social, political, and cultural force shaping modern life. We will examine the internet at different levels, including: infrastructure, design, and content. Readings focus on timely topics like platforms, meme, surveillance, online activism, and more. We will dig into the tension between commercial interests and creative uses of the internet for public discourse and identity negotiation. The online format allows students to engage with the digital space in an interactive and will include opportunities for collective learning. Ultimately, this class offers an opportunity to discuss the internet in a fundamental way, which will help students develop a critical literacy to understand, question, and choose how to engage with the technologies that increasingly mediate our world.

Class Attributes

Asynchronous:Remote class-no scheduled mtg time