In an age of algorithmic automation, mass surveillance, and the commodification of social relations, this course asks the question: is technology evil? Using that provocation as a means to investigate the design, use, and economics of social media and other digital objects, we will read a mix of academic and popular texts that treat new media as a problem—not as an unqualified ill, but as something to be carefully considered in all of its immense power and pervasiveness in everyday life. Through an introduction to the methodologies of visual analysis, and close reading, we will think critically about the role of mass media in the production of consuming subjects, of the representations of race, gender and sexuality in new media, and the nature and role of aesthetics and design in contemporary life.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: None. Open to First-Years only.

Instructor: N. Gutierrez

Distribution Requirements: ARS - Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Film and Video

Other Categories: FYS - First Year Seminar

Typical Periods Offered: Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes: